What Costearchitectures does

COSTE Architectures (legal entity: AGENCE COSTE ARCHITECTURES PARIS) is an independent French architecture firm founded in 1984 by François Coste in Montpellier and re-established in the Paris region by Emmanuel Coste in 1996 after his Europan 4 win. Structured as a SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) with €30,000 share capital and registered at RCS Versailles under 447 507 021, the firm is headquartered at 11 rue de la Prévôté, 78550 Houdan, with additional offices in Sisteron (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) and Algiers, Algeria. Following the January 2026 spin-off of its Montpellier team as EKHOS, the practice now operates around Houdan and Sisteron under Emmanuel Coste's leadership and maintains a headcount in the 11–50 employee range (peak of 25 collaborators at Houdan).

The firm's core service is professional architectural design, with four observable offerings: (1) public aquatic centers and swimming pools — the flagship specialty with over 60 completed projects including the Plaine Commune Olympic Aquatic Centre of Paris (€65,000,000) and the Olympic swimming pool of Ben Aknoun in Algiers; (2) sports and leisure facilities such as the Centre sportif Alain Mimoun in Rueil-Malmaison (2021 Clef d'Or winner); (3) sustainable and bioclimatic architecture, including the La Bonne Maison low-energy prototype (12 kWh/sqm/year vs. a 70 kWh/sqm/year benchmark) designed for Yann Arthus-Bertrand and the Natural Positive Building demonstrator at Houdan HQ; and (4) building rehabilitation and reuse. Underlying technology is BIM-centric (BIM d'Or 2014 for Saint-Nazaire), with pioneering work in off-site/industrialized construction (PIAL system, 1990s) and additive construction (world's first 3D-printed social housing in Reims).

Revenue is generated through professional services fees earned via two channels: competitive public procurement (concours) for French municipalities, intermunicipal authorities, and public institutions across metropolitan France and overseas territories — accounting for the majority of project value — and direct commissions from private developers (e.g., Société Centrale d'Investissement Immobiliers / ONA for the Casablanca World Trade Center at €157,327,386). Pricing is project-based and varies by tender; advisory is also delivered via the MIQCP framework. The customer base is concentrated in French public-sector municipalities, with repeat anchor relationships in Île-de-France, Occitanie, Alpes-Provence, and overseas departments, supported by an international project footprint in Algeria, China, and French overseas territories.

Name

Costearchitectures

Legal name

AGENCE COSTE ARCHITECTURES PARIS

Website

https://coste.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

COSTE Architectures is an independent French architecture firm founded in 1984, headquartered in Houdan, that designs public aquatic centers, sports facilities, and sustainable buildings for French municipalities and private developers across France, Algeria, China, and overseas territories using bioclimatic design and BIM technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC), Hospitality & Entertainment Venue Construction (IMAFACAC)

Keywords

• Sustainable architecture design
• Bioclimatic building design
• Aquatic center design
• Public building architecture
• BIM architectural services

Headquarters

HQ city

Houdan

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. Architecture and Design Services: Professional architecture services for public and private clients through public procurement competitions and direct commissions for municipalities, public institutions, and private developers
2. Project Management and Consulting: Advisory services to public clients through MIQCP (Mission Interministérielle pour la Qualité des Constructions Publiques)

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

COSTE Architectures is a French architecture firm that provides professional architectural design services focused on sustainable, integrative, and bioclimatic architecture. Its core deliverables include the design of public aquatic centers and swimming pools (the firm's flagship specialty with 60+ completed projects), sports and leisure facilities, low-energy and passive housing, hotels, and public buildings. The firm also delivers building rehabilitation and reuse projects, plus advisory services to public clients through MIQCP. Projects are delivered primarily through public procurement competitions and direct commissions across France, Algeria, China, and French overseas territories.

