Workshop 98.1

What Workshop 98.1 does

Atelier 9.81 is a privately held architecture and urban planning firm founded in 2004 in Lille, France, by architects-urbanists Geoffrey Galand and Cédric Michel. The firm, which marked its 20th anniversary in 2024, operates two core service lines: architectural design (new-build and rehabilitation of residential, commercial, educational, and public buildings) and urban planning (master plans, eco-district design, territorial studies). Both founders maintain dual roles as practitioners and academics at ENSAPLille, where they direct research workshops, embedding research-quality thinking into commercial practice; in 2024 Cerise Sansonetti was elevated to associate and agency director, formalising a three-partner structure with succession depth uncommon among small French studios.

The firm's technical differentiation rests on sustainable and circular design methodologies — Cradle-to-Cradle approaches, biosourced and recycled materials, modular and reversible architecture, and participatory co-design with end-users — producing a project portfolio that consistently meets high-tier environmental certifications (BBCA, BiodiverCity AAAA, BREEAM, NF Habitat HQE, BBC-Rénovation, RE2020). Recent flagship deliveries include the 15.2M€ Palais Rameau heritage rehabilitation (JUNIA commission, awarded BBCA, BiodiverCity, Wiredscore, BREEAM, C2C) and the Campus E-sport in Roubaix; the firm has also documented competition wins across education, social housing (Habitat du Nord, Ardenne Métropole), developer-led residential (Kaufman & Broad, Cogedim, Vinci Immobilier), and infrastructure (Capitainerie du Port de Calais, 38-metre-high harbour master's office for Région Hauts-de-France).

Revenue is generated through traditional professional services: project-based design fees, competition prizes, and commissions won via competitive tenders (concours). Primary customer segments are French municipalities and regions in Hauts-de-France (with growing Île-de-France, Grand Est, and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté footprints), private residential developers, and educational institutions. International expansion is underway through a Cotonou, Benin office (market hall competition win, May 2025) and a Slovakia residential competition submission. In 2023 the firm co-founded Les Bruits de la Ville, a multi-disciplinary association for sustainable urbanism that operates a podcast, roundtables, and publications, broadening the firm's influence beyond fee-earning work. The firm remains privately held by its partners with no external investors identified.

Name

Workshop 98.1

Legal name

Atelier 9.81

Website

https://atelier981.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Atelier 9.81 is a Lille, France-based architecture and urban planning studio founded in 2004, providing sustainable design, heritage rehabilitation, and eco-district services to municipalities, social-housing providers, private developers, and educational institutions across Northern France with selected international commissions in Africa and Slovakia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Residential Remodelers (236118)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH), Residential Green / High-Performance Home Construction (Net-Zero, Passive House) (IMAFABAH)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Urban planning services
• Sustainable building design
• Heritage rehabilitation
• Eco-district development

Headquarters

HQ city

Lille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Traditional one-time fee architecture and urban planning services where the firm is commissioned as architect or urban planner for construction, rehabilitation, and urban development projects. Revenue comes from design fees, competition prizes, and project commissions from public and private clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Atelier 9.81 is an architecture and urban planning firm that designs residential, commercial, educational, and public buildings, including new construction and rehabilitation projects. The firm also delivers urban planning services such as master plans, eco-district design, and territorial studies for municipalities and developers, with a strong specialization in sustainable development, adaptive reuse, biosourced materials, modular construction, and Cradle-to-Cradle approaches.

Product overview

Atelier 9.81 is an architecture and urban planning firm offering two core service lines: architectural design (housing, equipment, commercial buildings, rehabilitation) and urban planning (master plans, eco-districts, territorial studies). The firm operates across France and internationally, with projects spanning residential complexes, educational facilities, sports venues, cultural buildings, and large-scale urban developments. Beyond project work, the firm produces publications on architecture and urbanism and supports the Les Bruits de la Ville association, a platform for multidisciplinary exchange on sustainable urban development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Les Bruits de la Ville: A multidisciplinary professional network and association created in 2023 to promote sustainable development, urban architecture, and city living. It serves as a platform for debate, research, and reflection on development challenges.

Products and services

• Architecture Services
• Urban Planning Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Palais Rameau achieved BBCA, BiodiverCity AAAA, and Wiredscore certifications with Cradle-to-Cradle approach
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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.

• Les Bruits de la VillecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 November 2023Atelier 9.81 co-founded the 'Les Bruits de la Ville' association in 2023 with partners including architects, urban planners, landscape designers, developers, collectives, research bureaus, philosophers, sociologists, and artists. The association aims to structure, develop, and animate a cooperation network of urban profession professionals around sustainable development, nature in cities, and urban architecture themes. The association publishes podcasts, organizes roundtables, exhibitions, workshops, conferences, and editions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ChartierDalix: Paris-based architecture firm of similar size specializing in sustainable architecture and urban design with strong publication record. Comparable in scale, philosophy, and practice leadership composition.
• KOZ Architectes: French architecture firm with whom Atelier 9.81 shares the Les Bruits de la Ville association. Comparable focus on sustainable development, urban renewal, and biosourced materials.
• ANMA (Agence Nicolas Michelin & Associés): French architecture firm with similar trajectory from founding leadership to multi-partner structure. Comparable in scale and typology of mixed-use, housing, and urban projects.
• Tolila+Gilliland: French architecture firm of similar size with comparable focus on housing, mixed-use, and sustainable design. Comparable in approach and project scales.
• TANK Architectes: French architecture firm with similar mid-size scale and focus on housing, public buildings, and urban design. Comparable in typology of work and project size.
• Atelier Philippe Madec: Paris-based architecture firm with comparable focus on sustainable urban design, ecoquartiers, and biosourced materials. Highly comparable in philosophy, scale, and project typology including housing and public buildings.
• Atelier Roland Schweitzer: French urban planning and architecture firm with close alignment to Atelier 9.81's urban planning focus, sustainable development approach, and French public-sector client work.
• DGT Architects: French architecture firm with comparable scale and focus on housing, urban renewal, and public buildings. Overlap in regional project types and design philosophy.

Regional players

• Mecanoo: Dutch architecture firm of comparable scope with strong sustainability credentials and housing/urban planning expertise. Comparable in typology but operates primarily in different Western European geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Architecture-Studio: Larger French architecture firm with international reach. Operates in the same architectural and urban planning space but at a significantly larger scale, serving as a broader incumbent in the market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atelier-9.81
• Instagraminstagram.com/atelier9.81

Compliance24 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Workshop 98.1