ZRS Architects Engineers

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.

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

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

• Sustainable architecture
• Timber construction
• Earth building
• Structural engineering
• Circular construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

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: Full architectural design services for construction projects including residential, commercial, public, and educational buildings with specialization in sustainable and natural building methods
2. Structural Engineering Services: Engineering planning for timber constructions, earth buildings, and structural refurbishments including load-bearing calculations and building physics
3. 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

Core 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

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Natural Building Lab at TU BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Ongoing 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.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025ZRS Architekten GvA mbH became a member of Economy for the Common Good, supporting sustainable business practices
• European Research Project SIRCULARcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024European research project with 22 partners from 6 European countries focused on circular economy in construction, ZRS as consortium member
• European Research Project GREENEST (GreeNest)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EU research project as part of NEST InGrained ecosystem for Zero Emission buildings, involving 20 European partners
• European Research Project INBUILTcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024European research project on sustainable building with kick-off meeting in late 2023/early 2024, ZRS as consortium member
• TU Berlin - Natural Building LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Research 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 ArchitekturcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Research partnership for monitoring and comparing sustainable construction methods in Holz Ziegel Lehm project
• University of Stuttgart - Institut Wohnen und EntwerfencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Research partnership for housing design and construction research as part of Holz Ziegel Lehm project
• Bruno Fioretti Marquez GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020ARGE (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, VDIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAndrea 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 WeimarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration 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)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Lowtech Symposium with Natural Building Lab at TU Berlin

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct 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

• YouTubevimeo.com/zrs
• Instagraminstagram.com/zrsberlin
• Facebookfacebook.com/zrsberlin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zrs-architekten-ingenieure

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 ZRS Architects Engineers