ZRS Architects Engineers
ZRS Architekten Ingenieure is a Berlin-based architecture and engineering firm founded in 2003 that designs sustainable buildings using natural materials (timber, clay, brick) for housing associations, public institutions, educational organizations, and selective commercial clients across Europe and the Middle East.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ZRS Architects Engineers does
ZRS Architekten Ingenieure is a Berlin-based architecture and engineering firm founded in 2003 that designs and engineers buildings using natural materials - principally timber, clay/earth, and brick - and applies low-tech, circular, and climate-adaptive construction principles. The practice operates at the intersection of architecture and structural engineering, offering full design services across residential, educational, cultural, commercial, public, and healthcare typologies, with an in-house material testing laboratory and active research collaboration with TU Berlin's Natural Building Lab, TU Braunschweig, University of Stuttgart, and Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.
Revenue is generated primarily through professional services fees tied to architectural design commissions, structural engineering planning, and research/consulting work. Projects are secured via architectural competitions (ranked 22nd in architecture and 27th in structural engineering in Competitionline 2025), negotiated public-sector procurement, and direct commissions, frequently through ARGE joint ventures with peer firms on large public commissions. The client base is concentrated in Berlin and Brandenburg housing associations (STADT UND LAND, degewo, Bremer Heimstiftung), municipal and educational institutions (TU Berlin, Bezirksamt Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Tierpark Berlin), and selective commercial accounts such as EDEKA and Weleda, with additional projects in Austria, Switzerland, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, and Bangladesh. The firm participates in multiple EU-funded research consortia (RE4, SIRCULAR, GREENEST, INBUILT) and holds leadership roles in the DIN standards committee for earth building and the DIN/DKE/VDI Standardization Roadmap Circular Economy, which functions as both a regulatory and reputational moat.
ZRS Architects Engineers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ZRS Architects Engineers
- Legal name
- ZRS Architekten Ingenieure
- Website
- https://zrs.berlin
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ZRS Architekten Ingenieure is a Berlin-based architecture and engineering firm founded in 2003 that designs sustainable buildings using natural materials (timber, clay, brick) for housing associations, public institutions, educational organizations, and selective commercial clients across Europe and the Middle East.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ZRS Architects Engineers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Engineering Services (541330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA), Geotechnical Design, Engineering & Consulting (Analysis, Design, Peer Review) (IMAFAOAK)
Keywords
Where ZRS Architects Engineers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
ZRS Architects Engineers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Architectural Design Services: Full architectural design services for construction projects including residential, commercial, public, and educational buildings with specialization in sustainable and natural building methods
- Structural Engineering Services: Engineering planning for timber constructions, earth buildings, and structural refurbishments including load-bearing calculations and building physics
- Research and Consulting: Participation in European research projects and consulting on sustainable construction methods, often in partnership with universities
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
ZRS Architects Engineers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ZRS Architekten Ingenieure provides integrated architectural design and structural engineering services with a specialization in sustainable construction using natural building materials such as timber, clay/earth, and brick. The firm designs residential, educational, public, commercial, and healthcare buildings using low-tech, climate-adapted construction methods, supported by an in-house research and material testing laboratory and active collaboration with European universities on circular construction standards.
Product overview
ZRS Architekten Ingenieure is a Berlin-based architecture and engineering firm offering integrated services across architecture, structural engineering, earth building, and research. The core offering consists of architectural design services and specialized engineering services that utilize natural building materials including timber, earth/clay, and brick. The firm operates an in-house research and laboratory division that conducts material testing and collaborates on European research projects including RE4, SIRCULAR, GreeNest, and INBUILT. The flagship research initiative is the Holz Ziegel Lehm pilot project comparing timber-clay and brick-timber construction systems for sustainable multi-storey housing. Services span from initial design through construction supervision, with particular expertise in low-tech, climate-adaptive building approaches.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architecture Services Full-service architectural design covering residential, educational, cultural, commercial, office, public, and healthcare building types, with specialization in sustainable and natural building methods across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
- Engineering Services Structural engineering, building physics, and technical building services for sustainable construction projects including timber frame, earth masonry, and hybrid construction systems.
- Earth Building / Clay Construction Specialized expertise in earth building materials and construction methods, including load-bearing clay masonry, clay plaster, and low-tech climate-regulating building solutions for institutional and residential clients.
