SMAK Architects

What SMAK Architects does

SMAK Architects is a privately held Belgian architecture firm founded in 2010 by Mathias Kerremans and headquartered in Antwerp. The firm designs mixed-use buildings — combining residential, office, educational, hospitality, and productive functions within single developments — and has built a portfolio of 50+ projects including the Antwerp Law Courts (77,000 m², completed 2005), Deleers Masterplan (51,500 m², Anderlecht), Bessenveld (44,216 m², Diegem), and The One Brussels (38,000 m²). Its two principal verticals are school/educational campus design and developer-led mixed-use and residential projects, with named clients including Atenor, A-Star Group, Kairos, Revive, Kolmont, GJN Vastgoed, Brody, and the City of Brussels.

The firm operates as a professional services practice using standard architectural tooling — paper-to-digital sketching, volumetry studies, and advanced 3D modeling software for design elaboration and execution — without disclosed proprietary technology. Delivery is executed by an 8-person core team led by founder Mathias Kerremans, head of design Perrine Compain (joined 2019), and head of execution John Flippo (joined 2020), supplemented by recurring collaborations with peer practices including VHH London, A-tract Architecture, Atelier Kempe Thill, POLO architects, B2Ai, and Space lab.

SMAK generates revenue through project-based professional services fees negotiated per engagement, typically structured as multi-year contracts running from competition or commission through design, execution, and construction administration. The go-to-market combines direct enterprise commissions from Belgian real-estate developers and municipalities, regional design competition wins (e.g., Scholen van Morgen, MIPIM, REALTY presence), and referral-based co-architect partnerships. Revenue is undisclosed; the firm is privately held with no external funding, parent company, or subsidiary structure.

Name

SMAK Architects

Legal name

SMAK Architects

Website

https://smakarchitects.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SMAK Architects is an Antwerp-based, privately held architecture firm designing mixed-use buildings — primarily schools, residential complexes, and developer-led mixed-use schemes — for enterprise developers and municipal clients in Belgium, with selective international execution in Moldova.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture & Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Mixed-use building design
• School campus architecture
• Urban masterplanning
• Residential complex design

Headquarters

HQ city

Antwerp

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional services revenue from architectural design, masterplanning, and execution for mixed-use buildings, schools, residential, and commercial projects. Revenue comes from design competitions and direct commissions for public and private clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SMAK Architects is a private architectural practice in Antwerp, Belgium, providing professional architectural design services for mixed-use buildings, school campuses, residential complexes, office reconversions, student accommodation, and hotels. The firm delivers design competitions, masterplanning, and execution for public and private clients, combining offices, residences, schools, and production facilities into shared environments that foster community encounters.

Product overview

SMAK Architects is an architectural firm based in Antwerp, Belgium, offering architectural design services across diverse building typologies. Their portfolio includes mixed-use developments, school campuses, residential complexes, office reconversions, hotels, and student accommodation. The firm operates as a single unified practice rather than a platform with modular components. Key project types include: school campuses (Deleers School Campus, College O.L.V.-ten-Doorn, Campus Comenius, A la Croisée des Chemins); mixed-use developments (Bessenveld, ASTRO 23, Deleers Masterplan); residential projects (Royal House, Lombaarden-Ter Hoght, Collective Housing Tervuren, Willebroek); student accommodation (Quellinstraat); hotels (A-STAY Brussels, A-STAY Moldova); and urban/public buildings (Antwerp Law Courts). The firm also conducts research on education and housing co-location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mixed-Use Building Design Architectural design services for mixed-use buildings that combine residential, commercial, office, and educational functions within single developments, targeting real estate developers and municipalities seeking to create community-oriented urban environments.
• School Campus Design Comprehensive architectural services for educational campuses including primary schools, secondary schools, technical schools, daycares, sports halls, and adult education centers, designed for educational institutions and government clients.
• ASTRO 23 - Office Renovation and Residential Construction Office renovation and new residential construction project in Brussels for Atenor, featuring adaptive reuse of an old soap factory to create workspaces and lodgings.
• Royal House - Office-to-Residential Reconversion Reconversion of a 1980s office building into a 34-unit residential project in an Antwerp residential neighborhood, commissioned by Brody.
• A-STAY Brussels - Hybrid Hotel Design Unique hotel concept combining short and long-stay accommodation with co-working spaces in a mixed-use development in Brussels, designed in partnership with A-tract Architecture for hospitality investors.
• Deleers Masterplan Mixed-use masterplan in Anderlecht along the Brussels canal featuring schools, housing, and productive SME zones in a phased development covering 51,500 m², designed for developer Kairos.
• Quellinstraat 48-52 Student Accommodation Student accommodation project in Antwerp with 55 student rooms, 4 studios, and ground-floor office/retail space.
• Research: Education & Housing Co-location Research project exploring the co-location of schools and housing, investigating how educational spaces can integrate with housing to create more inclusive, adaptable, and civic-oriented neighborhoods, presented at the Experimental Urbanism Symposium at VUB-ULB.

