Carlos Martinez Architects

What Carlos Martinez Architects does

Carlos Martinez Architekten AG is a Swiss full-service architecture firm founded in 1993 by Carlos Martinez and Marco Köppel in Berneck, St. Gallen canton, during the Swiss real estate crisis. Operating as a privately held Swiss stock corporation (AG) with no external investors or funding rounds disclosed, the firm employs approximately 50 people across two studios — the Berneck headquarters (Schnabelweg 8) and a newer St.Gallen location (Heiligkreuzstrasse 28a, opened December 2024 in the Kubik-Areal). The firm delivers architectural and interior design services spanning residential, commercial, hospitality, educational, cultural, healthcare, industrial, and public infrastructure sectors, primarily serving clients in Eastern Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

The firm's core offering is professional architectural services delivered across all project phases: conceptual design, technical planning, construction management, interior architecture, and — under Fatima Martinez-Gonçalves — real estate development advisory. Project scale ranges from small residential commissions (~300 m²) to large industrial and hospitality facilities (~31,300 m²), including the Kellenberger Areal (25,000 m² industrial consolidation, CHF 65 million), Kurhaus Oberwaid (28,000 m² spa hotel), Hotel Revier Lenzerheide (96 prefabricated cross-laminated timber modules), and the Migros Heiden solar-powered supermarket (Swiss Solar Prize 2020). The leadership team pairs founder Carlos Martinez with partners Raffaele Falivena (execution, since 2010) and Matthias Waibel (design, since 2016), supported by extended management covering resources, HR, and finance. No patents, software products, APIs, or proprietary technology platforms are disclosed; the firm's intellectual property resides in its 30+ years of design expertise and award-recognized portfolio (ICONIC, DNA Paris Design, A'Design, Swiss Solar Prize).

The business model is project-based professional services with custom-quoted fees tied to scope, complexity, and contract length (typically multi-year). Revenue derives from design and supervision fees rather than any standardized or subscription pricing. Client acquisition flows through direct enterprise relationships, invited architectural competitions (where the firm has a track record of first-place wins), and a referral network of authorities, specialists, and prior clients. The customer base is diversified across at least eight named enterprise clients in finance, industrial manufacturing, retail, hospitality, and religious sectors. The firm has no disclosed financials, no subsidiaries, no M&A history, and operates as a founder-controlled practice with no parent company or institutional ownership.

Name

Carlos Martinez Architects

Legal name

Carlos Martinez Architekten AG

Website

https://carlosmartinez.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carlos Martinez Architekten AG is a Swiss full-service architecture firm founded in 1993, employing approximately 50 people across studios in Berneck and St.Gallen. It delivers architectural, interior design, and real estate development services to enterprise clients in residential, commercial, hospitality, industrial, and public sectors throughout Eastern Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Interior architecture
• Residential architecture
• Commercial architecture
• Industrial architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Gallen

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 Services: Professional architectural services including design, planning, project management, and construction supervision. Projects span from residential buildings to large-scale commercial, industrial, and public infrastructure developments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Carlos Martinez Architects is a full-service Swiss architecture firm providing conceptual design, technical planning, project management, construction supervision, and interior architecture for residential, commercial, hospitality, educational, cultural, healthcare, industrial, and public infrastructure projects. The firm operates as Carlos Martinez Architekten AG with approximately 50 employees across studios in Berneck and St.Gallen, and also provides real estate development advisory services.

Product overview

Carlos Martinez Architects is a Swiss architecture firm founded in 1993, operating as a traditional architectural practice rather than a software product company. The firm offers architectural design services as its core product, complemented by interior architecture and real estate development advisory. The portfolio includes residential buildings, schools, hotels, healthcare facilities, cultural centers, office buildings, and industrial projects. Notable featured projects include the Stadtlounge St.Gallen (with Pipilotti Rist), Kellenberger Areal industrial facility, Kurhaus Oberwaid spa, Hotel Revier with prefabricated timber modules, Bühler Customer Center, and various other commercial and public buildings. The firm employs approximately 50 people and operates from offices in Berneck and St.Gallen, with projects spanning Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-service architectural design from concept to completion covering residential, commercial, industrial, cultural, and public sector projects. Services include conceptual development, technical planning, construction management, and quality assurance through all project phases.
• Interior Architecture Interior architecture and space design services developing formative interior concepts for residential, hotel, and commercial buildings.
• Real Estate Development Advisory Property development advisory services supporting clients in evaluating real estate through processes, life cycles, and possibilities.
• Construction Management and Supervision Execution and construction management of building projects including cost, schedule, and quality control, ensuring alignment with client requirements and design vision.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple international awards including ICONIC Awards, DNA Paris Design Awards, A'Design Awards, and Swiss Solar Prize
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Mettler2Invest AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper and investor for the Kellenberger Areal project in Goldach. Mettler2Invest AG commissioned the consolidation of three Kellenberger locations into a new industrial facility.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• K&L Architekten: Architecture firm based in the St.Gallen area of Eastern Switzerland serving residential, commercial, and industrial clients in overlapping regional markets. Comparable to CMA as a regional peer competing for similar enterprise and institutional clients in the same Swiss German-speaking territory.
• Schmid + Leimer Architekten: Architecture firm based in Eastern Switzerland (St.Gallen region) with portfolio across residential, commercial, and public projects. Comparable to CMA as a regional competitor operating in overlapping geographies and serving similar institutional and corporate clients in the same Swiss German-speaking market.

Direct peers

• Valerio Olgiati Architekten: Small, design-led Swiss architecture practice in Graubünden/Zurich with international recognition for high-concept cultural and residential projects. Comparable to CMA in scale (small studio) and award-driven positioning, but with a more singular art-architecture focus.
• Diener & Diener Architekten: Basel-based Swiss architecture firm known for high-quality cultural, residential, and commercial buildings with international recognition. Comparable to CMA in design-led positioning and award-winning portfolio, though operating from a larger urban base.
• Schneider + Schneider Architekten: Swiss architecture firm with comparable mid-scale size and strong portfolio in cultural, residential, and public buildings, recognized through multiple awards. Comparable to CMA in its design quality emphasis and project-based professional services model.
• Max Dudler Architekten: Zurich/Berlin architecture practice with Swiss roots, recognized for design quality and award-winning residential, cultural, and public projects. Comparable to CMA in its emphasis on proportion, material, and conceptual rigor, though operating with broader international exposure.
• EM2N Architekten: Zurich-based architecture firm of similar mid-scale size with comparable multi-vertical portfolio spanning cultural, educational, residential, and public projects. Both firms emphasize conceptual clarity and have received international design awards, making them strong peers in the Swiss mid-market architecture segment.
• Burkhalter Sumi Architekten: Zurich-based Swiss architecture practice with comparable mid-scale size and multi-vertical portfolio covering residential, commercial, and public buildings. Both firms share a design-led, concept-driven approach and serve institutional and corporate clients in Switzerland.

Broad incumbents

• Burckhardt+Partner: One of Switzerland's largest full-service architecture firms with ~400 employees, offering architectural, general planning, and interior design across residential, commercial, healthcare, and industrial sectors. Comparable to CMA as a Swiss full-service practice but at materially larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Herzog & de Meuron: Basel-headquartered global architecture firm with Swiss roots, operating at vastly larger scale with iconic cultural, commercial, and residential commissions worldwide. Comparable as a Swiss architecture firm with strong design identity and international award profile, but at the global incumbent tier.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/carlosmartinezarchitekten
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carlos-martinez-architekten-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Carlos Martinez Architects