- Research and Laboratory Services In-house laboratory for material testing of earthen building materials, conducting pressure testing and research on natural building materials. Provides consulting and material testing services and collaborates with universities including TU Berlin, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, and TU Braunschweig.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50% CO2 reduction target achieved in Holz Ziegel Lehm pilot project
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use ZRS Architects Engineers
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
ZRS Architects Engineers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
ZRS Architects Engineers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Natural Building Lab at TU BerlincoreOngoing collaboration on TULIUM museum pavilion project as real world laboratory, and Reallabor B(e) Ware research project
- Economy for the Common Good (ECG) Deutschland e.V.minorZRS Architekten GvA mbH became a member of Economy for the Common Good, supporting sustainable business practices
- European Research Project SIRCULARcoreEuropean research project with 22 partners from 6 European countries focused on circular economy in construction, ZRS as consortium member
- European Research Project GREENEST (GreeNest)coreEU research project as part of NEST InGrained ecosystem for Zero Emission buildings, involving 20 European partners
- European Research Project INBUILTcoreEuropean research project on sustainable building with kick-off meeting in late 2023/early 2024, ZRS as consortium member
- TU Berlin - Natural Building LabcoreResearch collaboration on Holz Ziegel Lehm project with scientific monitoring of building performance, quality of stay, environmental impact, and energy demand
- TU Braunschweig - Institut für Bauklimatik und Energie der ArchitekturcoreResearch partnership for monitoring and comparing sustainable construction methods in Holz Ziegel Lehm project
- University of Stuttgart - Institut Wohnen und EntwerfencoreResearch partnership for housing design and construction research as part of Holz Ziegel Lehm project
- Bruno Fioretti Marquez GmbHcoreARGE (working group) partnership for the Holz Ziegel Lehm pilot project - ZRS handles timber construction while BFM handles monolithic brick construction, combining complementary expertise in sustainable housing
- DIN, DKE, VDIcoreAndrea Klinge and Eike Roswag-Klinge serve as heads of the Construction and Municipalities working group in the Standardization Roadmap Circular Economy, leading standardization efforts with approximately 70 experts
- Bauhaus-Universität WeimarminorCollaboration on certificate course in earth construction and graduation celebrations for earth building students; Christof Ziegert involvement in earth building education
- Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR)minorCo-organizer of Lowtech Symposium with Natural Building Lab at TU Berlin
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ZRS Architects Engineers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Atelier Peter Zumthor: Swiss architecture practice renowned for material-driven, craft-intensive, and atmospherically considered buildings; shares ZRS's emphasis on natural materials and embodied construction knowledge, though operating at a different typology mix.
- Werner Sobek: Stuttgart-based engineering and architecture firm specializing in sustainable, lightweight, and resource-efficient construction — directly comparable to ZRS's engineering-plus-architecture integrated model and timber/clay expertise.
- Bruno Fioretti Marquez: Berlin-based architecture firm and ZRS's ARGE joint-venture partner on the Holz Ziegel Lehm pilot project; BFM specializes in sustainable masonry and monolithic brick construction, making it a directly comparable peer in residential and sustainable architecture for German public-sector clients.
- Baumschlager Eberle: Austrian-Swiss-Liechtenstein architecture firm recognized for sustainable, energy-efficient buildings with a long-standing "2226" low-tech building concept — closely aligned with ZRS's low-tech and circular construction philosophy and DACH regional focus.
Others
- Buro Happold: International engineering consultancy with strong structural and sustainability engineering practices; comparable to ZRS's engineering arm in terms of sustainable building physics and structural expertise for complex projects, though operating at significantly larger scale.
Broad incumbents
- Herzog & de Meuron: Internationally renowned Swiss architecture firm with deep sustainability credentials and timber/experimental material expertise; operates at a much larger scale but shares ZRS's emphasis on material-driven sustainability and craft.
- Allmann Sattler Wappner Architekten: Established Munich-based German architecture firm with comparable public-sector, educational, and urban district projects; broader typology range but similar institutional client base to ZRS.
- Barkow Leibinger: Berlin- and New York-based architecture firm with strong public, cultural, and commercial portfolios; comparable German institutional client base and timber/experimental material expertise to ZRS, but at larger international scale.
- HPP Architects: Major German architecture firm with strong public-sector, commercial, and educational building portfolios; a broader incumbent that competes with ZRS for institutional commissions while offering a wider range of building typologies.
Emerging players
- aspern Architekten / trans_city (Christoph Lechner): Austrian sustainable-architecture practice with comparable focus on timber and low-energy building; an emerging peer with similar philosophical approach but smaller international footprint than ZRS.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ZRS Architects Engineers social profiles
Digital presenceZRS Architects Engineers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ZRS Architects Engineers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
ZRS Architects Engineers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ZRS Architects Engineers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ZRS Architects Engineers
What does ZRS Architects Engineers do?
ZRS Architekten Ingenieure provides integrated architectural design and structural engineering services with a specialization in sustainable construction using natural building materials such as timber, clay/earth, and brick. The firm designs residential, educational, public, commercial, and healthcare buildings using low-tech, climate-adapted construction methods, supported by an in-house research and material testing laboratory and active collaboration with European universities on circular construction standards.
Is ZRS Architects Engineers a public or private company?
ZRS Architects Engineers is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ZRS Architects Engineers founded?
ZRS Architects Engineers was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ZRS Architects Engineers based?
ZRS Architects Engineers is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does ZRS Architects Engineers make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Architectural Design Services are the primary driver. The others are structural Engineering Services and research and Consulting.
Who are ZRS Architects Engineers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Atelier Peter Zumthor, Werner Sobek, Bruno Fioretti Marquez and Baumschlager Eberle. Buro Happold is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Herzog & de Meuron, Allmann Sattler Wappner Architekten, Barkow Leibinger and HPP Architects. aspern Architekten / trans_city (Christoph Lechner) is listed as an emerging player.
Does ZRS Architects Engineers have an API?
No public API is recorded for ZRS Architects Engineers.
What industry is ZRS Architects Engineers in?
ZRS Architects Engineers's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAIAA, Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54131.