MET Architects
MET Architects is a Basel-based architecture firm specializing in renovation and conversion of listed heritage buildings, primarily serving Swiss cantonal and municipal government clients through public competitions. Founded in 2009, the founder-led practice has delivered 40+ projects across Switzerland and Lebanon.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersBasel, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What MET Architects does
MET Architects GmbH is a Basel-based architecture firm founded in 2009 by Roula Moharram and Thomas Thalhofer. The firm specializes in the renovation, conversion, and preservation of listed and historic buildings, with particular depth in school complexes, kindergartens, sports facilities, theatres, and heritage residential properties. Its core technical competencies include systematic color and material analysis of historic building fabric, careful removal and resale of reusable building components as a circular-economy practice, and innovative natural ventilation systems using reconstructed historical towers and chimney elements with CO2-triggered hatches. The firm operates as a small, founder-led practice with a team of approximately 6 professionals and has delivered over 40 projects across Switzerland (Basel, Zurich, Riehen) and Lebanon (Beirut, Ras El Matn) since its founding.
The firm generates revenue through professional architectural services fees, primarily acquired via open or invited architectural competitions issued by Swiss cantonal and municipal authorities. Its dominant customer segment is the public sector, with the Cantonal department of buildings and transportation Basel-Stadt (urban planning and architecture division) representing the most significant repeat client, supplemented by engagements with Immobilien Basel-Stadt, the Building Authority of the Canton of Zurich, and Hochbauamt Kanton Zürich. A secondary private client segment, primarily based in Lebanon, serves high-end residential commissions including houses, apartments, and family memorials. Pricing is project-based and not publicly disclosed, with project durations typically spanning multiple years from competition through construction completion.
MET Architects competes on domain specialization and founder reputation rather than scale, having accumulated more than a dozen industry awards between 2013 and 2025, including multiple "Bau des Jahres" (Building of the Year) recognitions from Swiss Architects, the Otto Borst Prize for urban development, db Respekt und Perspektive Anerkennung, and multiple best architects awards. The go-to-market relies on public competition wins, a professional portfolio website, Instagram presence, and regular coverage in Swiss architectural publications rather than traditional sales channels. The firm maintains a stable ecosystem of recurring engineering and construction partners in the Basel region, including wh-p Ingenieure AG (structural), Eplan AG (electrical), Herrmann + Partner Energietechnik GmbH (mechanical), and Gruner AG (building physics). There is no evidence of external institutional investment or acquisition activity, and the firm operates as an independent privately-held GmbH.
MET Architects firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MET Architects
- Legal name
- MET Architects GmbH
- Website
- https://met-architects.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- MET Architects is a Basel-based architecture firm specializing in renovation and conversion of listed heritage buildings, primarily serving Swiss cantonal and municipal government clients through public competitions. Founded in 2009, the founder-led practice has delivered 40+ projects across Switzerland and Lebanon.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MET Architects industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Architectural Reconfiguration & Structural Alterations (HSAPAEAB), Load-Bearing Wall Removal & Structural Beam Installation (HSAPAFAB)
Keywords
Where MET Architects is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Basel
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
MET Architects business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Architecture and Design Services: Fees for architectural services including new construction, renovation, conversion, and restoration of buildings. Revenue is project-based, typically from public competitions or direct commissions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based architectural services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
MET Architects product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MET Architects is an architecture firm providing comprehensive architectural design, renovation, conversion, and restoration services. The firm specializes in handling listed/protected heritage buildings — particularly cantonal school complexes in the Basel region — by combining historical preservation with contemporary standards for energy efficiency, accessibility, fire protection, and earthquake safety. Services span new construction, adaptive reuse, interior design, and landscape integration, delivered as integrated project engagements primarily for public-sector clients via architectural competitions, with additional private commissions in Switzerland and Lebanon.
Product overview
MET Architects is an architecture firm offering comprehensive architectural design and renovation services. Their portfolio spans multiple building typologies including educational facilities (schools, kindergartens), public buildings (swimming pools, theatres, sports halls), residential projects (single-family homes, housing estates), and commercial properties. The firm specializes in handling listed heritage buildings with expertise in historical preservation, energy optimization, and adaptive reuse. Services are delivered as integrated architectural projects rather than modular software products, with each engagement typically combining new construction, renovation, interior design, and landscape integration based on project requirements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Proven track record of over 40 completed projects spanning 2010-2025
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use MET Architects
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MET Architects technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
MET Architects partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Proplaning AG, BaselminorConstruction management partner for various projects including Gellert School Complex, Primary School Hebel, and other Basel-based projects.
