ARCHIPENTE

What ARCHIPENTE does

ARCHIPENTE is a French architecture and structural engineering firm founded in 1982 in Montbrison by Dominique Molard, specializing in low-carbon, passive and biosourced construction, with a second office opened in Paris in 2019. The firm serves primarily public sector clients (French regions, departments and municipalities) on educational, sports, cultural, housing and healthcare buildings, alongside selected private commissions, acquiring work mainly through architectural competitions (concours) and direct commissions. Project budgets disclosed in source materials range from approximately \u20ac1.35M to \u20ac66M HT.

The firm's core technology stack centers on sustainable wood construction with bioclimatic and passive building design, integrating BIM (Building Information Modeling) parametric design, 3D open BIM development, and CADWORK software for prefabricated wooden structures. ARCHIPENTE has developed and registered five proprietary construction systems forming an integrated product ecosystem: LIGNABAT (prefabricated timber activity buildings, 15\u201325m spans), LIGNADAL (collaborative wood-concrete floor systems, halving concrete use and storing 136kg CO2/m2), LIGNAFIX (rehabilitation system for old timber floors), LIGNAPLI (cross-layered nailed timber walls, 25kg carbon/m2) and LIGNACUB (prefabricated technical service module under 3m2). Buildings it delivers consistently achieve energy consumption below 15kWh/m2/year and meet Passivhaus, HQE, BEPOS and Minergie standards.

ARCHIPENTE generates revenue through professional architectural services, including design, structural engineering and project management, on a project-based model with fees negotiated per project. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The firm operates from Montbrison (headquarters, co-located with structural engineering partner EBA Forez and engineering office Lignalithe) and Paris (co-located with WAO Architects, R-USE material reuse specialists and connected to WoMa fablab). The company is organized as a private SARL under French law, owned and led by the founding Molard family (Dominique Molard as founder/honorary architect, Edouard Molard as associated co-manager since 2012), with no external institutional investors or parent company identified.

Name

ARCHIPENTE

Legal name

Archipente SARL

Website

https://archipente.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ARCHIPENTE is a French architecture and engineering firm founded in 1982, specializing in passive, low-carbon timber construction for public sector clients (regions, municipalities) and selected private projects, delivering proprietary wooden building systems and integrated structural engineering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services - Sustainable Wood Construction

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Modular & Prefabricated Home Construction (IMAFABAF), Mass Timber Panels & Components (DLT, NLT, Hybrid Panels) (IMAMACAG)

Keywords

• Sustainable wood construction
• Passive building design
• Bioclimatic architecture
• Prefabricated timber systems
• Low-carbon building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Montbrison

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: ARCHIPENTE generates revenue through architectural design services, structural engineering, and project management for public and private construction projects. Revenue is project-based, derived from architectural competition wins and direct commissions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ARCHIPENTE is an architecture and engineering firm specializing in sustainable, passive, and biosourced wood construction. It delivers integrated architectural design, structural engineering, and project management services for public and private construction projects using five proprietary timber construction systems (LIGNABAT, LIGNADAL, LIGNAPLI, LIGNAFIX, LIGNACUB) combined with BIM parametric design and CADWORK-based prefabrication. The firm manages large-scale sustainable projects up to €66 million HT (Lycée, Collège, EHPAD, housing, sport and cultural facilities), producing buildings that consume under 15kWh/m2/year and meet Passivhaus, HQE, BEPOS, Pro-Paille and Minergie standards.

Product overview

ARCHIPENTE is an architecture and design firm specializing in sustainable, passive, and biosourced construction. The company offers a portfolio of proprietary construction systems and products including Lignabat (wooden activity buildings), Lignadal (wood-concrete composite flooring), Lignapli (cross-laminated timber walls), Lignafix (wood floor reinforcement), and Lignacub (prefabricated technical units). These products form an integrated ecosystem of wooden construction solutions that address the full building lifecycle from structural components to technical installations, all designed for low-carbon, passive standard performance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LIGNABAT: Timber activity building system with 15-25m spans using local wood as primary structural material
• LIGNADAL
• LIGNAFIX
• LIGNAPLI
• LIGNACUB

