VURB architects

What VURB architects does

VURB Architects is an Amsterdam-based architectural studio founded in 2020 by Volker Ulrich and René Berbee, operating as a private partnership with a team of 1-10. The firm provides professional architectural design services across five primary typologies: residential development (apartments, social housing, care facilities, family homes), hospitality (new-build hotels and office-to-boutique-hotel conversions), student housing, cultural and public buildings, and commercial/office interiors. Notable commissions include the 300-room Inntelhotel Oostenburg in Amsterdam, the 73-room Mövenpick boutique hotel conversion in The Hague, the 760-apartment ROOTS campus in Lelystad, and the Dadong arts centre in Taiwan. Delivery is anchored in Revit/BIM workflows from concept development through construction drawings, with sustainability credentials evidenced by BREEAM four-star certifications on multiple student housing projects.

The firm's go-to-market is relationship-driven B2B, engaging directly with enterprise clients including hotel operators, real estate developers, government entities, and private individuals through competitive tenders, direct referrals, and repeat engagements. Revenue is generated via project-based professional services fees, with project scale and complexity varying from small private commissions (~250m² workspace conversions) to large master-planned developments. Co-development partnerships with engineering and construction firms (ARUP, Techniplan, CBRE, Heijmans, Dam & Partners, 4d Architecten) enable delivery on multi-disciplinary commissions beyond VURB's internal capacity. The studio serves clients primarily in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Lelystad, Utrecht, The Hague, Oirschot) with selective international projects in Berlin, Germany and Kaohsiung County, Taiwan. The firm's differentiator is a stated community-driven design philosophy that emphasizes adaptive reuse, heritage-sensitive contemporary intervention, and sustainable construction, supported by a portfolio of 25+ documented projects completed since founding.

Name

VURB architects

Legal name

VURB Architects

Website

https://vurbarchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VURB Architects is an Amsterdam-based architectural studio founded in 2020 that provides community-focused, sustainable design services across residential, hospitality, student housing, cultural, and mixed-use projects, serving enterprise developers, hotel operators, and select government clients primarily in the Netherlands with projects in Germany and Taiwan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Residential architecture
• Hospitality design
• Adaptive reuse
• Sustainable architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Klein Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Project-based professional services for architectural design, from concept development to construction drawings, including urban planning, offices, housing, hotels, and interior transformations.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VURB Architects is an Amsterdam-based architectural studio delivering project-based architectural design services from concept development through construction drawings. The firm designs residential, hospitality (hotels), student housing, office, cultural, and mixed-use buildings, with notable expertise in sustainable construction and adaptive reuse of heritage structures. Engagements are typically delivered using Revit/BIM workflows for enterprise clients including real estate developers, hotel operators, municipalities, and private clients.

