What Open Kaart does

Open Kaart is a Rotterdam-headquartered architecture, urban-planning, and communication design firm operating as a private partnership in the Netherlands. Its core offering is co-creative design services — a structured stakeholder-engagement methodology, branded internally as running 'from attic to polder', in which residents, entrepreneurs, social organizations, and government bodies are integrated into design processes for spatial projects ranging from individual home renovations and studios to church renovations, neighborhood facilities, and 1,700-hectare regional landscape visions. The firm is organized around six named expertises — Collectief Wonen (collective housing), Ruimte voor Ontmoeting (encounter spaces), Gebiedsontwikkeling (area development), Klimaat en Straat/Buitenruimte (climate and street design), Scholen in Beweging/Onderwijsvastgoed (educational buildings), and Zorgen voor Elkaar (care environments) — and is led by three principals, Hanneke Stenfert, Pieter Graaff, and Wessel Jonker, of whom Stenfert holds a Marina van Dammebeurs research award (2019).

The business model is professional-services project fees, with work delivered directly to four primary client segments: municipalities and provinces, Dutch housing corporations (woningcorporaties), community and religious nonprofits, and individual private clients. Customer-acquisition is sales-led through direct outreach, thought-leadership content (the firm publishes comparative international research on co-creation practices in Sweden, Japan, and Chile), earned media in outlets such as De Architect, Dezeen, Archdaily, and the Financial Times, and referral networks within the Dutch public-sector and social-housing ecosystem. Notable engagements include a 104-unit beheercoöperatie (management cooperative) with Rochdale in Amsterdam Zuidoost, the Polder Nijbroek future vision for Gemeente Voorst, and the 2022 Stadsbouwprijs Amersfoort-winning photographer's studio project.

The firm maintains a core strategic-partner ecosystem of complementary specialists — Royal HaskoningDHV for engineering, H+N+S Landschapsarchitecten for landscape architecture, and SteenhuisMeurs, DaF-architecten, and Universiteit Wageningen for individual projects — allowing it to deliver area-development and large-scale planning work despite a small in-house team of 1–10 employees. The firm has also launched a 'Training en Ontwikkeling' service line, productizing its co-creation methodology as paid training beyond traditional project work. No funding rounds, investors, subsidiaries, M&A, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed; the firm is founder-owned and operated.

Name

Open Kaart

Legal name

Open Kaart

Website

https://deopenkaart.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Open Kaart is a Rotterdam-based Dutch architecture and urban-planning firm that delivers co-creative design services for spatial projects — from individual homes to regional area development — serving municipalities, housing corporations, community organizations, and private clients across the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC), Accessibility & Universal Design Consulting (HSABAJAB), Specialty & Adaptive-Use Tenant Representation (BPAJALAJ)

Keywords

• Co-creation architecture
• Urban planning services
• Area development design
• Participatory spatial design
• Community architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Architectural design services: Professional architectural services including design, renovation, and urban planning for residential, commercial, and public sector clients. Revenue generated through project-based fees for co-creation design services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Open Kaart is a Rotterdam-based architecture and urban planning firm that delivers co-creative design services for buildings, neighborhoods, and public spaces in the Netherlands. The firm works with municipalities, housing corporations, resident collectives, community organizations, and private clients through a collaborative co-creation process that actively involves end-users and stakeholders. Its practice covers architectural design, urban planning, and area development, with documented expertise areas including Collectief Wonen (collective housing), Ruimte voor Ontmoeting (spaces for encounter), Gebiedsontwikkeling (area development), Buitenruimte / Klimaat en Straat (outdoor space and climate-conscious street design), Onderwijsvastgoed (educational real estate), and Zorgvastgoed (care real estate), supported by capabilities in societal-impact consulting and training/development.

