Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS is a Trondheim-based, partner-owned Norwegian architecture firm with 11 employees, specializing in BREEAM-certified, passive house, and mass timber design for schools, healthcare, hotels, and heritage buildings across Norwegian municipalities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersTrondheim, Norway
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS does
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS is a privately held Norwegian architecture firm founded in 1996 and headquartered in Trondheim at Kjøpmannsgata 35. The firm is owned and managed by four partners — Ane Lefstad, Fredrik Martens Onarheim, Ruth Kristin Fiskum, and Sonja Røed (Managing Director) — and operates with approximately 11 employees delivering consulting and project engineering services across Norway. The name VIS-À-VIS references the original office opposite Stiftsgården and the firm's stated emphasis on direct, face-to-face collaboration with clients and partners.
The firm provides full-service architectural design spanning early project phases through completed construction across six building typologies: schools (its primary segment), kindergartens, healthcare facilities, residential and holiday homes, hotels, and heritage conservation. Technical differentiation centers on sustainability: two staff hold BREEAM NOR AP credentials, projects have achieved BREEAM-NOR Excellent (Kvam Vidaregåande Skule) and BREEAM very good (Sophie Radich Skole) ratings, and the firm delivers passive house-standard designs, mass timber construction (Kvam Vidaregåande Skule), low-carbon concrete class "Ekstrem," and circular economy material reuse (100 tonnes at Emblem Skule). The office has held Miljøfyrtårn environmental certification since 2011.
Revenue is generated through professional services: project-based fees earned primarily by winning Norwegian public tenders and design competitions (plan- og designkonkurranser) for municipalities, supplemented by direct commissions from private clients including hotel operators (Hotell Richard With AS, Rica Eiendom Holding AS), property developers, and individuals. The go-to-market is event- and tender-driven, with most major commissions originating from 1st-prize competition results and collaboration with contractors under total enterprise (totalentreprise) contract structures. Geographic footprint spans at least 16 Norwegian municipalities from Trondheim in the south to Kirkenes in the far north.
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS
- Legal name
- Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS
- Website
- https://vav.no
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS is a Trondheim-based, partner-owned Norwegian architecture firm with 11 employees, specializing in BREEAM-certified, passive house, and mass timber design for schools, healthcare, hotels, and heritage buildings across Norwegian municipalities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- 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), Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA)
Keywords
Where Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Trondheim
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architectural Consulting and Project Engineering (Rådgiving og prosjektering): The firm generates revenue through professional architectural services — consulting and project engineering — for public and private clients across Norway. Revenue is project-based, earned through competition wins, direct commissions, and tender awards for master planning, design, and construction oversight.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS is a Norwegian architecture firm providing full-service architectural design and project engineering (rådgiving og prosjektering) from early project phases through completed construction. The firm delivers projects across building typologies including schools, kindergartens, healthcare facilities, residential housing, hotels, and heritage conservation, with concentrated expertise in BREEAM-certified sustainable construction, passive house standards, mass timber, and low-carbon concrete solutions. Most major commissions are won through architectural competitions and public tenders for Norwegian municipalities and select private clients.
Product overview
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS is an architectural firm offering comprehensive design and consulting services from early project phases through completed construction. The firm operates as a unified service provider organized around key building typologies: school buildings (Skoler), kindergartens (Barnehager), healthcare facilities (Helsebygg), residential housing and holiday homes (Boliger og hytter), hotels (Hoteller), and heritage conservation (Bygningsvern). The portfolio includes projects ranging from small residential additions to large public buildings exceeding 10,000 m². Most major commissions result from competition wins, with the firm collaborating with contractors in turnkey contracts. Environmental sustainability is a core focus, with BREEAM-certified projects and passive house standards. The firm is BREEAM NOR AP certified and a member of Norwegian Green Building Council.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- School Buildings Design (Skoler) Architectural design and project engineering for primary schools (barneskole), secondary schools (ungdomsskole), upper secondary schools (videregåande skole), and multi-purpose halls. Includes new construction and renovation, with expertise in BREEAM-certified, passive house, and mass timber school buildings. Targeted at Norwegian municipalities and county-level public clients.
- Kindergarten Design (Barnehager) Architectural design for kindergartens with sustainable construction practices. Targeted at Norwegian municipalities commissioning early childhood education facilities.
- Healthcare Buildings Design (Helsebygg) Architectural design for healthcare and elder care facilities (helse-/omsorgsbygg). Targeted at public healthcare clients and operators requiring sustainable building infrastructure.
- Residential and Holiday Homes Design (Boliger og hytter) Architectural design for municipal housing, private residences, apartments, terraced houses, single-family homes, and holiday cabins. Targeted at Norwegian municipalities, property developers, and private individuals.
- Hotel Design (Hoteller) Architectural design for hotel new builds, extensions, and renovations targeted at hotel operators and chains (including Scandic). Combines new construction expertise with renovation and extension capability for Norwegian hospitality sector.
