Otten Architects

What Otten Architects does

OttenArchitekten GmbH is a privately held German architecture firm headquartered in Korschenbroich, North Rhine-Westphalia, with a second office in Mönchengladbach. Founded in 1986 by Fritz Otten as Schmid-Schmid-Otten and reorganized under its current name in 2009, the firm has operated continuously for nearly four decades. It employs approximately 30 architects and planners, delivering full-service architectural planning across the complete HOAI performance phase spectrum (LP 0 through LP 8), from project development and permit planning through tendering, construction documentation, and on-site supervision. The firm also coordinates specialist disciplines including structural engineering, building services (TGA), building physics, fire protection, and landscape design as part of its project delivery.

The firm's portfolio is organized into six service lines: retail/commercial buildings, office and campus design, industrial/logistics facilities, residential developments, educational buildings, and heritage/listed-building renovation. Notable client engagements include REWE, LIDL, EDEKA, Media Markt, Siemens, Quooker Germany, VGP Group (Opel grEEn campus), Duisburger Hafen AG, Hochschule Niederrhein, Gladbacher Bank, and Landmarken AG. Completed project values have ranged from €180,000 to €60 million, with multiple DGNB Gold-certified sustainable builds in the portfolio. The technology stack is industry-standard: Nemetschek Allplan for BIM/CAD, Microsoft Project for scheduling, and G&W California X for costing.

The business model is professional services — fees are generated through percentage-based charges on construction costs in line with the German HOAI fee structure, plus hourly rates for specific scopes. Go-to-market is sales-led: projects are acquired via competitive bidding, direct enterprise relationships, industry trade shows (EXPO REAL, MIPIM, Polis Convention), and professional networking. The customer base is concentrated in German commercial real estate, with primary segments being property developers/investors and retail chains, plus a secondary mix of industrial, education, healthcare, and public-sector clients. The firm is founder-controlled with no external investors, no funding history, and no M&A activity, operating organically across Germany with a focus on the Rhineland and Ruhr regions.

Name

Otten Architects

Legal name

ottenarchitekten GmbH

Website

https://ottenarchitekten.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OttenArchitekten GmbH is a privately held German architecture firm in Korschenbroich with ~30 architects delivering full HOAI-phase planning for retail, office, industrial, residential, educational, and heritage projects for enterprise clients across Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Commercial building design
• Retail architecture
• Heritage building renovation
• Urban planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Korschenbroich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Project-based fees for architecture and planning services covering all HOAI phases (1-9), including project development, design, permit planning, construction documentation, and construction supervision. Revenue is generated through percentage-based fees on construction costs and hourly rates for specific services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

OttenArchitekten GmbH is a full-service German architecture firm providing architectural design, planning, and project supervision across all HOAI performance phases. The firm's core offering covers commercial, industrial, retail, residential, educational, and heritage projects, delivered through integrated concept, design, permitting, and construction administration services.

Product overview

OttenArchitekten is a German architecture firm based in Korschenbroich offering comprehensive architectural and planning services. The firm operates as a single integrated service practice rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Their core offering spans the full spectrum of HOAI performance phases (LP 0 through LP 8), delivering architectural planning from initial concept through construction completion. The portfolio comprises distinct service lines: retail and commercial building design (including shopping centers, supermarkets, and market halls), office building and campus design, industrial and logistics facility design, residential development planning, educational building design, and heritage building renovation. Supporting services include specialist coordination for structural engineering, building services, fire protection, and accessibility. Projects range from individual buildings to large-scale mixed-use developments across the Rhineland region of Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Architecture
• Retail Architecture Architectural design and rollout services for retail chains, including store planning, fit-out design, and multi-site program delivery for retail operators in Germany.
• Industrial Architecture Architectural design and planning for industrial facilities, including manufacturing plants, logistics buildings, and production halls, delivered to industrial operators and developers.
• Residential Architecture Architectural design services for residential buildings, including single-family, multi-family, and housing development projects for property developers and residential clients.
• Educational Architecture Architectural design and renovation services for educational facilities, including schools, universities, and training centers, delivered to public sector and institutional clients.
• Heritage Building Renovation Architectural renovation, restoration, and adaptive reuse services for heritage and listed buildings, balancing preservation requirements with modern functional needs for public and private owners.
• Urban Planning Services Urban and master planning services supporting the design of larger development sites and mixed-use neighborhoods, often integrated with the firm's architectural commissions.

Quantifiable outcome

• DGNB Gold certification achieved for multiple projects including REWE Köln Lövenich and Office West Aachen
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• HPP Architekten GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Campus Butzweilerhof project in Cologne, where OttenArchitekten worked together with HPP Architekten on the six-story office complex development.
• Studio INAMATTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with Studio INAMATT on the Quooker Headquarter Germany project in Korschenbroich, contributing to the design and implementation.
• Architekt Armin BurgmannminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKooperationspartner (cooperation partner) on multiple projects including Karstadt Mönchengladbach Rheydt and Kindertagesstätte Grevenbroich.
• STANDORT NIEDERRHEIN GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStand partner at trade shows including EXPO REAL Munich and Polis Convention Düsseldorf, representing the Niederrhein region as a business location.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• gmp Architekten: Major German architecture firm (von Gerkan, Marg and Partners) with significant global presence and broad portfolio including large-scale commercial, sports, transport, and cultural buildings. Operates at substantially larger scale than OttenArchitekten with overlapping capabilities in commercial design.

Direct peers

• JSK Architekten: Düsseldorf-based German architecture firm with strong focus on commercial, retail, and office developments. Similar size and customer profile to OttenArchitekten, with comparable geographic concentration in NRW.
• RKW Architektur +: Düsseldorf-based German architecture firm with broad portfolio across commercial, residential, retail, and educational buildings. Comparable mid-to-large size and German regional focus.
• HPP Architekten: Major Düsseldorf-based German architecture firm specializing in commercial, retail, and office buildings. Directly comparable to OttenArchitekten in scope and customer base — they have actually collaborated on the Campus Butzweilerhof project in Cologne.
• Hascher Jehle Architektur: Berlin-based German architecture firm with broad portfolio in commercial, retail, education, and cultural buildings. Comparable full-service scope and German regional presence.
• Heinle, Wischer und Partner: German architecture firm with offices in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Dresden, and Stuttgart specializing in commercial, educational, and public buildings. Comparable scale and full-service offering.
• KSP Engel: German architecture firm with offices in Hamburg, Frankfurt, and other cities, focused on office, commercial, and educational buildings. Comparable full-service offering across HOAI phases with similar enterprise client base.

Regional players

• ASTOC Architects and Planners: Cologne-based German architecture firm specializing in urban planning, commercial, and residential projects. Comparable mid-sized firm with similar NRW regional presence.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ottenarchitekten-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Otten Architects