Product overview

COSTE Architectures is an architecture firm offering comprehensive architectural design services, not a unified software platform. The firm's portfolio centers on five core service offerings: (1) Aquatic Centers & Swimming Pools — their flagship specialty with over 60 completed projects including Olympic pools, public aquatic centers, and spa facilities; (2) Sports & Leisure Facilities — design of gymnasiums, sports complexes, and multi-sport venues; (3) Sustainable & Bioclimatic Architecture — eco-friendly building design with energy-efficient solutions like La Bonne Maison and Natural Positive Building; and (4) Building Rehabilitation & Reuse — renovation services for existing structures. Founded in 1996 by Emmanuel Coste and headquartered in Houdan, France, the firm operates additional offices in Sisteron and serves international clients including projects in Algeria, China, and French overseas territories. The company has pioneered BIM adoption, winning the first BIM d'Or in France in 2014, and emphasizes integrative architecture that reconciles contemporary innovation with traditional building knowledge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aquatic Centers & Swimming Pools Design of public swimming pools, aquatic centers, thermal baths, and spa facilities for municipalities and public institutions. The firm has completed over 60 aquatic projects across France and internationally (including the Olympic Aquatic Centre of Paris for Plaine Commune at €65,000,000, the Olympic swimming pool of Ben Aknoun in Algeria, the Laval Agglo Olympic refurbishment at €3,917,900, and aquatic centers at Sète and Réunion), and is recognized as a leader in this segment in France.
• Sports & Leisure Facilities

Quantifiable outcome

• Heating energy consumption of 12 kWh/sqm/year compared to standard 70 kWh/sqm/year - 83% reduction
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Eiffage, Swimdoo, Patrick TualcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020COSTE Architectures won competition for CASTALIA inter-municipal aqua-leisure centre of Élancourt-Maurepas in concession with Eiffage, Swimdoo and Patrick Tual. Programme includes sports pool, activity pool, balneo-leisure pool, toddler pool, slide area, stands, wellness area with saunas, hammams, spa, sports rooms, outdoor pool.
• Yann Arthus-BertrandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for La Bonne Maison project - initiated by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and designed by COSTE Architectures for the 'Vu du Ciel' TV programme
• François CostecoreOthersFrançois Coste (1937-2019) founded the original agency in Montpellier in the 1980s, establishing foundations for sustainable public architecture before Emmanuel Coste established the Paris office
• Elie Mouyal Architecte (Marrakech) & Riccardo BofillminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Casablanca World Trade Center project - first WTC in Africa
• Laurent CoulonminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAssociate architect on Hudolia Aquatic Centre, Dourdan project
• Auer + WeberminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAssociate architect on Foyer Enfance et Adolescence Mantes la Jolie project

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Auer Weber: German-French architecture firm with strong portfolio in public, civic and educational buildings. Already worked as associate architect with COSTE on the Foyer Enfance et Adolescence Mantes la Jolie project, indicating comparable scale and design philosophy in public-sector delivery.
• AAVP Architecture: French architecture practice with strong public-sector portfolio in cultural, educational and sports facilities. Competes for similar municipal concours and shares a comparable size, geographic reach, and project-based delivery model.
• Chabanne et Partenaires: Leading French architecture firm with deep specialisation in aquatic centres, sports facilities and public leisure infrastructure. Direct competitor in the same public concours market and product category as COSTE Architectures.

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: Global architecture firm with deep expertise in sustainability-focused public and infrastructure projects. Represents an incumbent benchmark for the type of sustainable, design-led architecture COSTE pursues, though at vastly larger scale and scope.
• Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG): Global architecture firm with pioneering reputation for sustainable, innovative public and aquatic projects. Sets the upper-bound benchmark for the type of design-led, energy-conscious architecture COSTE competes with at municipal level.
• Snøhetta: International architecture practice renowned for sustainability, civic and cultural buildings. Operates in the same bioclimatic, site-responsive design philosophy and frequently competes for public-sector commissions similar to those COSTE targets.
• Architecture-Studio: Major established French architecture firm with extensive public, cultural and urban-regeneration portfolio across multiple continents. Overlaps with COSTE in French public building tenders but operates at significantly larger scale with broader international scope.
• Dominique Perrault Architecture: Internationally-recognised French architect with civic, cultural and public infrastructure projects worldwide. Competes for high-profile French public commissions at a much larger scale and broader typology than COSTE's specialised aquatic-focused practice.
• Wilmotte & Associés: Established French architecture and urbanism practice with diversified portfolio across cultural, public and private commissions in France and internationally. Competes in the same sustainability-conscious public-architecture space as COSTE, with much broader capability set.

Emerging players

• Studio Gang: US-based architecture practice with strong sustainability and public-architecture portfolio. Less direct French-public overlap but represents the same architecture-as-research ethos that COSTE has built around rehabilitation, reuse and biomimicry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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• Instagraminstagram.com/agencecostearchitectures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agence-coste-architectures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Costearchitectures