Stefan Forster

What Stefan Forster does

Stefan Forster GmbH is a Frankfurt-based, founder-owned architectural practice founded in 1989, specializing exclusively in urban residential construction in Germany. The firm delivers full-service architectural planning across HOAI work phases 1-5, master planning, and building transformation/conversion services for housing associations (e.g., WOGEDO, GWH Wohnungsgesellschaft, hanova Wohnen), residential cooperatives, and private developers/investors. Core work spans new-build multi-family housing, office-to-residential conversion, and modernization of 1960s/70s housing estates, with a project portfolio spanning Frankfurt, Hannover, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Berlin, Mannheim, Leipzig, Dresden, and other German cities.

The firm's underlying technology platform is BIM-based digital planning, adopted in 2006 and extended with proprietary workflows including integrated Life Cycle Assessment for CO2 analysis, 5D cost planning, BCF-based interdisciplinary collaboration, and agile sprint-based project management. Approximately 30 architects, led by founder Stefan Forster and co-managing director Florian Kraft, execute these BIM-enabled processes. The practice holds multiple industry recognitions, including DAM Preis nominations, Martin-Elsaesser-Plakette, Iconic Awards, and German Design Award nominations.

Revenue is generated through professional service fees governed by the German HOAI fee structure, billed on multi-year contracts awarded via architectural competitions (where the firm has a strong first-prize track record), direct commissions, and repeat engagements with cooperative and municipal clients. Distribution is direct professional services; marketing relies on project-based content across the firm's website, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, German architecture press, and Tag der Architektur participation. The firm has no public listing, no external institutional investors, and a related sister entity, Compendium BIM + Kybernetik GmbH & Co. KG (founded 2018), which productizes digital project management capabilities.

Name

Stefan Forster

Legal name

Stefan Forster GmbH

Website

https://sfa.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Stefan Forster GmbH is a Frankfurt-based, founder-owned German architectural practice founded in 1989, specializing in urban residential construction, building transformation, and master planning for housing associations, cooperatives, and private developers using BIM-based digital workflows.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD), Multi-Family Residential Construction (Apartments, Condos, Townhomes) (IMAFABAB)

Keywords

• Architectural services
• Residential architecture
• BIM planning
• Urban housing design
• Building transformation

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfort

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Architectural Planning Services: Full project planning services (work phases 1-5 according to German HOAI), model- and data-based processes, BIM management and coordination. Services also delivered as master planner. Revenue generated through professional service fees for architectural design of residential buildings, urban development projects, and building transformations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stefan Forster GmbH is a Frankfurt-based architectural practice specializing in urban residential construction. The firm delivers full-service architectural planning across HOAI work phases 1-5, including BIM-based collaborative planning, master planning, residential housing construction, and building transformation/conversion projects. It serves housing associations, cooperatives, and private developers primarily across German cities, employing approximately 30 architects.

Product overview

Stefan Forster GmbH is one of Germany's leading architectural practices specializing in urban residential construction. The company operates as a unified architectural services firm (not a software platform) offering project planning, BIM-based design services, and master planning. Their core offering encompasses residential housing construction (from high-end apartments to affordable rental units), building transformation and conversion projects, and urban development. The firm employs approximately 30 architects and works across the entire residential segment, from town houses to large city blocks, while specializing in remodeling office and administration buildings and transforming housing estates. Services include model- and data-based planning using BIM methodologies with interdisciplinary cooperation and BIM management capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project Planning (Work Phases 1–5) Comprehensive architectural project planning services covering all five work phases defined by the HOAI (Honorarordnung für Architekten und Ingenieure), from preliminary design through construction supervision and documentation. Targeted at clients commissioning residential and urban development projects.
• BIM-Based Planning Services Model- and data-based planning processes using Building Information Modeling (BIM) methodologies, enabling interdisciplinary cooperation and digital collaboration with BIM management and overall coordination. Includes Life Cycle Assessment and 5D cost planning.
• Master Planning Services Full-service master planning capabilities delivering all architectural services as a master planner for complex residential and urban development projects.
• Residential Housing Construction Design and construction of residential housing including multi-family apartment buildings, town houses, and large city blocks, ranging from high-end apartments to affordable rented flats.
• Building Transformation & Conversion Transformation and conversion of existing buildings including office-to-residential conversions, modernization of housing estates, and adaptive reuse of historic structures such as the Philosophicum Frankfurt.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple award nominations and wins including DAM Preis, Martin-Elsaesser-Plakette, Iconic Awards, German Design Award

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Max Dudler: Berlin- and Frankfurt-based German architect with major residential, cultural and urban housing commissions. Comparable on German residential projects, award-winning portfolio and HOAI-governed fee structure.
• Staab Architekten: Berlin-based German practice with a portfolio anchored in urban housing and residential estates. Directly comparable on residential specialization, urban transformation projects and award recognition in the German market.
• KSP Engel: Frankfurt-headquartered German architecture firm with strong residential, urban infill and mixed-use practices of comparable scale. Closely comparable on building typology, German municipal client base and HOAI-fee-driven business model.
• Sauerbruch Hutton: Berlin architecture practice with a strong residential and mixed-use portfolio and comparable mid-sized firm structure. Overlaps on award-recognized housing design and German/European project base.
• Bruno Fioretti Marquez: Berlin architecture office focused on urban infill, residential and mixed-use developments. Comparable on typology (urban housing), German geographic focus and practice scale (~30-60 architects).

Broad incumbents

• David Chipperfield Architects: International practice with a major Berlin studio and residential/mixed-use commissions in Germany. Comparable on residential typology and German urban context but operates at much larger scale and global brand.
• HPP Architekten: Large German architecture firm with deep residential, commercial and public-sector portfolio across multiple German cities. Comparable client segments (housing associations, public developers) but materially larger scale and broader typology mix.
• gmp · von Gerkan, Marg and Partners: Hamburg-headquartered German incumbent with extensive residential, stadium and transport architecture work. Overlaps on German municipal residential tenders and HOAI-fee projects but operates at materially greater scale and global footprint.

Regional players

• Barkow Leibinger: Berlin- and New York-based architecture practice with selective residential and urban-housing work. Comparable on design-led mid-sized German practice profile and award recognition, though with stronger US presence.
• COBE: Danish architecture firm with a Berlin studio and a portfolio of large-scale residential and urban transformation projects. Comparable on residential specialization and BIM-driven design process, though headquartered outside Germany.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/stefanforsterarchitekten
• Facebookfacebook.com/sfarchitekten
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stefan-forster-architekten-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/sfarchitekten
• Xx.com/sfarchitekten

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Stefan Forster