What ATELIER ARCHIPLEIN does

Atelier Archiplein is a Swiss-French architecture firm founded in 2008 in Shanghai by EPFL graduates Marlène Leroux and Francis Jacquier, relocated to Geneva in 2011, with a secondary office in Paris. The firm specializes in sustainable construction using natural and geo-sourced materials, primarily structural stone and solid wood, and has developed proprietary expertise in massive stone construction and cyclopean concrete techniques. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial, cultural, and public infrastructure projects, with notable commissions including the CEVA Tower (16,500m²), 72 massive stone residential units in Ambilly, the Alpex Cultural Centre in Scionzier, and ongoing engagements with CERN, CFF, and multiple Swiss and French municipalities.

The firm operates a project-based professional services model, billing architecture and urban planning fees per project based on scope, surface area, and complexity, with individual project costs ranging from approximately €800,000 to €65 million. Go-to-market combines public architecture competitions, direct mandates from public and private clients, and collaborative partnerships with associate architects (most notably Perraudin Architectes) on large-scale projects. The customer base is diversified across Swiss and French municipalities, public housing authorities (Dynacité, Fondation Lavenoge), research institutions (CERN), rail infrastructure (CFF), and private developers (Giboire). Research collaborations with EPFL and ETHZ on cyclopean masonry (recognized by Innovation Innosuisse in 2024) and educational activities at major institutions underpin a talent and knowledge moat.

The firm has received extensive industry recognition including D'A 2023, Grand Prix AMO 2023, Prix ARC AWARD 2023, Equerre d'Argent nomination, Médaille d'Architecture from Académie d'Architecture, Prix de l'Immobilier romand 2024, DRA5, Fibois Award, Materia Award, and EUmies Awards nomination (2026). With 10 permanent team members plus a network of local partners and experts, and 15+ completed projects, Atelier Archiplein operates as a boutique practice competing on technical expertise, sustainability credentials, and award-winning design quality rather than scale.

Name

ATELIER ARCHIPLEIN

Legal name

Atelier Archiplein

Website

https://archiplein.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Atelier Archiplein is a Swiss-French boutique architecture firm specializing in sustainable construction with massive stone and solid wood, serving Swiss and French municipalities, public housing authorities, research institutions (CERN), and private developers across residential, cultural, and public infrastructure projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131), Residential Remodelers (236118)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Sustainable construction
• Heritage renovation
• Urban planning
• Massive stone construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Genève

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Fees from architecture and urban planning project commissions, including design, project management, and construction supervision for residential, commercial, cultural, and public infrastructure projects

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ATELIER ARCHIPLEIN is a Swiss-French architecture firm providing full-service architectural design, urban planning, heritage conservation, and construction supervision for residential, commercial, cultural, and public infrastructure projects. The firm specializes in sustainable construction using natural and geo-sourced materials, particularly structural massive stone and solid wood, and develops large-scale low-carbon buildings.

Product overview

ATELIER ARCHIPLEIN is a Swiss-French architecture firm founded in 2008, offering a comprehensive range of architectural design and urban planning services. The firm's core offering centers on architectural design for residential, commercial, cultural, and public projects, with a distinctive specialization in sustainable construction using natural materials—particularly massive stone and solid wood. Their portfolio spans new construction, renovations, extensions, heritage regeneration, and urban planning projects across Switzerland, France, and China. The firm has received multiple architectural awards recognizing their expertise in sustainable stone construction. Key services include heritage conservation, public space design, and urban development planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-service architectural firm providing design, renovation, extension, and construction supervision for residential, commercial, cultural, and public buildings, with specialization in massive stone and solid wood construction.
• Heritage and Conservation Services Patrimonial regeneration and heritage restoration services, including restoration of historic buildings, monuments, and adaptive reuse of vernacular structures across Switzerland, France, and North Africa.
• Urban Planning Services Urban planning and large-scale neighborhood development services, including master planning for sustainable neighborhoods and public spaces, coordinated through MAS Urbanisme EPFL-UNIGE program expertise.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of the highest load-bearing massive stone buildings built in half a century - 72 units project in Ambilly
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Perraudin ArchiectescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaborative partnership on multiple large-scale massive stone construction projects including CEVA Tower, 4 Stone buildings in Plan-les-Ouates, and Sustanaible neighborhood in Presinge. Perraudin Archiectes serves as associate architect on projects demonstrating economic and technical feasibility of large-scale massive stone buildings.
• Eric Lapierre ExperienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Claire-vue residential neighborhood project in Lancy, bringing complementary expertise in urban planning and architecture.
• Atelier MartelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Massy Palaiseau housing project and 111 social housing units in Divonne-les-Bains.
• Urbanité(s)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Saint-Julien-en-Genevois transformation and Plaines-du-Loup neighborhood development projects.
• EPFLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with EPFL on cyclopean masonry project (FNS-Innosuisse) involving ACV expert from ETHZ, historian from EPFL, and industrial partner Prelco. Also coordinates MAS Urbanisme EPFL-UNIGE program.
• ETHZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on cyclopean masonry project with ACV expert, and educational activities at Chair for Sustainable Construction.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Snøhetta: Norwegian/American practice combining architecture, landscape, and sustainability on cultural, public, and educational buildings. Comparable on sustainability-driven public commissions and cross-European competition entries.
• Atelier Peter Zumthor: Swiss architecture practice renowned for material-driven, contextually rooted design (Therme Vals, Kolumba). Comparable as a Swiss peer with similar philosophy around material authenticity, longevity, and contextual integration.
• Herzog & de Meuron: Swiss global architecture practice with strong track record in cultural, public, and residential buildings using innovative material strategies. Comparable as a Swiss-headquartered peer that dominates similar competition circuits and client segments.
• David Chipperfield Architects: International practice with strong heritage and cultural-building portfolio (Neues Museum Berlin, James-Simon-Galerie). Comparable on the heritage regeneration and cultural-center mandate axis that Atelier Archiplein competes for in Europe.
• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): Danish international practice with strong sustainable-architecture positioning on residential, cultural, and public buildings. Comparable on international competition entries, sustainability narrative, and large-scale mixed residential/cultural mandates.

Emerging players

• Studio Gang (Jeanne Gang): Chicago-based practice focused on sustainable, material-expressive architecture for public and cultural clients. Comparable on the sustainability + civic architecture axis and award-driven positioning.
• Studio Anne Holtrop: Amsterdam-based practice known for material-driven architecture (raw concrete, sand-cast forms, restoration of historic buildings). Comparable on material experimentation and heritage-sensitive interventions for cultural and public clients.

Direct peers

• Shigeru Ban Architects: Japanese practice (2014 Pritzker Prize) known for innovative use of unconventional and sustainable materials (paper, timber, composites) in housing and civic buildings. Comparable on the material-innovation and low-carbon construction axis.
• Lacaton & Vassal Architectes: French architecture practice (2021 Pritzker Prize) specializing in social housing regeneration with sustainable, low-cost, low-carbon methods. Direct peer on French social housing mandates, low-carbon residential typology, and the same target clients (Dynacité, public housing authorities).
• Perraudin Architectes: French architecture practice led by Gilles Perraudin, pioneering structural massive stone construction for residential and public projects. Direct peer on the same niche (load-bearing stone buildings) and existing long-term partner on multiple Atelier Archiplein projects (Plan-les-Ouates, Presinge, CEVA Tower).

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atelier-archiplein

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 ATELIER ARCHIPLEIN