What AZPML does

AZPML is an international architecture and urban design practice headquartered in London, with additional offices in Lugano, New York, and Madrid. Founded in 2011 by Alejandro Zaera-Polo as a legacy practice of FOA (Foreign Office Architects, established 1993), the firm is structured as a three-partner practice alongside Maider Llaguno-Munitxa (partner since 2013) and Ivaylo Vladimirov Nachev (partner since 2019). It specializes in civic, cultural, transport, educational, residential, retail, and mixed-use projects, with active commissions spanning six continents and approximately 28 countries. Notable completed works include the Yokohama International Port Terminal (2002), Ravensbourne College, London Olympics infrastructure, Seoul Banpo-Hangang River Connection Park, and the Swiss Embassy in London.

The firm's core technical competencies center on three research-led areas: urban microclimate analysis (integrating urban and building physics to optimize microclimate dynamics), building envelope innovation (material history and ecology of architectural surfaces), and computational design (environmental modelling, analysis, and visualization). These capabilities are anchored in the partners' academic appointments at Princeton University, Columbia University, and connections to ETH Zurich, and were externally validated by a 2019 Samsung Global Research Outreach grant for urban air quality design. The practice is not a software or technology company; it sells professional architectural services.

AZPML generates revenue exclusively from project-based professional design fees, with no disclosed productized or recurring revenue streams. Projects are acquired primarily through international design competitions (where the firm has a documented high win rate, including British Pavilion 1st Prize at the 2002 Venice Biennale and multiple RIBA Awards), public tenders, and direct commissions from government entities, cultural institutions, and private developers. Pricing is project-by-project and not publicly disclosed. The firm's customer base spans government (Olympic Delivery Authority, Network Rail, Barcelona City Council), real estate developers (British Land, Hammerson, Land Securities, Selfridges), cultural institutions (Barbican Centre, BBC), healthcare (Maggie's Cancer Care), and pharma (Novartis), with no single dominant client. Marketing is conducted through the firm's portfolio website, publication in international architectural journals (El Croquis, Quaderns, A+U), and academic presentations at institutions including Yale and Princeton.

Name

AZPML

Legal name

AZPML

Website

https://azpml.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AZPML is a London-headquartered international architecture and urban design practice (with offices in Lugano, New York, and Madrid) founded in 2011 as the legacy of FOA. The three-partner firm delivers civic, cultural, transport, educational, and mixed-use projects globally, acquired via design competitions and direct commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architecture and urban design services including masterplanning, building design, and landscape architecture. Revenue is generated through design fees for projects across civic, cultural, residential, commercial, and infrastructure sectors. Projects are typically won through international competitions and direct commissions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AZPML provides professional architecture and urban design services including masterplanning, building design, and landscape architecture for civic, cultural, educational, transport, retail, residential, and mixed-use projects. Services are delivered through international design competitions, public tenders, and direct commissions for government entities, cultural institutions, real estate developers, and transport authorities globally.

Product overview

AZPML is an international architecture and urban design practice offering architectural services across multiple typologies including civic, cultural, educational, exhibition, infrastructure, landscape, leisure, masterplanning, mixed-use, office, research, residential, retail, sport, and transport projects. The firm provides comprehensive architectural design services from concept through completion, with no software or technology product offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Comprehensive architectural design services from concept through completion across civic, cultural, educational, exhibition, infrastructure, landscape, leisure, mixed-use, office, research, residential, retail, sport, and transport typologies for government entities, cultural institutions, real estate developers, and transport authorities globally.
• Urban Masterplanning Urban masterplanning and urban design services for development corporations, planning authorities, and public sector clients, including masterplans and urban design frameworks at multiple scales.
• Landscape Architecture Landscape architecture services integrated with building and urban design projects, including park, public space, and waterfront landscape design across projects such as Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Green Axis and Banpo-Hangang River Connection Park.

Named customers15 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FOA (Foreign Office Architects)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011AZPML was established in 2011 as a legacy practice of FOA following its demerger. AZPML follows former FOA partner Alejandro Zaera-Polo, continuing the design philosophy and international practice established by FOA since 1993.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SANAA: SANAA is a Japanese architecture practice led by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa that competes globally in cultural and civic competitions with a similarly research-led, partner-driven model.
• Snøhetta: Snøhetta is a Norway-headquartered architecture and landscape practice of comparable size that wins international competitions across cultural, civic, and masterplanning typologies, with multi-office global operations.
• MVRDV: MVRDV is a Dutch architecture practice of similar headcount range that competes in international competitions for cultural, housing, and masterplanning commissions, with comparable research-driven design positioning.
• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): BIG is a globally active architecture practice that competes in international design competitions and operates across civic, cultural, transport, and mixed-use typologies — directly comparable to AZPML's competition-led model and project mix.
• Studio Gang: Studio Gang is a US-headquartered architecture practice of similar boutique scale that emphasizes research-driven design (ecology, materiality) and competes for civic and cultural commissions globally.
• MAD Architects: MAD is a boutique global architecture firm led by a single principal founder, winning international competitions for cultural, civic, and residential typologies — closely mirroring AZPML's brand-and-founder-driven model.
• Diller Scofidio + Renfro: DS+R is a New York-based experimental architecture practice of comparable size that wins cultural and civic commissions internationally through competition and direct selection.
• OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture): OMA is the Rotterdam-based firm where founder Alejandro Zaera-Polo previously worked; it operates at the same competition-winning, large-scale civic/cultural/transport scale and shares the same lineage of partners who trained under Rem Koolhaas.
• Zaha Hadid Architects: ZHA is a London-headquartered architecture practice known for competition-winning cultural, transport, and masterplanning projects worldwide, with a similarly small partner-led structure and global office footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: Foster + Partners is a much larger London-based architecture incumbent operating across the same civic, cultural, transport, and masterplanning typologies that AZPML targets, often as a competing bidder in international competitions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 AZPML