Salewski Nater Kretz

What Salewski Nater Kretz does

Salewski Nater Kretz is a Zurich-headquartered architecture and urban planning firm organized as a Swiss corporation (AG), founded by Christian Salewski, Christina Nater, and Simon Kretz. The firm designs projects across all scales — from urban planning, test planning, and study commissions to architectural building projects, renovations, and adaptive reuse — with a stated methodological focus on sustainable, resource-conserving, and climate-responsive design as well as participatory planning processes. Core service offerings encompass urban development processes, feasibility studies, competition entries, and full architectural project planning and execution (covering all SIA work phases including cost planning and construction management).

The firm’s technology and intellectual property stack is built around design methodology rather than software: proprietary approaches include an 'Argumentative Design' method that uses comprehensible images of the future to build consensus in planning processes, intensive participatory planning and workshop procedures, and resource-conserving design following natural bases (water, soil, sun, air). The firm contributes a substantial publication record through major academic publishers (Birkhäuser, Walther König, nai010, gta Verlag ETH Zurich) and maintains institutional ties to ETH Zurich, where the founders hold teaching and research positions.

Commercially, the firm operates as a project-based professional services practice. Revenue is generated through quote-based, project-specific fees for urban planning, architecture design, feasibility studies, test planning, competition entries, and construction management. Go-to-market is primarily through competitive acquisition — open competitions, invited competitions, study commissions, and test planning procedures — supplemented by direct commissions from repeat clients. Primary customer segments are Swiss municipal governments and public authorities (e.g., City of Bern, City of Zurich, Canton of Zurich, City of Lucerne) and private developers and housing cooperatives (e.g., CKW, FAMBAU, Credit Suisse Immobilien). The firm is privately held with no external investment or parent company structure.

Name

Salewski Nater Kretz

Legal name

Salewski Nater Kretz AG

Website

https://salewski-nater-kretz.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Salewski Nater Kretz is a Zurich-based architecture and urban planning firm serving Swiss municipal governments, public institutions, and private developers through urban development planning, test planning, competitions, and architectural design across all scales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture and Urban Planning Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Urban planning services
• Architecture design
• Test planning
• Sustainable urban development
• Landscape architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Zurich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Planning Services: Project-based fees for urban planning, architecture design, feasibility studies, test planning, competition entries, and construction management services for public and private clients

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Salewski Nater Kretz is an architecture and urban planning firm that designs projects across all scales, from urban development processes (test planning, study commissions, competitions, feasibility studies, master plans, development guidelines, and mission statements) to architectural project planning and execution (renovations, conversions, new buildings, cost planning, and construction management). The firm combines urban planning, architecture, and building in existing structures with a focus on sustainable, climate-responsive, resource-conserving design.

