Bernard Khoury/DW5

What Bernard Khoury/DW5 does

Bernard Khoury/DW5 is a privately held architecture firm founded in 1998 in Beirut, Lebanon by principal architect Bernard Khoury. The firm provides architectural design services across residential, commercial, cultural, and institutional project types. Its portfolio includes the B018 venue (1998, Beirut), the CENTRALE project (2001), the YABANI (R2) project (2002), multiple residential PLOT commissions across Beirut, Kfardebian, and Faqra, and the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies campuses in Paris (2018), Gyumri (2020), and Koghb (2023). The firm has also executed cultural installations including participation in the Venice Biennale 14th International Architecture Exhibition (2014), the POW exhibition at Fondazione Sandretto in Turin (2008), and VITRUVIUS IN QUARANTINE in Milan (2015).

Over its 25-plus year history, the firm has progressively internationalized its project base, completing work in the United States (Los Angeles, Minnesota), France, Italy, Armenia, Kosovo, Senegal, and Mauritania. The business operates as a founder-owned boutique studio with a single Beirut headquarters and minimal digital infrastructure — only Facebook and Instagram profiles serve as branded channels for portfolio showcase. The go-to-market model relies on direct client consultation, architectural competitions, and institutional commissions rather than traditional distribution. Revenue mechanics are project-based fee arrangements typical of boutique architecture practices, though no pricing, contract value, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

The firm shows no disclosed subsidiaries, parent company, external investors, or partnerships beyond its recurring institutional client relationships. Its marketing footprint is intentionally minimal, and its growth trajectory is evidenced by project completions spanning 2020 through 2024 across multiple continents.

Name

Bernard Khoury/DW5

Legal name

Bernard Khoury/DW5

Website

https://bernardkhoury.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bernard Khoury/DW5 is a privately held, founder-owned architecture firm based in Beirut, Lebanon, founded in 1998, providing architectural design services for residential, cultural, institutional, and public projects across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Cultural institution design
• Residential architecture
• Urban planning projects
• Creative technology centers

Headquarters

HQ city

Beirut

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Bernard Khoury/DW5 is a Beirut-based architecture practice founded in 1998 that delivers architectural design services for residential, commercial, cultural, and institutional projects. The portfolio spans private residences, hospitality venues, creative technology campuses, and public cultural installations delivered in Lebanon, Armenia, France, Italy, Kosovo, the United States, Mauritania, and Senegal.

Product overview

Bernard Khoury/DW5 is an architecture firm based in Beirut, Lebanon, established in 1998. The firm offers architectural design services for projects ranging from private residences to large-scale cultural institutions. The portfolio includes venues, creative technology centers, mixed-use developments, and public installations across Lebanon, Armenia, Kosovo, the United States, Mauritania, and Senegal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA): Rotterdam-based firm founded by Rem Koolhaas, recognised for cultural, residential, and institutional architecture worldwide. Comparable as a founder-anchored contemporary studio with an international project roster and Biennale-grade cultural standing.
• Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG): Copenhagen/New York-based architecture firm with a founder-led brand identity (Bjarke Ingels) executing award-winning cultural, residential, and institutional projects worldwide. Comparable as a contemporary signature architecture studio competing for similar high-profile institutional commissions.
• Studio Gang: Chicago-based architecture practice led by Jeanne Gang, recognised for cultural and institutional projects and international commissions. Comparable as a contemporary, principal-led studio with a similar typology mix and Biennale-tier cultural standing.
• MAD Architects: Beijing-based firm led by Ma Yansong, executing cultural and residential projects globally with a distinctive contemporary aesthetic. Comparable as a single-principal contemporary architecture studio with international cultural-institution credentials.
• Snøhetta: Oslo/New York-based architecture and design firm with a portfolio spanning cultural, educational, and public projects globally. Comparable as a contemporary international architecture practice with comparable project typologies and cultural-institutional focus.
• Zaha Hadid Architects: London-based architecture firm founded by Zaha Hadid, operating as a single-named signature studio with an international portfolio spanning cultural, residential, and commercial projects. Highly comparable as a founder-led contemporary architecture practice with global reach and a recognisable design language.
• Sou Fujimoto Architects: Tokyo-based studio of Sou Fujimoto, known for residential, cultural, and public architecture with an international portfolio. Comparable as a contemporary, founder-led practice with Biennale exposure and a comparable project typology mix.
• David Chipperfield Architects: London/Berlin/Milan-based firm known for cultural and institutional architecture worldwide, including Venice Biennale involvement. Comparable as a high-profile contemporary firm with strong cultural-institution credentials and multi-office international delivery.

Others

• Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA): London-based architecture school where Bernard Khoury has taught and lectured. Comparable as an institutional counterpart rather than a competitor — adjacent in the global architecture ecosystem through alumni/faculty ties, conferences, and Biennale-aligned discourse.

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: London-based global architecture firm led by Norman Foster, executing large-scale cultural, commercial, and infrastructure projects worldwide. Comparable as a founder-anchored international practice, but operating at materially greater scale and with broader typology coverage than Bernard Khoury/DW5.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bernardkhouryarchitects?fref=ts
• Instagraminstagram.com/bernardkhourydw5
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bernardkhourydw5

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Bernard Khoury/DW5