- Heritage Conservation Architecture (Bygningsvern) Restoration, preservation, and adaptive reuse of historic and culturally significant buildings, including church renovations and protected building restorations. Targeted at municipalities, church organizations, and private owners of protected properties.
Quantifiable outcome
- 55% greenhouse gas reduction in Sophie Radich Skole project through BREEAM very good design
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- VeidekkecoreVeidekke is a major recurring collaboration partner on school projects. Partnered on Sophie Radich Skole (Lillestrøm), Nordre Ål Skole (Lillehammer), and Emblem Skule (Ålesund). Veidekke serves as total enterprise contractor while VIS-A-VIS provides architectural design.
- Agraff arkitektur AScoreCollaborated on Gol Skole and Nordre Ål Skole as architecture partner. Joint design team for public school competitions and projects.
- Bjørbekk & Lindheim ASminorLandscape architecture partner on multiple projects including Botngård Ungdomskole, Vinne Barnehage, and Emblem Skule.
- Byggmesteran ASminorContractor for Botngård Ungdomsskole project, Bjugn municipality.
- IN'BY ASminorCollaboration partner on Sophie Radich Skole project in Lillestrøm municipality.
- PEAB Bjørn Bygg AScoreMain total enterprise contractor for Richard With Hotell project in Stokmarknes. Project value approximately 9,300 m² BTA hotel.
- Pir2 ASminorInterior architecture partner on Lensvik Skole project.
- Karl Knudsen ASminorContractor partner on Lensvik Skole project.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Snøhetta: Internationally renowned Norwegian architecture firm with deep sustainability credentials and a broad portfolio spanning cultural, public and educational buildings. Comparable because it competes with VIS-A-VIS for high-profile Norwegian public commissions while operating at much larger scale across multiple geographies.
- Nordic Office of Architecture: Major Nordic architecture firm headquartered in Oslo with strong public-sector and education portfolio including numerous school projects. Comparable as a direct competitor for Norwegian municipal school competitions and as a benchmark for sustainable design practice in the Nordic market.
- LINK Arkitektur: Large Nordic architecture firm with offices across Scandinavia offering services across schools, healthcare, residential and commercial sectors. Comparable because it competes for the same Norwegian public-sector typologies as VIS-A-VIS, particularly school and healthcare commissions.
Direct peers
- LPO Arkitekter: Norwegian architecture firm specializing in public buildings including schools, kindergartens, healthcare and housing across Norway. Comparable because it competes head-to-head with VIS-A-VIS for Norwegian municipal school and kindergarten commissions under similar business-model conditions.
- Helen & Hard: Norwegian architecture firm based in Stavanger with strong focus on sustainable and mass-timber construction, including residential, public and cultural projects. Comparable because of similar size, similar sustainability positioning, and shared emphasis on timber and low-carbon design — overlapping the same client base.
- Dyrvik Arkitekter: Norwegian architecture firm with a portfolio spanning cultural, public and educational buildings. Comparable as a similarly-sized Norwegian competitor pursuing public-sector commissions and design competitions, with overlapping typology focus.
- Agraff Arkitektur AS: Norwegian architecture firm collaborating with VIS-A-VIS on Gol Skole and Nordre Ål Skole. Comparable as a similarly sized Norwegian peer that competes and partners on the same municipal school tenders, with overlapping customer base in the Trondheim/Mid-Norway region.
- AART Architects: Nordic architecture firm with strong portfolio in education, healthcare and urban development, active across Denmark and Norway. Comparable for competing in the same public-sector typologies (schools, healthcare) and shared emphasis on sustainability and user-centred design.
- Pir2 AS:
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS social profiles
Digital presenceArkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS 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 Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS
What does Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS do?
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS is a Norwegian architecture firm providing full-service architectural design and project engineering (rådgiving og prosjektering) from early project phases through completed construction. The firm delivers projects across building typologies including schools, kindergartens, healthcare facilities, residential housing, hotels, and heritage conservation, with concentrated expertise in BREEAM-certified sustainable construction, passive house standards, mass timber, and low-carbon concrete solutions. Most major commissions are won through architectural competitions and public tenders for Norwegian municipalities and select private clients.
Is Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS a public or private company?
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS founded?
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS based?
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS is headquartered in Trondheim, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Consulting and Project Engineering (Rådgiving og prosjektering).
Who are Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Snøhetta, Nordic Office of Architecture and LINK Arkitektur. Direct peers are LPO Arkitekter, Helen & Hard, Dyrvik Arkitekter, Agraff Arkitektur AS, AART Architects and Pir2 AS.
Does Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS have an API?
No public API is recorded for Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS.
What industry is Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS in?
Arkitektene VIS-A-VIS AS'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 54131 and its SIC code is 8711.