- August + Margrith Künzel Landschaftsarchitekten AG, BinningenminorLandscape architecture partner for Gellert School Complex and Primary School Hebel projects.
- Rapp Architekten AG, MünchensteinminorCo-architects partner for Wirtschaftsgymnasium project and collaborator on Secondary School Pestalozzi.
- Martini Schäfer Baumanagement GmbH, BaselminorConstruction management for Restaurant Gartenbad Bachgraben, Theatre Hall Berufsfachschule, and Children's Home Gute Herberge House 186 projects.
- atelier sotominorLandscape architecture partner for Double Kindergarten Roggenburgstrasse project.
- Khater Contracting Group, MansouriehminorConstruction management partner for House SK project in Lebanon.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
MET Architects competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Burckhardt Architekten: One of Switzerland's largest and oldest architecture firms, with broad coverage across heritage, healthcare, education, and commercial sectors. Overlaps with MET on Basel school and public-building work but operates at much larger scale and broader typology.
Direct peers
- Diener & Diener Architekten: Basel-based architecture firm with a long heritage of residential, cultural, and urban renovation projects in Switzerland. Comparable on Basel geographic footprint, public-sector client base, and design pedigree.
- Caruso St John: London- and Zurich-based firm with a parallel reputation for heritage and listed-building renovation. Comparable on methodology, conservation-led design approach, and museum/historic-building portfolio.
- David Chipperfield Architects: Internationally recognized for award-winning heritage and cultural-building projects (e.g., Neues Museum Berlin). Shares the same careful, preservation-first approach to listed buildings and is a clear reference peer on craft and reputation.
- Gigon Guyer Architekten: Zurich-based firm with deep experience in cultural and historic-building renovation, including Museum Lindenhof and extensions to heritage structures. Comparable on Swiss heritage renovation specialization and competition-led acquisitions.
- Christ & Gantenbein Architekten: Basel-based architecture firm known for heritage and cultural-building renovation, including the Basel Museum of Natural History. Highly comparable on Swiss listed-building renovation focus, competition-driven public-sector GTM, and similar scale.
- EM2N Architekten: Zurich-based firm with strong reputation in public building, education, and conversion projects. Comparable on Swiss public-sector competition work, education-sector renovation focus, and mid-sized practice profile.
- HHF Architekten: Basel-based architecture firm with a comparable mix of public and private commissions, heritage-sensitive design, and award-recognized small-scale practice. Direct peer on Basel ecosystem and project typology.
- Christian Kerez Architekt: Zurich-based architecture practice with a focused portfolio of cultural and residential buildings. Comparable on Swiss architectural pedigree (Thalhofer's prior employer), competition-driven public-sector work, and small-firm specialization.
Regional players
- Roula Moharram Architects (Beirut): Co-founder Roula Moharram's prior Beirut practice (2000–2009), now folded into MET. Operates in the same heritage-sensitive architectural niche but in the Lebanese/MENA market rather than the Swiss market where MET primarily competes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
MET Architects social profiles
Digital presenceMET Architects financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MET Architects leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
MET Architects funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MET Architects M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MET Architects
What does MET Architects do?
MET Architects is an architecture firm providing comprehensive architectural design, renovation, conversion, and restoration services. The firm specializes in handling listed/protected heritage buildings — particularly cantonal school complexes in the Basel region — by combining historical preservation with contemporary standards for energy efficiency, accessibility, fire protection, and earthquake safety. Services span new construction, adaptive reuse, interior design, and landscape integration, delivered as integrated project engagements primarily for public-sector clients via architectural competitions, with additional private commissions in Switzerland and Lebanon.
Is MET Architects a public or private company?
MET Architects is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was MET Architects founded?
MET Architects was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is MET Architects based?
MET Architects is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does MET Architects make money?
One revenue line is on record: architecture and Design Services.
Who are MET Architects's main competitors?
Burckhardt Architekten is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Diener & Diener Architekten, Caruso St John, David Chipperfield Architects, Gigon Guyer Architekten, Christ & Gantenbein Architekten, EM2N Architekten, HHF Architekten and Christian Kerez Architekt. Roula Moharram Architects (Beirut) is listed as a regional player.
Does MET Architects have an API?
No public API is recorded for MET Architects.
What industry is MET Architects in?
MET Architects's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services. Its NAICS code is 541310 and its SIC code is 8711.