What Vurpas Architectes does

Vurpas Architectes is a French multidisciplinary architecture practice headquartered in Caluire-et-Cuire in the Lyon metropolitan area, founded in 1987 and organized as a société anonyme with share capital of €81,216 (RCS Lyon 343 963 088). The firm operates with approximately 30 collaborators and is built around four integrated disciplines: architecture, environmental quality (QEB), construction economics, and construction management, supplemented by heritage and adaptive-reuse expertise.

Its core offering is the design and delivery of heritage rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and bioclimatic construction projects, with the practice positioning itself at the intersection of monument-classification expertise and contemporary environmental performance requirements. Notable competitive credentials include the Équerre d'Argent awarded in 2023 — among the most recognized architecture prizes in France — together with the 2024 Rubans du Patrimoine and 2024 Trophées Séquence Bois, and a 2025 historic-monument inscription on the Site des Marquisats project.

Revenue mechanics are project-based, generated through three complementary go-to-market channels: public tenders, architectural competitions (concours), and direct commissions. The customer base is predominantly French public-sector — municipalities, regional authorities, government agencies, and educational institutions — and the firm has been present across multiple French regions rather than concentrated in a single territory. The firm operates without disclosed external investment or parent-company structure.

Name

Vurpas Architectes

Legal name

Vurpas Architectes

Website

https://vurpas-architectes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vurpas Architectes is a French multidisciplinary architecture firm (~30 staff) headquartered in Caluire-et-Cuire (Lyon), specializing in heritage rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and bioclimatic design for French public-sector clients including municipalities, regions, and educational institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Operative Builders (1531)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Architectural Reconfiguration & Structural Alterations (HSAPAEAB)

Keywords

• Heritage building rehabilitation
• Architectural design services
• Bioclimatic architecture design
• Adaptive reuse projects
• Public sector architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Caluire-et-cuire

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

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: The firm generates revenue through architectural design fees for public and institutional projects, including new construction, rehabilitation, heritage restoration, and urban development projects.
2. Project Management and OPC: Additional revenue streams include project management (OPC) services, economics consulting, and environmental quality building (QEB) consulting integrated within project teams.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Vurpas Architectes is a French multidisciplinary architecture firm offering integrated architectural design, heritage rehabilitation, and urban development services for public and institutional clients across France. With approximately 30 collaborators, the firm combines in-house expertise in environmental building quality (QEB), construction economics, heritage studies, and construction management (OPC), operating from bioclimatic offices in Caluire-et-Cuire and delivering new construction, adaptive reuse of industrial sites, and sensitive heritage restoration projects.

Product overview

Vurpas Architectes is a French architecture firm operating as a single integrated practice rather than a platform with separate modules. The firm provides comprehensive architectural services centered on a multidisciplinary atelier model, with in-house expertise in environmental quality of buildings (QEB), construction economics, heritage studies, and construction management. The firm's portfolio encompasses rehabilitation and heritage projects, new construction, educational facilities, cultural venues, housing, and public spaces. The only notable digital product is the "Boîte à plans" file-sharing platform for document exchange with clients. Projects span across France, with significant work in Lyon, Strasbourg, Annecy, and other regions, including notable heritage reconversions such as the Manufacture des Tabacs in Strasbourg, the Palais de Justice in Lons-le-Saunier, and various school campuses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Services Full-service architecture offering covering programming, new construction, heritage rehabilitation, adaptive reuse of industrial sites, bioclimatic design, and urban development for public and institutional clients in France, delivered by a ~30-person atelier with integrated QEB, construction economics, heritage studies, and OPC capabilities.
• Boîte à plans (digital file-sharing platform) A secure file-sharing space powered by NetExplorer that allows the firm's clients and project partners to access project documents, plans, and deliverables.

Quantifiable outcome

• Équerre d'argent 2023 award for Groupe scolaire Eugénie Brazier in Culture, Youth & Sport category
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• UNSFAminorOthersMember of Union Nationale des Syndicats Français d'Architectes - French national union of architects
• DocomomominorOthersMember of Docomomo (Documentation and Conservation of Modern Movement Buildings and Sites) - association engaged in protection and recognition of 20th century heritage
• VAD (Ville & Aménagement Durable)minorOthersMember of VAD - exchange and resource center for sustainable buildings and development in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
• Hub Bas Carbone (IFPEB+Carbone 4)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member through 'cost-carbon equation' workshops and agency pilot project. Collaborative initiative focused on low-carbon building practices.
• BASE PaysagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture partner collaborating on multiple projects including Groupe scolaire Samuel Paty and La Raude park, and Groupe scolaire Eugénie Brazier

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Atelier Roland Schweitzer: French architecture practice specialized in heritage conservation, rehabilitation, and museum/cultural projects. Direct overlap with Vurpas's 'Réhabilitation patrimoniale' and museum commission work.
• AAVP Architecture: French architecture firm focused on heritage-sensitive rehabilitation, cultural venues, and public infrastructure. Direct peer on heritage and adaptive reuse projects with comparable scale.
• Lacaton & Vassal Architectes: French architecture practice internationally renowned for heritage-sensitive rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of existing buildings (2021 Pritzker Prize). Direct overlap with Vurpas's heritage rehabilitation, 20th-century retrofit, and social-housing repositioning work.
• Reichen et Robert Associés: Paris-based architecture practice specialized in heritage rehabilitation, public facilities, and environmental design. Closely aligned with Vurpas's heritage-and-public-sector positioning and competition-driven business model.
• ECDM Architectes: Paris-based architecture firm with strong public-sector portfolio spanning education, culture, and urban regeneration, including heritage-sensitive reconversions. Comparable scale and competition-driven model.
• Tectoniques Architectes: Lyon-based multidisciplinary architecture practice of comparable size with strong sustainability and environmental quality competencies, working on public-sector projects in education, culture, and urban regeneration across France — the closest scale-and-positioning match to Vurpas.

Broad incumbents

• Dominique Perrault Architecture: Paris-based architecture firm with strong public-sector, cultural, and heritage-adaptive-reuse credentials. Competes with Vurpas on institutional French competitions but operates globally and at much larger scale.
• Wilmotte & Associés: Larger established French architecture firm with broad heritage, cultural, and public-sector portfolio across France and internationally. Overlaps directly with Vurpas on museum, heritage, and institutional competitions but operates at materially greater scale.
• Architecture-Studio: Major French architecture practice with deep public-sector and cultural project portfolio including museums, universities, and urban regeneration. Comparable in project typology but substantially larger than Vurpas.

Others

• BASE Paysage: Landscape architecture partner of Vurpas on multiple projects (Groupe scolaire Samuel Paty, Groupe scolaire Eugénie Brazier). Not a direct competitor but an ecosystem collaborator that intersects on integrated heritage and public-space projects.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VurpasArchi
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vurpas-architectes

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 Vurpas Architectes