What 3 Architects does

3 Architects, operating under the legal name driearchitecten, is a Belgian architectural design firm headquartered in Roeselare with a secondary office in Gent. Founded in 2005 by three architects, the firm has expanded to a team of more than 20 colleagues possessing over 200 years of combined architectural expertise. The firm rebranded from '3architecten' to 'driearchitecten' in 2024 to reflect its growth beyond the original three founders while preserving the founding identity in its name.

The firm's service offering centers on research-oriented architectural design, with particular emphasis on urban renewal, densification, and conceptually simple, economically and ecologically responsible solutions. Core capabilities span residential projects (single-family homes and multi-unit developments), commercial and industrial work (offices, retail, mixed-use), and public/institutional projects (neighborhood development, urban renewal). The firm employs BIM (Building Information Modeling) as a foundational design methodology, recognized externally by the BIMup Trophy 2025 as a special acknowledgment of its multi-year BIM journey. Notable project work includes the Waer Waters Froyennes wellness complex, the Trayco office building, the Carrefour Vuurtorenwijk urban renewal initiative, and the Primus Park industrial conversion.

The business operates as a partnership under Belgian law (VAT BE 0876 011 651), generating revenue exclusively through project-based professional fees for architectural services. The go-to-market model is sales-led, relying on direct client engagement, project inquiries, and reputation within the architecture community, with marketing primarily through project portfolio visibility, award coverage, and newsletter subscription. The firm serves a horizontal mix of three customer segments—private residential clients, commercial and industrial clients, and public/institutional clients—with project types ranging from mid-market residential to enterprise-scale urban and commercial developments.

Name

3 Architects

Legal name

driearchitecten

Website

https://3architecten.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

3 Architects (driearchitecten) is a Belgian architectural design firm founded in 2005, operating from Roeselare and Gent with 20+ colleagues delivering urban renewal, residential, commercial, and public projects using BIM methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Urban renewal design
• Building information modeling
• Residential architecture
• Sustainable architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Roeselare

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architectural services including concept design, project development, and oversight for residential, commercial, and public projects. Revenue generated through project-based professional fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

3 Architects (driearchitecten) is a Belgian research-oriented architectural design firm providing comprehensive design services for residential, commercial, wellness, and urban renewal projects. The firm offers concept design, project development, and oversight with emphasis on conceptual simplicity, sustainability, and economically and ecologically responsible solutions, delivered through offices in Roeselare and Gent using advanced Building Information Modeling (BIM) methodology.

Product overview

3 Architects (driearchitecten) is a research-oriented architectural design firm offering comprehensive architectural services across residential, commercial, wellness, and urban renewal projects. The firm operates from offices in Roeselare and Gent, Belgium, with over 20 colleagues and more than 200 years of combined experience. Their service portfolio includes BIM-enabled design methodology, urban densification and renewal projects, heritage-sensitive developments, and sustainable architecture. The firm has completed notable projects including Waer Waters Froyennes (wellness complex), Woning k·r (residential), Trayco (office building), Carrefour Vuurtorenwijk (urban development), and Primus Park (industrial conversion). The name '3architecten' originated from the three founding architects who established the firm in 2005.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Comprehensive architectural design services including concept design, project development, and oversight for residential, commercial, wellness, and urban renewal projects. Services are delivered using a research-oriented approach emphasizing conceptual simplicity, characteristic material use, and economically and ecologically responsible solutions, with specialization in urban renewal, densification, and heritage-sensitive adaptations.

Named customers6 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Orde van Architecten - Provinciale Raad West-VlaanderencoreOthersThe firm is registered with the Order of Architects, Provincial Council of West Flanders, ensuring compliance with professional standards and regulations governing architectural practice in Belgium. They are listed on the official table of architects.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BOB361 Architects: Belgian architecture office with a research-oriented design ethos working on residential, commercial, and public projects; directly comparable peer in scale, methodology, and Flemish regional focus.
• POLO Architects: Belgian design-led architecture firm working on residential and public sector commissions in Flanders; comparable boutique peer with similar project portfolio and design philosophy.
• AWG Architecten: Belgian architecture practice with comparable scale, regional Flemish footprint, and project types spanning residential, public, and urban development.
• Stéphane Beel Architects: Belgian architecture practice active in residential, public, and urban renewal projects across Flanders; comparable boutique-scale peer with similar client segments and conceptual design approach.
• Vincent Van Duysen Architects: Belgian contemporary architecture firm working across residential, commercial, and interior projects with a strong design-driven reputation; directly comparable in scale, segment mix, and Belgian regional positioning as driearchitecten.
• Companie-O Architects: Belgian contemporary architecture firm with a similar small-team, design-led approach working on residential and public commissions; directly comparable in scale and methodology.

Broad incumbents

• MVRDV: Dutch-headquartered architecture firm with major urban renewal, mixed-use, and sustainability-focused projects globally; broader incumbent operating at much larger scale in the same architectural segments.
• OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture): Internationally recognized architecture firm active in urban regeneration, residential, and public sector masterplans; broader incumbent competing on the same large public/institutional commissions.
• B2Ai architects: Belgian architecture and engineering firm with broader service portfolio including BIM-enabled design for residential, public, and commercial projects; broader incumbent offering overlapping design capabilities at larger scale.

Emerging players

• GAFPA: Belgian architecture practice focused on residential and public projects with an emerging profile; a smaller comparable peer operating in similar Flemish markets and design segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3architecten

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 3 Architects