Product overview

Salewski Nater Kretz is an architecture and urban planning firm that designs ideas and projects for living spaces on all scales, including urban planning, architecture, and building in existing structures. The firm brings together the activities of Christian Salewski & Simon Kretz Architects and Christina Nater and Simon Kretz Architects. Their services encompass urban development processes, test planning, study commissions, competitions, and architectural project planning and execution. They work across Switzerland on projects ranging from large-scale urban development to individual building renovations, with a focus on sustainable and resource-conserving design approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Urban Development Planning Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple first-place rankings in urban planning competitions and study commissions across Switzerland
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• XM ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture collaboration partner on various urban development projects including Gaswerkareal Bern and Rüschlikon South Station Competition
• Graber Pulver ArchitektencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture collaboration partner on various urban development projects including Gaswerkareal Bern
• Studio Vulkan Landscape ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular landscape architecture partner on numerous projects including CKW Reussbühl, UIT Geneva, Urban Space Concept University Quarter Zurich, and multiple test planning projects
• Stefan Rotzler Landscape Architect BSLAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture collaboration on projects including Biel Mett Center South and multiple Swiss urban development projects
• Beglinger + Bryan Landscape ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing landscape architecture partner on projects including Neuenhof Härdli, Hardstrasse Birsfelden, and various test planning assignments
• IBV Hüsler AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraffic planning partner on numerous projects across Switzerland, including multiple test planning and urban development studies
• Müller Sigrist ArchitektenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture collaboration partner on Holliger O3/U3 Bern project
• BHSF ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture partnership on Warmbächliweg (Holliger) Bern and Meinen Areal projects
• Robin Winogrond Landscape ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture collaboration on Limmattaler Energiezentrum LEZ project
• HHF ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture partnership on ewb Ausserholligen VI Bern project
• pool ArchitektenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture collaboration on Landis & Gyr site Zug project
• Atelier Loidl Landscape ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture collaboration on Chance Uetikon project
• Lorenz Eugster Landscape Architecture + Urban PlanningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture partnership on Neuenhof Härdli project
• S2L Landscape ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture collaboration on Covering A2 Lucerne South project
• Walt GalmariniminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering partnership on various projects including ewb Ausserholligen VI, Bern and Center development Sarnen
• KCAP architects + plannersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban planning collaboration on Urban Space Concept University Quarter Zurich
• Hosoya Schaefer ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture collaboration on Neugasse planning process in Zurich
• 10:8 architectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture collaboration on Zurich-Affoltern center development
• Lacaton & Vassal ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational architecture collaboration on Viererfeld Bern project
• Hildebrand ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture partnership on UIT Geneva headquarters competition
• ETH ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic institution partnership. Founding partners maintain teaching positions and conduct research. Collaborative publications with gta Verlag ETH Zurich
• Norman Foster FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Architecture and Technology Volume II publication and lecture series on climate crisis
• David ChipperfieldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-edited 'On Planning – A Thought Experiment' publication through Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Lacaton & Vassal Architectes: Paris-based architecture practice celebrated for adaptive reuse and social-housing urbanism. Comparable in conversion/adaptive-reuse methodology and academic positioning; documented co-bid partner on Viererfeld Bern.
• Max Dudler Architekten: Larger Berlin/Zurich architecture practice with extensive Swiss and German public-sector and urban-planning portfolio. Comparable in urban-design and adaptive-reuse orientation but operates at greater scale and international reach.

Direct peers

• Burkhalter Sumi Architekten: Zurich-based architecture firm working on Swiss urban development, residential and public-sector commissions. Comparable in size, project scope and competition-based acquisition model.
• Hosoya Schaefer Architects: Zurich-based architecture and urban design office focused on Swiss urban transformation, housing and infrastructure-adjacent projects. Comparable in size, methodology (participatory processes) and clientele, and is a co-bidder on the Neugasse Zurich project.
• Christ & Gantenbein: Basel-based architecture practice known for cultural, public and urban-planning projects in Switzerland. Comparable in profile, academic positioning and selective-procedure competition focus.
• Studio Vulkan Landscape Architects: Zurich-based landscape and urban design studio engaged in Swiss urban development, test planning and public space projects. Highly comparable in scale, project typology and clientele; recurring co-bid partner on CKW Reussbühl, UIT Geneva and University Quarter Zurich.
• EM2N Architekten: Zurich-based architecture and urban design firm engaged in Swiss urban planning, housing and public-sector commissions. Comparable in project typology (masterplans, conversion, public participation) and Swiss client base.
• pool Architekten: Zurich-based architecture firm active in Swiss urban development, housing and public-sector commissions. Comparable in size, project types and selective-procedure acquisition model; co-bid partner on Landis & Gyr Zug.
• KCAP architects + planners: Rotterdam/Zurich-based architecture and urban planning firm working on large-scale European masterplans and test-planning projects. Highly comparable in scope (urban frameworks, mixed-use sites, transit-adjacent developments) and is itself a documented collaborator on the University Quarter Zurich.
• Graber Pulver Architekten: Bern/Zurich architecture firm active in Swiss urban development, conversion and public-sector commissions. Highly comparable in scale, public-client focus and project type, and is a recurring co-bid partner on projects such as Gaswerkareal Bern.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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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 Salewski Nater Kretz