ISTHME

What ISTHME does

ISTHME is a French SARL architecture and urban planning firm founded in 2016 and headquartered in Toulouse, with a second office in Asunción, Paraguay. The firm is composed of four architects, three geographers/urbanists, and one collaborator, operating under a collegiate governance structure of seven partner co-directors since inception. Its methodology combines architecture, urban planning, and geography in a transdisciplinary, transcalar approach spanning strategic planning through construction oversight, supported by SIG (Geographic Information System) tools, statistical data analysis, and iterative project design with mandatory internal cross-critique.

The firm delivers two core service lines: architecture (design and project management for residential, commercial, institutional, and heritage rehabilitation projects) and urbanism/territorial planning (diagnostics, strategic planning, urban design, metropolitan atlases, and public space development). Revenue is generated through project-based professional fees, ranging from small private renovations (~€25,000) to large public-sector commissions (up to $20M for the Conakry National Interest Project). Notable deliverables include the 898-page Atlas of the Asunción Metropolitan Area produced for PNUD/MADES, the AMITER national ideas competition win for flood-zone urban renovation at Dax Sablar, a €2M 17-unit social housing program in Pamiers, and the POUT methodology guide authored with UN/PNUD for Paraguayan territorial planning.

ISTHME serves primarily public-sector clients — French ministries and Occitanie municipalities, Paraguayan ministries (MEF, MADES, STP), international organizations (PNUD, WWF, FNAM), and the Guinean government — with a secondary private client base of developers, commercial enterprises, and individuals. Distribution occurs via public procurement competitions, direct commissions, and consortium-based delivery with complementary architecture and engineering firms. The firm's competitive positioning rests on its transdisciplinary architect-geographer composition, bilingual French/Spanish operations across the Atlantic, and academic contributions to APUMP, ENSAT, and INU Champollion that reinforce professional reputation and pipeline.

Name

ISTHME

Legal name

SARL ISTHME Architecture et Urbanisme

Website

https://isthme-au.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ISTHME is a French SARL architecture and urban planning firm founded in 2016, operating bilingually from Toulouse (France) and Asunción (Paraguay) with a third presence in Conakry (Guinea). It combines four architects and three geographers/urbanists in a transdisciplinary team delivering architecture, urban planning, heritage rehabilitation, and metropolitan atlas projects primarily to public-sector clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toulouse

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Urban Planning Services: Project-based professional fees for architecture design and urban planning studies. Revenue is generated through direct commissions, public competition prizes, and private client contracts. Services include complete maîtrise d'œuvre (full design and construction oversight), partial architecture missions, feasibility studies, and territorial diagnostics. Fees range from small-scale private projects (e.g., 25,000€ apartment renovation) to large public contracts (e.g., 20M$ Conakry masterplan).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ISTHME is an architecture and urbanism firm offering professional design and planning services through two core service lines. Architecture Services cover building design, programming, and construction oversight (maîtrise d'œuvre) for residential, commercial, and institutional projects. Urbanism and Territorial Planning Services encompass urban diagnostics, strategic planning, masterplans, and urban design for public spaces, metropolitan areas, and ecological territories. The firm operates across France, Paraguay, and Guinea through offices in Toulouse and Asunción.

