Urbanmakers

What Urbanmakers does

Urbanmakers is an independent French architecture and urban planning firm founded in 2010 by Antoine Motte in Nantes, with a secondary office in Bordeaux and a team of nearly 30 architects, BIM coordinators, economists, and construction supervisors. The firm specializes in collective social housing, mixed-use residential developments, rehabilitation of existing housing stock (including ANRU neighborhood renewals), and public educational and cultural facilities. Project delivery is supported by integrated BIM management capabilities throughout the design-to-construction lifecycle, complemented by in-house construction economics for cost control and value engineering. The firm differentiates through expertise in sustainable construction methods — wood frame, biosourced materials (straw, hemp, earth), low-carbon building approaches — and compliance with RE2020, BBC Effinergie, and NF Habitat HQE standards.

The firm's client base is dominated by French public-sector housing providers and municipalities: OPH offices such as Atlantique Habitations, Nantes Métropole Habitat, OPH Silène, and Archipel Habitat; the Ville de Nantes and Conseil Départemental de Loire-Atlantique; and cooperatives such as CIF Coopérative, alongside private developers including Groupe Giboire. The firm operates across six French regions — Pays de la Loire, Bretagne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Île-de-France, Normandie, and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté — and has delivered more than 2,500 housing units over 15 years. Notable credentials include the Équerre d'Argent 2022 (Verso project), Pyramide d'Argent 2023 (Evialis project), and a Dezeen Awards 2025 longlisting (B09-Bastide), with partner Bruno Trovalet named to the European 40 under 40 in 2025.

Revenue is generated through professional service fees — typically a percentage of construction cost or fixed project fees — earned via architectural competitions, public tenders, and direct commissions. Projects are acquired through a sales-led motion targeting enterprise and government buyers, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Strategic alliances with engineering consultancies (EGIS, IBA), sustainability specialists (SoLab), construction firms (Eiffage Construction), and other architecture practices (MVRDV, THE Architectes, Selva&Maugin) allow the firm to bid on larger and more complex commissions than its headcount alone would support. The firm is structured as a SARL (Société à Responsabilité Limitée) under French law, controlled by its three partners with no disclosed external investors or subsidiaries.

Name

Urbanmakers

Legal name

urbanmakers SARL d'architecture

Website

https://urbanmakers.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Urbanmakers is a French architecture and urban planning firm founded in 2010 in Nantes, with a second office in Bordeaux, specializing in collective social housing, urban renewal, mixed-use developments, and educational facilities for French public-sector clients and private developers across Western and Northern France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL), Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Urban planning
• Social housing architecture
• Sustainable construction
• Building rehabilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architecture services including urban planning, architectural design, project management, and construction supervision for residential, commercial, and institutional projects. Revenue generated through professional service fees calculated as a percentage of construction costs or fixed fees for specific deliverables.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Urbanmakers is a French architecture firm that delivers architectural design, urban planning, and project management services for collective housing, mixed-use buildings, educational facilities, and urban renewal projects. The firm specializes in sustainable construction using wood structures, biosourced materials, and low-carbon approaches, with integrated BIM management, project economics, and construction supervision from conception to delivery.

Product overview

Urbanmakers is a French architecture and urban planning firm offering comprehensive architectural services including collective housing projects, commercial and tertiary buildings, rehabilitation and renovation projects, and educational facilities. The firm operates primarily in the Nantes metropolitan area and western France, delivering projects ranging from small-scale renovations to large residential complexes. The company's portfolio consists of individual architectural projects and services rather than a software product platform with discrete modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services
• Urban Planning and Urban Renewal Services
• Building Rehabilitation and Renovation Services
• BIM Management and Visualization Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,500 housing units delivered
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and standard.

• MVRDVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch urban planning firm coordinating the Bastide Niel urban development project in Bordeaux where Urbanmakers serves as architect for multiple residential buildings including B09 and B117.
• THE ArchitectesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular collaborative partner on large-scale projects including Nevea Alba (130 units) and Normandie Saumurois (150 units), combining expertise for complex mixed-use developments.
• Selva&Maugin ArchitectesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated architects on the B09 Bastide Niel project and Benauge project, bringing complementary design perspectives to collaborative design teams.
• EGISstandardImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering consultancy providing structural, environmental, and technical engineering services across multiple Urbanmakers projects including Le Coudray school and Evialis.
• Eiffage ConstructionstandardImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMajor construction company partner on projects including OP3-OP4 industrial hotel and Ensemble de Gaulle rehabilitation, providing construction execution for Urbanmakers-designed projects.
• SoLabstandardImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSustainability and environmental consultancy providing energy performance analysis and environmental certification support across numerous projects.
• IBAstandardImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering consultancy providing technical engineering services including structural calculations and technical design support on various projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Studio Gang: Chicago-based architecture and urban design practice with strong sustainability, residential, and civic portfolio. Comparable to Urbanmakers for sustainable-construction expertise and residential focus, but operates at significantly larger scale and geography.
• Architecture-Studio: Large Paris-based French architecture practice with extensive urban planning, residential, and mixed-use portfolio across France, China, and the Middle East. Comparable as a French full-service architecture firm operating in social housing and large-scale urban projects, but at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• ANMA (Agence Nicolas Michelin & Associés): Paris-based French architecture and urban planning practice with strong collective housing, mixed-use, and regional urban planning portfolio. Comparable to Urbanmakers for its urban planning expertise, public-sector clients, and residential specialization.
• Hamonic + Masson & Associés: Paris-based architecture firm with strong residential, social housing, and urban renewal portfolio. Directly comparable to Urbanmakers on size, French mid-cap architecture positioning, and focus on collective housing and contextual urban projects.
• Triptyque Architecture: Paris-based studio known for sustainable, biosourced-material architecture and residential projects across France and Brazil. Directly comparable as a mid-sized French architecture firm with similar sustainability credentials and residential focus.
• Atelier du Pont: Paris-based architecture studio with deep Paris and French regional residential and mixed-use project portfolio including social housing. Comparable to Urbanmakers on collaborative design model, residential focus, and mid-sized French positioning.
• H2o Architectes: Paris-based architecture firm with established social housing and urban renewal portfolio across France. Comparable as a French mid-cap architecture firm operating in social housing, ANRU neighborhoods, and rehabilitation projects similar to Urbanmakers' core work.
• Studio Odile Decq: Paris-based architecture studio with international profile, urban and cultural architecture portfolio, and French residential expertise. Comparable to Urbanmakers as a creative French architecture firm with awards profile and willingness to push design boundaries.
• Tolila+Gilliland: Paris-based duo architecture practice focused on social housing, rehabilitation, and rural/urban residential projects across France. Directly comparable to Urbanmakers for studio size, social-housing specialization, and rehabilitation expertise.

Others

• MVRDV: Dutch urban planning and architecture firm that partners with Urbanmakers on the Bastide Niel Bordeaux masterplan. Not a direct competitor but an ecosystem partner — relevant for understanding the tier of international firms Urbanmakers collaborates with on flagship urban development projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urbanmakers
• Instagraminstagram.com/urbanmakers_/?hl=fr
• Xx.com/urbanmakers_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Urbanmakers