Design Box

What Design Box does

Design Box is a structural and civil engineering consultancy founded in 2009 in Rouen, France, by Philip Garbutt and Pierre Mouchel, operating as SAS DESIGN BOX (SIRET 51404746300047) with offices in Rouen (headquarters), Paris, and London (opened early 2025). The firm provides structural design for new builds, refurbishments, and extensions; independent structural audits; Building Information Modelling; third-party verification checks; on-site monitoring and inspections; civil and ground engineering; Assistance Maîtrise d'Ouvrage (AMO); and master builder/project management services. It serves property owners, architects, general contractors, and international real estate buyers across residential, commercial, infrastructure, data center, and heritage/cultural segments, with notable project work for Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Boucheron, Hyatt, Equinix, Global Switch, Le Grand Palais, and the Ministère de la Culture.

The firm's competitive positioning rests on a multicultural, multilingual team of 17-19 collaborators with deep experience in heritage buildings, secured buildings, and exceptional sites. Technical capabilities are anchored by a sustained BIM investment program since 2013 and 3D scanner metrology that enables precise integration of existing structures into reinforcement calculations. Notable flagship projects include luxury retail structural modifications on Avenue Montaigne and Rue Saint Honoré, hotel rehabilitations across Cannes and Paris, mixed wood-steel roof coverage for the Gare de Noisy-Champs (Grand Paris), and heavy structural modifications at Le Grand Palais and Musée de l'Homme.

Design Box operates as a privately held, founder-owned professional services firm with no disclosed external investors, parent entity, or funding rounds. Revenue is generated through project-based, quote-driven fee-for-service engagements under an enterprise field sales go-to-market model, leveraging direct relationships with luxury brands, real estate operators, contractors, and government clients. Geographic reach currently spans France, the United Kingdom, and select international markets including the United States, with distribution conducted entirely through direct client engagement rather than partner channels.

Name

Design Box

Legal name

SAS DESIGN BOX

Website

https://db-structures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Design Box is a French structural and civil engineering consultancy founded in 2009, with offices in Rouen, Paris, and London, serving property owners, architects, and contractors across residential, commercial, infrastructure, and heritage projects in France, the UK, and select international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Structural Engineering Consultancy

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Drafting Services (541340)

akta.pro primary industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Structural engineering consultancy
• Building information modelling
• Structural audit services
• Civil engineering design
• Construction project management

Headquarters

HQ city

Rouen

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Structural Engineering Consultancy: Professional services revenue generated through structural design, structural audits, third-party checks, monitoring roles, and civil/ground engineering services for residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Design Box is a structural and civil engineering consultancy that provides complete structural design for new builds, refurbishments, and extensions; independent structural audits and third-party checks; Building Information Modelling (BIM) and 3D scanning; on-site monitoring and inspections; and civil and ground engineering services. It serves property owners, architects, general contractors, and international real estate buyers across residential, commercial, heritage, hospitality, data center, and infrastructure projects in France and the United Kingdom.

Product overview

Design Box is a structural and civil engineering consultancy firm offering a comprehensive range of engineering services. The company provides structural design, structural audits, Building Information Modelling (BIM), third-party checks, site monitoring and inspections, civil and ground engineering, and Assistance Maîtrise d'Ouvrage (AMO). These services work together to deliver complete structural engineering solutions from initial feasibility studies through construction execution and monitoring, covering residential, commercial, infrastructure, and heritage projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Structural Design Services Complete structural design for new builds, refurbishments, and extensions across residential, commercial, and infrastructure sectors, balancing safety, efficiency, and buildability.
• Structural Audits Independent reviews of existing structures to assess safety, compliance, and performance, delivered as clear, actionable reports for owners, investors, and facility managers.
• Building Information Modelling (BIM)
• Third-Party Checks Independent verification of designs and calculations for regulatory compliance, technical accuracy, and structural integrity.
• Monitoring and Site Inspections Ongoing site monitoring and inspections to ensure works are carried out in accordance with the design and relevant standards, helping to catch and resolve issues before they become costly problems.
• Civil and Ground Engineering Specialist services complementing core structural services in below-ground drainage, highway design, flood risk assessments, and geo-environmental engineering, delivered through a specialist network.
• Assistance Maîtrise d'Ouvrage (AMO) Advisory role for project owners guiding them through project management from definition of needs to project completion.
• Master Builder and Project Management Complete project management and design oversight ensuring quality, efficiency, and alignment with client requirements throughout all project phases.

Named customers33 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Design Box Consulting EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Collaboration with Design Box Consulting Engineers as part of Marseille team building event. Design Box Consulting Engineers appears to be a related entity or sister company operating in the UK/London market.
• Distinct EnergiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Collaboration during team building event in Marseille alongside Design Box Consulting Engineers. Energy sector partner for joint activities.
• MARSAILminorOthers · 1 April 2025Sailing event organizer that facilitated the team building regatta experience for Design Box team members.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Arup: Global engineering consultancy with deep structural engineering practice across buildings, heritage and infrastructure. Comparable as a senior-led structural firm serving complex and heritage projects, though far broader in scale and geography than Design Box.
• WSP: Global professional services firm with a large buildings and structural engineering practice across Europe. Comparable on the structural consulting stack (design, BIM, third-party review) but operating at much larger scale and breadth.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consultancy with a multi-disciplinary buildings engineering practice including structural design and BIM. Comparable on the structural consulting offering for complex buildings and data centers, though vastly broader and larger in scale.

Direct peers

• Buro Happold: International structural and civil engineering consultancy with strong heritage/existing-buildings capability and an established London-Paris presence. Directly comparable on structural design, BIM-led workflows, and cross-Channel project delivery.
• T/E/S/S: Paris-based structural engineering consultancy (Techniques d'Études Structures Spéciales) focused on complex and exceptional buildings, heritage and infrastructure. Directly comparable boutique French structural firm with overlapping client base in cultural and high-end commercial work.
• Schlaich Bergermann Partner (SBP): Specialist structural engineering consultancy renowned for innovative and heritage-sensitive design across cultural, transport and civic buildings. Comparable on the high-complexity, design-led structural engineering positioning that distinguishes Design Box from generalist firms.
• RFR (Rice Francis Ritchie): Paris-based structural engineering consultancy with strong heritage and museum/cultural project portfolio. Closely comparable on boutique size, heritage expertise and the cultural/institutional client segment Design Box serves.
• Egis: Major French engineering group covering buildings, transport, urban development and structural design. Comparable on French structural consultancy services for transit, cultural and commercial projects, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Bollinger + Grohmann: European structural engineering firm specialising in complex new builds and heritage/existing structures, with offices across Germany, France and elsewhere. Closely comparable to Design Box on boutique size, technical depth and heritage/luxury project focus.
• Setec: French multi-disciplinary engineering group with a strong structural and civil engineering practice serving transport, buildings and infrastructure. Comparable on technical structural consulting in France, particularly on Grand Paris-style transport and civic projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/design-box-sarl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Design Box