Hosoya Schaefer Architects

What Hosoya Schaefer Architects does

Hosoya Schaefer Architects is a Zurich-headquartered architectural and urban design studio founded in 2003 by Markus Schaefer and Hiromi Hosoya, both Harvard GSD-trained architects. The firm offers four integrated service lines: architectural design (residential, commercial, and mixed-use buildings), urban design and master planning, strategic planning and consulting, and media installations for cultural and institutional clients. Its work is organized around two proprietary methodologies — 'Deep Urbanism' and the 'Industrious City Framework' — which position the firm as a thought leader in systemic, multi-scale urban design rather than a project-by-project practice.

The firm is privately held with no external investment, operating from offices in Zurich (headquarters) and Kyoto, with a team of approximately 30 professionals. Revenue is generated through professional services fees on a project basis, acquired primarily via architectural competitions (open and invited) and direct commissions from public and private clients. The customer base is horizontally segmented across urban development agencies and municipalities, transportation and infrastructure authorities, real estate developers, and housing cooperatives, with active projects in Switzerland, Germany, and other European markets as well as Japan.

Hosoya Schaefer competes on the basis of its academic credentials (Harvard, ETH, Keio affiliations), its competition track record (Elisabeth-Aue Berlin 1st Prize, ICONIC, Red Dot, iF, and Holcim Awards), and its interdisciplinary collaboration network including Agence TER, Studio Vulkan, Gehl, and Burckhardt Partner. Distribution is relationship- and competition-led rather than sales-led, and the firm uses academic lectures, biennale participation, and publications (including the 2026 QUART De Aedibus monograph) as primary brand channels. There is no evidence of AI/ML, software, or platform technology in the firm's offering.

Name

Hosoya Schaefer Architects

Legal name

Hosoya Schaefer Architects AG

Website

https://hosoyaschaefer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hosoya Schaefer Architects is a Zurich-based private architecture and urban design studio founded in 2003, offering architectural design, master planning, strategic consulting, and media installation services to municipalities, transportation authorities, developers, and housing cooperatives across Europe and Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture and Urban Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI), Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO), Luxury Whole-Home Renovation (High-End Finishes & Custom Build) (HSAPAEAI)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Urban design
• Master planning
• Strategic planning consulting
• Media installations

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Revenue generated through fees for architectural design services, including building design and realization for residential, commercial, and institutional projects. Projects are secured through competitions and direct commissions.
2. Urban Design and Master Planning: Fees from urban design projects, framework plans, and master planning engagements for municipalities and developers
3. Research and Consulting: Strategic planning and consulting services, including contributions to publications and academic research

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hosoya Schaefer Architects is a Zürich-based studio providing architectural design and building realization, urban design and master planning, strategic planning and consulting, and media installations. It serves residential, commercial, institutional, municipal, and infrastructure clients, winning projects through architectural competitions and direct commissions.

Product overview

Hosoya Schaefer Architects is a Zurich-based architecture and urban design studio offering a unified suite of services centered on architectural design, urban design, strategic planning, and media installations. The firm operates as a single integrated practice rather than a platform with separate modules, combining building design and realization with research-driven approaches across all project scales. Key service areas include residential and commercial architecture, urban masterplanning, strategic development consulting, and interactive media installations for institutional clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Comprehensive architectural design services for residential, commercial, and mixed-use buildings, from concept through realization.
• Urban Design Services Masterplanning and urban design for districts, quarters, and city districts, including public space and landscape integration.
• Strategic Planning and Consulting Urban development strategies, feasibility studies, and consulting for complex development projects and municipal planning processes.
• Media Installations Design and development of media installations and interactive exhibits, including award-winning projects for museums and public institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple first prize competition wins including Elisabeth-Aue Berlin, Winkelstrasse Zürich, and numerous station area developments
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Agence TERcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Long-standing collaboration with Agence TER on multiple urban design projects including Elisabeth-Aue Berlin, Langenfeld framework plan, and various master planning engagements across Germany and Switzerland
• Studio VulkancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Ongoing collaboration with Studio Vulkan Landscape Architecture on urban development projects including Main Station Zurich 2050 and multiple station square projects
• B+S AGmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Partnership with B+S AG as part of interdisciplinary planning team for Main Station Urban Space 2050 project in Zurich
• Burckhardt PartnercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Collaboration with Burckhardt Partner on Berlin City Entrance West (Stadteingang West) competitive dialogue process
• Halter AGmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021Collaboration with Halter AG on Fabrik SG vertical factory project in St. Gallen, winning investors competition
• GehlmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2021Collaboration with Gehl on Riga Port City masterplan development
• IBV HüslermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Collaboration with IBV Hüsler on transportation and infrastructure projects including station areas and mobility hubs
• S2L LandschaftsarchitektenmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership with S2L Landschaftsarchitekten on Station Herrliberg-Feldmeilen project
• Transitec Beratende Ingenieure AGmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Collaboration with Transitec on Station Herrliberg-Feldmeilen project team
• gus wüstemann architects AGmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2017Collaboration with gus wüstemann architects AG on Station Herrliberg-Feldmeilen winning proposal

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• KCAP (Kees Christiaanse): Rotterdam/Zurich-based practice combining urban design, architecture, and strategic planning — directly overlapping with Hosoya Schaefer's 'Deep Urbanism' methodology and European urban district focus.
• MVRDV: Rotterdam-based practice with strong urban design and masterplanning portfolio across Europe and Asia. Comparable scale, research-driven methodology, and international competition-led growth.
• Steven Holl Architects: New York-based studio with parallel academic-practice model (Holl teaches at Columbia), emphasis on urban and cultural projects, and similar thought-leadership publishing approach.
• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): Copenhagen/New York-based design practice known for large-scale urban masterplans, mixed-use developments, and international competition wins — directly comparable project types and cross-cultural positioning.
• Burckhardt Partner: Swiss architecture firm collaborating with Hosoya Schaefer on the Stadteingang West project; comparable Swiss competition-winning practice serving public clients across Switzerland and Germany.
• Herzog & de Meuron: Basel-based architecture firm with comparable Swiss roots, international project portfolio spanning cultural buildings and urban masterplans, and similar design-led, competition-winning model. Closest geographic and practice-style peer.
• David Chipperfield Architects: London/Berlin-based practice with comparable European urban masterplans, cultural buildings, and public-sector commissions. Similar competition-winning culture and DACH-region presence.
• Snøhetta: Multi-disciplinary design studio combining architecture, urban design, and landscape across Europe and beyond. Shares the integrated practice model, urban-systems research orientation, and academic-credentialed leadership.

Broad incumbents

• OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture): Rotterdam-based global architecture and urban design practice with broader portfolio and significantly larger scale, but directly comparable in urban masterplans, competition-led growth, and cross-cultural positioning.

Regional players

• gmp (von Gerkan, Marg and Partners): Hamburg-based architectural practice with strong German and Swiss competition portfolio in transportation hubs, urban districts, and public-sector masterplans — direct overlap in the DACH-region market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hosoya-schaefer-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/hosoyaschaeferarchitects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hosoya Schaefer Architects