Quantifiable outcome

• Designed Antwerp Law Courts (77,000 m², completed 2005)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VHH LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLondon-based architecture agency renowned for large English schools. Partnered with SMAK Architects to win the 'Scholen van morgen' competition for O.L.V. ten Doorn school in Eeklo (11,000 m², 2012-2018).
• A-tract ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm collaborating with SMAK on A-STAY projects in Brussels and Moldova, designing innovative hybrid living-working spaces.
• B2AiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhile Mathias Kerremans previously worked at B2Ai, SMAK Architects continues to collaborate with B2Ai on projects such as Ekla Brussels (team: B2Ai Brussels).
• Space labminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian architectural office. SMAK mentions regular collaboration with Space lab on various projects.
• Das BauercabinettminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm with whom SMAK Architects collaborates on projects.
• Atelier Kempe ThillcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArchitecture firm appointed as architects for Phase 2 of the Deleers Masterplan in Anderlecht, following SMAK Architects' design of Phase 1 and masterplan.
• POLO architectscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArchitecture firm appointed as architects for Phase 3 of the Deleers Masterplan in Anderlecht.
• KairoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper and project initiator for Campus Comenius Koekelberg and Campus Stream/Deleers projects. SMAK collaborated as lead designer (at B2Ai) and as masterplanner/architect.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stéphane Beel Architects: Belgian architecture firm known for residential, mixed-use and public commissions in Flanders and Brussels. Comparable Belgian peer in size, typology, and client base (developers and municipalities).
• Atelier Kempe Thill: Atelier Kempe Thill is a Dutch/Belgian architecture firm appointed for Phase 2 of the Deleers Masterplan. It is a directly comparable European architecture peer working on mixed-use, public and educational typologies at a similar scale.
• VHH London: London-based architecture firm specialising in large schools that partnered with SMAK to win the Scholen van Morgen competition in Eeklo. VHH is a directly comparable peer in scale, typology (education) and geography of collaboration.
• POLO architects: Belgian architecture firm awarded Phase 3 of the Deleers Masterplan and a regular employer of SMAK team alumni (Bram Iven, Inês Lourenço). Comparable Belgian practice working on mixed-use residential and masterplan briefs.
• 51N4E: Brussels-based contemporary architecture firm where SMAK architect Marek Zahradnik previously worked. 51N4E is a comparable Belgian design-led practice with similar scale and typology breadth (housing, public, mixed-use).
• B2Ai: B2Ai is a Belgian architecture firm where founder Mathias Kerremans was previously lead designer. B2Ai shares SMAK's focus on schools, mixed-use and large public commissions in Belgium and Brussels, making it the closest like-for-like competitor.
• Space lab: Belgian architecture office collaborating regularly with SMAK on multiple projects. A directly comparable Belgian design-led practice with similar scale and project types.
• Office Kersten Geers David Van Severen (KGDVS): Brussels-based contemporary architecture practice with a comparable portfolio of public, residential and mixed-use buildings in Belgium. A directly comparable design-led Belgian peer at similar scale.
• A-tract architecture: Belgian architecture firm collaborating with SMAK on the A-STAY hospitality/living concepts in Brussels and Moldova. Similar size and typology mix makes A-tract a directly comparable Belgian peer.

Broad incumbents

• Mecanoo: Large Dutch architecture firm with a strong education-focused portfolio. Mecanoo is a much larger incumbent that regularly competes for the school and mixed-use briefs SMAK targets; SMAK team alumna Inês Lourenço worked in Mecanoo's international competitions unit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smakarchitects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 SMAK Architects