What DANK Architectes does

DANK Architectes is a privately held architecture and design practice founded in 2010/2011 and headquartered in Caluire-et-Cuire in the Lyon metropolitan area. The firm is structured around three architect partners — Thibaut Chanut, Gilles Dietrich, and Steven Guigoz — together with at least one additional state-certified collaborator (Justyna Gornicka since 2015), forming a small team of 4–5 architects within an overall headcount reported as up to 8 employees. Its core service is full-mission architecture for high-end private residential clients (contemporary villas, heavy renovations, extensions, premium small collectives) and tertiary-market projects (office layouts, conversions of old buildings, concept stores), with a deliberate emphasis on coherence between building, interior, landscape, and custom furniture. Each project includes bespoke, on-millimeter built-in fittings designed and produced in-house, and the firm works through a four-phase engagement (site visit, sketch/concept, contractor consultation, construction supervision) on either fixed-fee or percentage-of-construction pricing (typically 8–16% for individual houses in France).

The firm's business model is professional-services fee-based, with revenue derived from architectural commissions priced per mission and since 2019 extended into design consulting and artistic direction for international furniture and lighting brands. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct: clients engage via the firm website, phone, or email, with the first on-site consultation offered free of charge; geographic scope is explicitly unlimited across France and internationally. Distribution leans on earned media — features in Art et Décoration and A Vivre, plus annual 'A Vivre' open-house weekends — supplemented by a curated Rhône-Alpes craftsmen and specialist network (engineers, lighting designers, landscape architects) that supports full-mission delivery. DANK Architectes is founder-owned, bootstrapped, privately operated, and has no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity.

Name

DANK Architectes

Legal name

Dank Architectes

Website

https://dankarchitectes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DANK Architectes is a Lyon-based architecture and design practice of 4–8 people serving high-end private residential, tertiary, and (since 2019) international furniture/lighting brand clients through full-mission architectural services, custom millwork, and design consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141), Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Industrial Design Services (541420)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC), Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Architectural services
• Residential architecture
• Interior design
• Custom millwork
• Design consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Caluire et Cuire

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Fees are calculated either as a fixed fee per mission or based on the construction amount, varying according to the amount and complexity of the project. Full mission approach is preferred to guarantee faithful execution from sketch to completion.
2. Design Consulting and Artistic Direction: Since 2019, provides design consulting and artistic direction services to international furniture and lighting brands, developing specific product ranges for the general public.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

DANK Architectes is a Lyon-based architecture and design agency providing full-mission architectural services for high-end residential projects (contemporary villas, renovations, extensions, premium small collectives) and tertiary projects (office reconversions, concept stores). Its practice integrates architecture, interior design, and landscape design under a single coherent vision, with custom-built furniture and fittings designed and produced to the millimeter for each project. Since 2019, the agency has also offered design consulting and artistic direction services to international furniture and lighting brands.

Product overview

DANK Architectes is an architecture and design firm based in Lyon, France, offering comprehensive architectural services. Their portfolio includes contemporary residential projects (new villas, renovations, extensions), premium small collectives, tertiary projects (office reconversions, concept stores), and since 2019, design consulting and art direction services for international furniture and lighting brands. The firm emphasizes 'global and coherent architecture between inside and outside,' combining interior design, custom furniture, and landscape considerations under a unified vision. Their services are structured around four phases: site visit, sketch/concept, contractor consultation, and construction supervision. The firm does not offer named software products or modules—it is a service-based architecture practice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full-Mission Architectural Services End-to-end architectural services delivered from initial sketch through project completion for high-end private residential projects (contemporary villas, heavy renovations, extensions, premium small collectives) and tertiary projects (office reconversions, concept stores). Each project is shared across the full team with a dedicated primary contact for the client.
• Design Consulting and Artistic Direction for Furniture and Lighting Brands Design consulting and artistic direction (direction artistique) for international furniture and lighting brands, developing specific product ranges for the general public. Leverages the agency's architectural and design expertise to create product collections with partner brands.

Named customers4 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• International Furniture and Lighting BrandsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Since 2019, provides design consulting and artistic direction to international furniture and lighting brands sensitive to the agency's approach, developing specific product ranges for the general public.
• Technical Engineering FirmscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe agency works with a team of partners including technical engineering firms, lighting designers, and landscape architects to support project execution.
• Rhône-Alpes Craftsmen NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected network of specialized companies in each trade developed over years of experience in the Rhône-Alpes region, particularly around Lyon. The agency capitalizes on technical expertise from each tradesperson and continuously expands the network to find most relevant technical solutions for project intentions.
• Landscape ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in landscape architecture who collaborate with the agency to deliver complete projects with coherent vision between inside and outside spaces.
• Lighting DesignerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized lighting partners who contribute to projects to ensure optimal lighting solutions integrated with overall design vision.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Roman and Williams: NYC-based architecture and design studio offering integrated architecture, interior design, and product design services. Comparable in integrated approach, premium positioning, and selective geographic footprint.
• Pierre-Yves Rochon: French architecture and interior design firm focused on luxury hotels, restaurants, and high-end residential projects. Comparable in its integrated architecture/interior design offering and its emphasis on bespoke craftsmanship and full-mission delivery.
• Gilles & Boissier: French interior architecture duo specializing in luxury residential, hospitality, and retail projects. Small boutique firm comparable in size, premium positioning, and full-mission design approach.
• Jean-Louis Deniot: Prominent French interior designer known for high-end residential and hotel projects worldwide. Comparable in clientele (luxury private clients), geographic reach (France and international), and integrated design philosophy.
• Vincent Van Duysen: Belgian architect and designer with strong overlap in luxury residential, integrated architecture/interior design, and product design collaborations (with brands like Flos, B&B Italia). Comparable for his integrated architecture-design-and-product positioning.
• Tristan Auer: French interior architect with a strong luxury residential and hospitality portfolio. Comparable boutique size, premium client base, and integrated approach to architecture and interior design across France and internationally.
• Studio KO: French architecture firm of comparable size (~20 people) with a similar integrated approach spanning residential, hospitality, and furniture/craft collaborations. Operates in the same high-end design market with a comparable "indiscipline" philosophy and is a near-direct competitor for premium French clients.

Broad incumbents

• Dominique Perrault Architecture: Major French architecture firm with broad portfolio across cultural, residential, and urban projects. Comparable in geographic reach and full-mission delivery, but operates at significantly larger scale and project size than DANK.
• Liaigre: Established French luxury furniture and interior design house with showrooms worldwide. Overlaps with DANK on the integrated interior design + custom furniture axis and on the design-consulting-for-brands activity, but operates at significantly larger scale and brand recognition.

Others

• Tom Dixon: British furniture and lighting brand with associated design studio. Comparable as the type of international furniture/lighting brand that DANK's design-consulting activity targets, and as a model for how architect-led design practices can scale into product businesses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/dankarchitectes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dank-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 DANK Architectes