Products and services

• LIGNABAT Prefabricated wooden activity building system using local C24 softwood truss beams from the Loire department. Standardized elements with 15–25m spans, prefabricated in workshops, with metal, wood or wood-cement cladding options. Energy consumption 42kWh/m2 vs ~192kWh/m2 for steel equivalents; CO2-sequestering construction for activity/industrial buildings (200–2000m2 modules).
• LIGNADAL Composite wood-concrete collaborating floor system that substitutes the tension portion of traditional concrete floors with solid wood, paired with a concrete compression layer. Reduces concrete quantity by half, stores 136kg CO2/m2, spans up to 8.6m, with embodied energy of 60kWh/m2. For buildings requiring lightweight, low-carbon floor structures.
• LIGNAPLI Nailed solid wood wall system using dried, calibrated local C18 or C24 timber planks of 25mm thickness, nailed in 3–7 cross-layered plies, incorporating wood-wool and hemp insulation. Load-bearing wall with very low embodied energy; carbon sink storing 25kg equivalent Carbon/m2 of wall. For residential construction.
• LIGNAFIX Rehabilitation system for old wooden floors that adds a concrete compression slab connected to existing joists with fasteners. Improves acoustics, controls vibration, increases structural rigidity, and avoids full demolition, reducing construction costs and waste. For renovation of historic timber buildings.
• LIGNACUB Prefabricated technical module under 3m2 containing essential building systems: water heater, heating manifolds, rainwater recovery, double-flow VMC ventilation, solar ECS transfer unit and compressed air system. Includes LIGNAPLI walls. Available in Solo (individual houses) and Duo (collective housing) versions, delivered ready for connection. For self-construction and low-carbon residential projects.
• Architectural Design & Engineering Services Integrated architectural design, structural engineering and project management services delivered directly from the firm's Montbrison and Paris offices. Covers feasibility, competition/concours entries, BIM parametric design, on-site supervision, and certification support (Passivhaus, HQE, Pro-Paille, Minergie, BEPOS) for educational, sports, cultural, residential, healthcare and administrative buildings ranging from ~€1.35M to €66M HT.

Quantifiable outcome

• Buildings consume less than 15kWh/m2 per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WAO ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm co-located in ARCHIPENTE Paris office, specializing in complementary architectural approaches with shared focus on low-carbon construction solutions.
• R-USEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering firm specializing in material reuse and re-employment, co-located in ARCHIPENTE Paris office to create synergies in low-carbon construction approaches.
• EBA ForezcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStructural engineering office integrated with ARCHIPENTE in Montbrison, providing wood/concrete structural calculations and project execution (PEO).
• Fibois Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreOthersRegional wood construction industry association. ARCHIPENTE serves on the board of directors (membre du CA) for this organization.
• XylofuturminorOthersTechnological resources center for the wood industry. ARCHIPENTE is a founding member (membre fondateur).
• La Maison PassiveminorOthersPassive house association in France. ARCHIPENTE is a member with CEPH-certified professionals.
• Architectes Sans Frontières FranceminorOthersHumanitarian architecture organization. Edouard Molard is founder, former president, and current Secretary General of ASF France and coordinates ASF International.
• LignalithecoreTechnology or IntegrationStructural engineering office providing wood structure calculations and Eurocode-compliant engineering for ARCHIPENTE's proprietary systems (LIGNABAT, LIGNADAL, LIGNAFIX, LIGNAPLI).
• Team For The PlanetminorOthersClimate action collective. ARCHIPENTE is an associated partner (associé).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Stora Enso (Building Solutions): Industrial provider of mass timber (CLT, LVL) and prefabricated wood building systems. Comparable as a supplier/erector of CLT-based structures that ARCHIPENTE designs and engineering counterparties can procure, with overlapping low-carbon value proposition.
• Karawane Architecture: French architecture collective focused on eco-construction and social/educational projects. Comparable to ARCHIPENTE in values around sustainable public-sector design, though smaller and more participatory in orientation.
• Studio Gang: US-based architecture firm recognized for sustainable, biomorphic, and timber-led projects. Comparable as a designer-led practice using wood and bio-based materials to deliver high-performance public buildings.

Broad incumbents

• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): International architecture firm with notable mass-timber and sustainable-design projects. Comparable as a sustainability-forward global architecture competitor pursuing similar public and cultural briefs.
• Architecture-Studio: Major French architecture firm with international reach, working across public, cultural, and educational projects. Comparable as a competing French practice operating in the same concours ecosystem, though much broader in scale and project types.
• Snøhetta: International architecture practice with strong sustainability and timber credentials across cultural, educational, and public projects. Comparable as a sustainability-focused architectural brand competing for similar cultural and public commissions.
• Foster + Partners: Global architecture firm with a sustainability-led studio and timber-based masterplans. Comparable in targeting large public, cultural, and educational clients with sustainability as a brand pillar.

Others

• Atelier d'Architecture Manuelle Gautrand: Major French architecture firm pursuing public cultural and educational commissions via concours. Comparable as a French architectural competitor in the same public-tender market, though without ARCHIPENTE's timber specialization.

Direct peers

• Tectoniques: French architecture firm specializing in timber and bio-sourced construction, designing public buildings, schools, and housing with engineered wood systems. Closely comparable to ARCHIPENTE in focus, materials, and client base.
• Weber + Keilling Architekten: Swiss-German architecture practice known for timber, straw, and low-carbon design. Comparable to ARCHIPENTE in material specialization, scale, and target client (small/medium public and residential projects).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/archipente
• Facebookfacebook.com/archipente
• Pinterestpinterest.com/archipente
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/archipente

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 ARCHIPENTE