Product overview

ISTHME is an architecture and urbanism firm offering professional services in architectural design and urban/territorial planning. The firm operates two core service lines: Architecture Services covering building design and construction oversight, and Urbanism Services encompassing territorial diagnostics, strategic planning, and urban development projects. These services are delivered through a multidisciplinary team of architects, geographers, and urbanists working across France and Paraguay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 898-page Atlas of the Asunción Metropolitan Area produced for PNUD/MADES
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• I.Structures, Ecozimut, AmplitudesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025ISTHME as mandataire collaborates with I.Structures (structural), Ecozimut (energy/environment), and Amplitudes on the La Providence building project in Pamiers — a 750m² heritage rehabilitation for municipal civic use.
• +P ArquitecturacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024ISTHME worked with +P Arquitectura as cotraitant on the Parque Augusto Roa Bastos competition (2016, honorable mention). The partnership leverages complementary architectural expertise in the Paraguayan market.
• GRAPHEM (mandataire), Amexia (structure/civil engineering)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024ISTHME serves as associated architects and urbanists alongside lead partner GRAPHEM on the 20M$ National Interest Project for the Isthmus of Conakry. Amexia provides structural and civil engineering expertise. This is one of the firm's largest international projects.
• CR Ingénierie, Mathias Vermesse, Malik BenaïdaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024ISTHME as mandataire worked with CR Ingénierie (engineering), Mathias Vermesse (landscape), and Malik Benaïda on the Vignon en Quercy public space project.
• Bien Commun (Saint-Girons)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024ISTHME worked as associate with urban design firm Bien Commun on the Saint-Girons Saint-Valier urban recomposition project, alongside Ecozimut.
• Atelier Bien Commun (Levignac)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024ISTHME as mandataire collaborated with Atelier Bien Commun on the Levignac town center development study.
• ONU / PNUD / STP / MADEScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024ISTHME authored the guide for urban and territorial planning (POUT) in partnership with the UN, UNDP, Paraguayan Technical Secretariat for Planning, and Ministry of Environment.
• MEF / MADES / PNUD / FNAMcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023ISTHME developed the AMA cohesion strategy and metropolitan atlas for the Asunción Metropolitan Area in partnership with Paraguayan ministries (MEF, MADES), the UN Development Programme (PNUD), and FNAM. This includes the 898-page Atlas published in 2021.
• I.Structures, EcozimutminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023ISTHME collaborated with I.Structures and Ecozimut on the Maison Duffaut project in Aussonne — rehabilitation of a historic farmhouse into a civic center with event space.
• Etic Bois, i.Structures, Ecozimut, CR Ingénierie, Agence DAPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023ISTHME as mandataire led a multi-firm consortium including timber builder Etic Bois, structural engineers, energy specialists, civil engineering, and architectural consultancy for 17 social housing units in Pamiers (2M€).
• Mylène Gouin, Collectif Tournesol, Tysseire et associésminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023ISTHME as mandataire worked with associated architect Mylène Gouin, reuse specialist Collectif Tournesol, and acoustic consultants Tysseire et associés on the Occitanie Order of Architects office rehabilitation project.
• Mon BE, Mathias Vermesse, Malik BenaïdaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022ISTHME worked with structural engineering (Mon BE) and landscape architect Mathias Vermesse on the Alvignac communal house rehabilitation project.
• Atelier GamacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021ISTHME partnered with Atelier Gama as cotraitant (co-contractor) on the AMITER national competition project — the urban renovation of the Dax Sablar flood zone. This collaboration combines ISTHME's urban planning and geographic expertise with Atelier Gama's complementary architectural capabilities.
• WWF Paraguay / STP / IDEA / Guyra ParaguaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020ISTHME worked with environmental organization WWF Paraguay, the Technical Secretariat for Planning (STP), IDEA, and Guyra Paraguay on the Urban and Territorial Planning of Bahía Negra (POUT), addressing ecological conservation in the Chaco/Pantanal region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AREP: Major French multi-disciplinary urbanism and architectural firm, part of SNCF group. Operates in same public-sector, urban planning and infrastructure-adjacent space as ISTHME but at vastly larger scale.
• LAN Architecture: Larger French architecture firm with established urbanism and public-sector practice. Compares as a broader incumbent with overlapping markets (public commissions, mixed-use urbanism) but greater scale.

Direct peers

• Tolila+Gilliland: Paris-based architecture firm with strong public-sector and social-housing focus, similar small-team collegiate structure and comparable project types (social housing, public commissions, rehabilitation).
• Encore Heureux Architectes: French architecture practice known for circular/reuse-focused public projects and small-team sustainability work. Comparable in size, public-sector mix and transdisciplinary ambition.
• Wagon Landscaping: French urbanism/landscape studio with ecological and metropolitan planning scope. Similar profile in terms of size, public commissions and integration of ecology + urban design.
• TN+: French urbanism and landscape architecture firm focused on territorial and ecological projects, often for public sector — close methodological peer for ISTHME's urbanism line.
• ateliermadec / Philippe Madec: French architecture and urbanism firm led by Philippe Madec, with deep ecological urbanism expertise and comparable public-sector / metropolitan planning mandate — direct methodological parallel to ISTHME's transcalar approach.
• Michel Desvigne Paysagiste: Pioneering French landscape/urbanism firm with international public-sector projects. Comparable in methodology (large-scale, ecologically-attuned urbanism) and direct European planning competition presence.
• LEMA Architectes: Italian-French architecture studio with comparable small-team, public-institution and museum/heritage rehabilitation portfolio — relevant for ISTHME's heritage rehabilitation line of work.

Emerging players

• Studio Gang: Transdisciplinary practice working at the intersection of architecture, urbanism and ecology. Comparable methodology (ecology-driven urbanism, internal cross-critique) though at much larger scale and based in North America.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ISTHMEestudiomeridional
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isthme-architercture-urbanisme
• Instagraminstagram.com/isthme_architecture_urbanisme

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 ISTHME