Product overview

VURB architects is an Amsterdam-based architectural studio founded in 2020 by Volker Ulrich and René Berbee. The firm offers architectural design services across multiple project typologies including residential buildings, office conversions, hotels, student housing, cultural projects, and interior transformations. Their portfolio consists of completed projects, ongoing developments, and conceptual proposals spanning residential (New-West Residence, De Roos, Cityhouse IJburg, NDD393), commercial/hospitality (Mövenpick Hotel, Inntelhotel, Q-Port, Vinoly lobby), student housing (Student Experience Minervahaven, VDM18, Spandau), cultural/urban (Dadong, Altaar Beemster, ROOTS campus), and modular/restoration projects (de Punt, Timmerwerkplaats, De Centrale). The firm works with Revit/BIM and approaches projects from an urban perspective, emphasizing sustainable construction and community-driven design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NDD393 Renovation and extension of a 1930s terraced house in Amsterdam, featuring black steel facade elements and a design that opens the building onto its garden.
• Voorwaarts A tower-block residential development in Amsterdam North's Hamerkwartier, featuring approximately 83 apartments with facade gardens and PV panels.
• Timmerwerkplaats Restoration of a listed carpenter's shed dating back to 1800, with a new extension, transforming it into a family home in Beemster.
• Vinoly, Amsterdam Zuidas Conversion of an office reception area into a lobby for the Vinoly tower, featuring a reception desk crafted from Belgium blue stone.
• Dadong Arts Centre An arts centre in Taiwan featuring three buildings (museum, theatre, art school) connected by a structural canopy roof, developed with Arup.
• New-West Residence Amsterdam An apartment building with 72 apartments, shops, workshops, public library, and underground parking, designed with open floor plans that can adapt to residents' needs.
• Machinefabriek Noord Transformation of a former factory building in Amsterdam-Noord into a mixed residential and commercial area, preserving its creative subculture DNA.
• De Roos A residential building for the social rental sector with approximately 59 apartments, featuring a concrete facade with iron oxide addition referencing industrial heritage.
• Cityhouse IJburg A single-family champagne-colored city house with translucent facade design, approximately 270m2, built for a family of five.
• Daalse Kwint, Utrecht Conversion of an office reception area into a Scandinavian-style lobby, featuring pure materials and clean lines in a quiet color setting.
• de Punt Modular residential building project in Oirschot consisting of 82 apartments and 8 friends apartments, with communal living galleries.
• Inntelhotel Oostenburg A 300-room hotel with restaurant, conference centre, and spa in Amsterdam's Oostenburg area, featuring a 52-metre tower with historic industrial design references.
• Q-Port Amsterdam Conversion of an office reception area into a boutique hotel-style lobby featuring white marble and blue steel bar, approximately 1,250m2.
• Mövenpick Hotel The Hague Conversion of an office building (former Staatsloterij headquarters) into a boutique hotel with 73 rooms, featuring an iconic central void staircase inspired by M.C. Escher.
• Student Experience Minervahaven A 600-room student residence hotel for international students in Amsterdam's Houthaven area, designed to BREEAM four-star standards.
• ROOTS Green and urban campus development in Lelystad with approximately 760 apartments across four building clusters, designed as a car-free campus setting.
• de Keyser – deelplan 7 Traditional residential buildings in Middenbeemster with 18 apartments designed to blend with the rural Beemster Polder context.
• Altaar Beemster Design of a combined cross and altar for the Protestant church in Middenbeemster, reconciling 300-year-old elements with contemporary worship.
• De Centrale Transformation of a former KPN telephone exchange into 103 micro apartments with boutique hotel aesthetics, approximately 4,000m2.
• Forrest Villa's Bio-based, energy-neutral vacation villas in Hoogeveld forest park with maximum indoor/outdoor relationship, approximately 95m2 per house.
• Zaanstraat Urban corner development redefining a former 1920s school building in Amsterdam with a glazed addition that maintains original proportions.
• VDM18 A 400-room student residence in Amsterdam's Werkstad OverAmstel area, designed to BREEAM four-star standards.
• Spandau Student Experience project in Berlin Spandau with approximately 600 studio apartments, 40 apartments, sports facilities, and restaurant spaces.
• Tweede Boerhaavestraat Transformation of a former 1920s city garage into a flexible workspace, approximately 250m2, with industrial aesthetic and northlight illumination.
• de Nieuwe Valkenburcht Residential development in Oosterbeek with 212 apartments (including 30 for somatic care), restaurant, sports club, ateliers, and library facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sustainability certifications achieved on multiple projects including BREEAM four-star certification
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ARUPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStructural engineering partnership on the Dadong arts centre project in Taiwan. VURB collaborated with ARUP to develop a structural, opaque membrane inspired by Indian sculptor Amish Kapoor, with large steel rings acting as gutters for rainfall collection.
• Olaf Gipser Architects & Ulrich ArchitectuurcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint architecture partnership on the New-West Residence Amsterdam project, combining expertise for the 72-apartment development with integrated social functions.
• Dam & PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration reference noted on Machinefabriek Noord project.
• 4d ArchitectencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on ROOTS campus project in Lelystad - a green urban campus with 760+ apartments. Partnership includes CB5, Irisadvies, Louwmangroup, NIO stedelijk onderzoek, Merosch, and Parallel.
• MWA Hart NibbrigminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration on de Keyser project in Middenbeemster.
• Claudy JongstraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist collaboration for textile antependium on the Altaar Beemster church project, creating a contemporary continuation of historic church interventions.
• Heijmans WoningbouwcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner for Inntelhotel Oostenburg project - a 300-room hotel development in Amsterdam.
• TechniplancoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering consultancy partnership on Student Experience Minervahaven project, contributing to BREEAM four-star sustainability certification.
• CBREcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommercial real estate advisory partnership on Mövenpick Hotel conversion project in The Hague.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Studio MAKS: Dutch architecture studio focused on community-oriented residential, mixed-use, and adaptive reuse projects in the Netherlands. Comparable in mid-size scale, Dutch base, and community-led design philosophy.
• Powerhouse Company: Dutch architecture firm with a comparable focus on residential, hospitality, and adaptive reuse projects, plus a strong sustainability narrative. Similar size and design-led positioning.
• MVRDV: Rotterdam-based architecture firm with a comparable diversified portfolio across residential, housing, cultural, and mixed-use typologies, and a similarly strong sustainability and urban design orientation. Directly comparable Dutch peer with international reach.
• Mecanoo: Dutch architecture firm delivering residential, cultural, hospitality, and student housing projects with strong sustainability credentials. Closely comparable in typology breadth, Dutch base, and project scale.
• KAAN Architecten: Amsterdam-based architecture studio with a similar focus on residential, cultural, and public architecture across the Netherlands and internationally. Comparable in size, typology mix, and Dutch-rooted design philosophy.
• DUS Architects: Amsterdam-based architecture firm with explicit focus on sustainability, social housing, and innovative residential typologies. Comparable Dutch peer with a community- and sustainability-driven positioning.
• Benthem Crouwel Architects: Dutch architecture firm with a portfolio spanning residential, cultural, public, and mixed-use buildings across the Netherlands. Comparable in typology breadth and Dutch operating geography.

Broad incumbents

• OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture): Internationally leading Dutch-rooted architecture firm covering residential, cultural, hospitality, and urban regeneration projects at large scale. Comparable Dutch heritage and typology breadth, but materially larger and more global than VURB.
• de Architekten Cie. Amsterdam-based architecture firm where VURB co-founder Volker Ulrich previously worked as an associate. Larger, more established Dutch incumbent with broader portfolio across residential, commercial, and cultural projects.
• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): Internationally renowned architecture firm delivering residential, hospitality, cultural, and mixed-use projects with a strong sustainability and innovation narrative. Comparable typology mix but substantially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vurb-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/vurbarchitects

Compliance1 record

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 VURB architects