Product overview

Open Kaart is an architecture, urban planning, and communication design firm that specializes in co-creation of spatial projects. Their core offering is co-creative design services, spanning individual homes to regional area development (described as 'from attic to polder'). The firm's service portfolio includes six named expertises: Collectief Wonen (collective housing), Ruimte voor Ontmoeting (spaces for encounter), Gebiedsontwikkeling (area development), Klimaat en Straat/Buitenruimte (climate and street design), Scholen in Beweging/Onderwijsvastgoed (educational buildings), and Zorgen voor Elkaar (care environments). These are complemented by consulting on social impact and training/development programs. Project-based work ranges from residential renovations and timber homes (e.g., Houtwonen Oosterwold, Schilderatelier Woerden, Fabriekje van een Fotograaf) to church renovations (Renovatie Vaste Burcht, Kandelaar), neighborhood visions (Polder Nijbroek), and community facilities (Buurtfabriek Delft, Beheercoöperatie Vreeswijkpad). All projects are developed through co-creative processes involving residents, governments, and other stakeholders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Co-creative architecture, urban planning, and area development services End-to-end co-creative design services spanning architecture, urban planning, and area development for Dutch municipalities, housing corporations, resident collectives, community organizations, and private clients. Engagements are delivered through participatory workshops and iterative design and cover everything from single dwellings to neighborhood-scale developments.
• Collectief Wonen (Collective Housing) Co-creative design service specializing in collective / communal housing typologies, delivered for resident collectives, housing corporations, and other clients seeking shared-living or co-housing arrangements in the Netherlands.
• Ruimte voor Ontmoeting (Spaces for Encounter) Design service focused on spatial solutions that enable social encounter and community interaction, ranging from small-scale neighborhood meeting places to integrated public-realm interventions.
• Gebiedsontwikkeling (Area Development) Area-development and master-planning service for neighborhoods and districts in the Netherlands, delivered through co-creation with residents, municipalities, and housing corporations.
• Buitenruimte / Klimaat en Straat (Outdoor Space / Climate-conscious Street Design) Outdoor-space and street-design service addressing climate adaptation and public-realm quality, including climate-conscious street design and neighborhood green/blue infrastructure.
• Onderwijsvastgoed / Scholen in Beweging (Educational Real Estate) Co-creative design service for educational buildings and school environments in the Netherlands, addressing spatial needs of pupils, teachers, and surrounding communities.
• Zorgvastgoed / Zorgen voor Elkaar (Care Real Estate) Co-creative design service for care environments and healthcare-related real estate, intended for care organizations and other clients developing residential or community care facilities.
• Maatschappelijke Meerwaarde (Social Impact / Societal Added Value) consulting Advisory and consulting service focused on the societal impact and added value of spatial projects, supporting clients in articulating and measuring social outcomes alongside physical delivery.
• Scholing en Ontwikkeling (Training and Development) Training and development service transferring Open Kaart's co-creation methodology and expertise to clients and partners, delivered as workshops or structured learning engagements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% approval from congregation for church renovation project (Vaste Burcht)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• H+N+S LandschapsarchitectencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture partner collaborating with Open Kaart on area development projects. Contributed to De Hegewarren project involving water level management and regional planning in Friesland.
• Royal HaskoningDHVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering and consultancy firm providing technical expertise alongside Open Kaart's co-creation methodology in complex area development projects.
• SteenhuisMeursminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm collaborating on Polder Nijbroek vision project for the municipality of Voorst.
• DaF-architectenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partner in Polder Nijbroek collaborative vision development.
• Universiteit WageningenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner contributing research expertise to Polder Nijbroek future vision project.
• Paul de GraafminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndividual expert contributing to Polder Nijbroek collaborative planning process.
• RochdalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmsterdam housing corporation partnering with Open Kaart for development of a management cooperative (beheercoöperatie) at Vreeswijkpad in Amsterdam Zuidoost, involving 104 housing units where residents take on management responsibilities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mecanoo: Major Dutch architecture firm with broad practice including housing, education, and public buildings. Comparable to Open Kaart on Dutch housing-corporation and educational-building work, but operates at significantly larger scale and global footprint.
• KAAN Architecten: Dutch architecture firm with strong portfolio in cultural, residential, and public-sector buildings. Overlaps with Open Kaart on Dutch public-sector architecture, though at a larger scale and with a different aesthetic and engagement style.

Others

• Royal HaskoningDHV: Large Dutch engineering and consultancy firm that is an existing strategic partner of Open Kaart on area-development work. Included as an ecosystem/partner reference rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• ZUS (Zones Urbaines Sensibles): Dutch architecture and urban planning studio with a participatory, area-development focus. Directly comparable in scale (small boutique), target market (Dutch municipalities and area visions), and methodology emphasis on stakeholder-driven design.
• Studio MAKS: Dutch urban planning and architecture studio with a participatory design ethos, working on neighborhood visions and Dutch municipalities. Comparable niche and methodology.
• De Zwarte Hond: Dutch architecture firm with strong practice in housing, area development, and public-sector commissions across the Netherlands. Overlaps with Open Kaart on social housing, renovation, and municipal master planning.
• LIAG architecten: Dutch architecture and urban development firm with comparable practice in social housing renovation, area visions, and municipal engagement. Mid-sized, similar to where Open Kaart could grow.
• H+N+S Landschapsarchitecten: Dutch landscape architecture firm that is already an Open Kaart partner on area-development projects. Highly comparable on Dutch area visions, polder/water projects, and climate-adaptive outdoor space design.
• KCAP: Rotterdam-based architecture and urban planning firm with deep area-development and stakeholder-engagement practice. Comparable on Dutch area visions, mixed urban planning, and working with municipalities and housing corporations, though at a larger scale than Open Kaart.
• SteenhuisMeurs: Dutch architecture firm that has co-worked with Open Kaart on the Polder Nijbroek vision. Comparable on Dutch area development and participatory planning, at similar small scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/deopenkaart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/openkaart

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 Open Kaart