Ecole Supérieure d'Architecture des Jardins et des Paysages (ESAJ)

What Ecole Supérieure d'Architecture des Jardins et des Paysages (ESAJ) does

ESAJ (Ecole Supérieure d'Architecture des Jardins et des Paysages), legally ESAJ paysage, is a private non-profit higher education institution (Établissement d'enseignement supérieur privé, association loi 1901) headquartered at 13 rue Santeuil in Paris's 5th arrondissement. Founded in 1966 as the first French higher education establishment entirely dedicated to landscape architecture, ESAJ trains landscape designers and urban planners through a three-year Bachelor, a two-year Master (recognized at the European level by IFLA since 1993, renewed in 2022), and a one-year M2 specialization in landscape ecology. Programs cover design, ecological transition, biodiversity, and integration of living systems into landscape projects, with 800+ hours of training per cohort and 92% of graduates reportedly finding employment within their first year.

The school is led by Director Sacha Lenzini (since 2019) with world-renowned landscape architect Gilles Clément chairing the Strategic Orientation Committee. Since 2019, ESAJ has operated as part of Groupe SOS, one of France's largest associative groups, sitting within its Ecological Transition direction alongside 850 other establishments; the school retains pedagogical autonomy while leveraging the group's institutional and administrative scale. ESAJ also runs a continuing education catalog of twenty professional modules for 2026-2027 covering topics such as AI in landscape design, 3D modeling (L.I.M.), GIS, urban vegetation, water management, and ecological management.

Revenue is generated through tuition and enrollment fees for initial training (Bachelor, Master, M2) and continuing education modules; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is direct enrollment at the Paris campus, supported by an alumni directory, an in-house job board (ESAJ emplois/stages), active social media presence, press relations, and events such as the 2026 (re)g énérations paysage 60th-anniversary exhibition. ESAJ also serves as a credentialed institution for the European Diploma of Landscape Architect pathway and won the France 2030 'Ingénierie et Formations Professionnelles' call for projects in 2025.

Name

Ecole Supérieure d'Architecture des Jardins et des Paysages (ESAJ)

Legal name

ESAJ paysage

Website

https://esaj.asso.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ESAJ is a private non-profit higher education institution in Paris, founded in 1966 and part of Groupe SOS, offering Bachelor, Master, and M2 programs plus continuing education in landscape architecture with a focus on ecological transition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and enrollment fees: As a private higher education institution (Etablissement d'Enseignement Supérieur Privé), ESAJ generates revenue through student tuition and enrollment fees for its Bachelor, Master, and continuing education programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ESAJ is a private French higher education institution offering degree programs (3-year Bachelor, 2-year Master, and 1-year M2 in Landscape Ecology) in landscape architecture and urban planning. The school also delivers approximately 20 continuing education modules annually for working professionals, with pedagogy centered on living systems integration, biodiversity, and ecological transition. The school provides over 800 hours of training per cohort and reports a 92% employment rate for graduates within their first year.

Product overview

ESAJ is a private higher education institution offering a unified portfolio of landscape architecture programs. The core offerings include a 3-year Bachelor degree, a 2-year Master degree (with IFLA Europe recognition), and a 1-year M2 specialization in Landscape Ecology. The institution also provides continuing education through approximately 20 professional development modules covering technical skills (AI applications, GIS, 3D modeling) and ecological topics (soil biodiversity, water management, urban greening).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor en architecture du paysage (3 ans) Three-year undergraduate degree program training students as landscape architects and urban planners, forming designers who create and implement land development projects at various territorial scales.
• Master architecte paysagiste (2 ans) Two-year master's degree program for advanced landscape architecture studies, providing recognition from IFLA Europe and the European Diploma of Landscape Architect.
• M2 Écologue du paysage (1 an) One-year master's level specialization in landscape ecology, training professionals in ecological approaches to landscape design and biodiversity integration.
• Formation continue - Modules 2026-2027 Twenty professional development modules for working professionals covering AI in landscape design, 3D modeling (L.I.M.), GIS and landscape, urban planning regulations, ecological management, soil biodiversity, urban greening, and water management.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of students find employment within first year

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Groupe SOScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019In 2019, ESAJ integrated into Groupe SOS (associative group), with the school now part of the Transition Écologique (Ecological Transition) direction. This partnership provides institutional backing and aligns ESAJ with broader sustainability and ecological transition missions. Groupe SOS is described as a major associative actor with 22,000 employees, 850 establishments, and presence in 50 countries.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Strasbourg (ENSA Strasbourg): French architecture school offering landscape-related programs within a broader curriculum. Competes for the same pool of French students interested in design and environment from a different regional base.
• École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Versailles (ENSA-V): Architecture school in Versailles teaching landscape and urban planning. Geographically adjacent to ENSP and operating in the same Paris-region educational ecosystem for design and environment students.
• École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Lyon (ENSA Lyon): Major French architecture school offering landscape and urbanism tracks. Represents regional competition for French students with environmental design interests who might otherwise consider ESAJ.
• École Nationale Supérieure de Paysage de Versailles (ENSP) / AgroParisTech: France's premier public landscape architecture school, now housed within AgroParisTech. Both institutions grant IFLA Europe-recognized master's degrees in landscape architecture and directly compete for top-tier French and international students.
• École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture Paris-Belleville (ENSA PB): Major French architecture school in the Paris region with strong landscape and urbanism programs. Competes for students interested in spatial design with an environmental focus in the same Paris catchment area as ESAJ.

Broad incumbents

• The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL: Top UK architecture school offering landscape urbanism and design specializations within a much broader portfolio. Competes for the same international talent pool seeking advanced design credentials.
• Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD): Prestigious US architecture and landscape architecture program. Competes for top global students interested in advanced landscape architecture and urban design at the highest prestige tier.
• ETH Zurich — Department of Architecture (D-ARCH): Swiss architecture program including landscape urbanism and territorial studies. Offers competition at the international high-end for top students interested in advanced landscape and architectural design.

Emerging players

• University of Sheffield — Department of Landscape Architecture: One of the UK's premier landscape architecture programs with a strong research reputation and long history. Competes for international students interested in landscape design and ecological transition.
• Wageningen University & Research (WUR): Netherlands' leading agricultural and environmental sciences university with a strong landscape architecture and planning program. Comparable in ecological/landscape focus but operating in a different national market, competing for international students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/esaj_ecole
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@esajparis
• Facebookfacebook.com/esaj.paris
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/esaj
• Instagraminstagram.com/esaj_off/?hl=fr

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 Ecole Supérieure d'Architecture des Jardins et des Paysages (ESAJ)