What Uarchitects does

UArchitects is an independent urban design and architecture studio headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands, founded in 2004 by Misak Terzibasiyan. Over more than two decades of operation, the studio has delivered urban design, architecture, and applied research projects across 20+ countries, accumulating 50+ awards and nominations in the process. Its portfolio spans public-sector commissions (juvenile detention facilities), education (multiple school projects), residential developments, cultural venues, and climate-adaptation initiatives, indicating a multi-segment practice rather than a vertical specialist.

The studio's service offering is built around standard architectural and urban design workflows — site analysis, master planning, schematic and detailed design, and project supervision — delivered through conventional CAD/BIM tooling. There is no indication of proprietary technology platforms, software products, or technology-licensing revenue lines; the studio is a fee-for-service consultancy rather than a product or platform business.

Commercially, UArchitects operates on a project-based fee-for-service model, with go-to-market driven by sales-led pursuit of international architectural competitions and public tenders. The firm is privately held by its founder with no disclosed outside investors, no funding rounds, and no PE/VC backing. Distribution of work is global rather than concentrated in a single market, with project acquisition dependent on competition wins and reputation-driven invitations.

Name

Uarchitects

Legal name

UArchitects

Website

https://uarchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UArchitects is an Eindhoven-based urban design and architecture studio founded in 2004 by Misak Terzibasiyan, delivering fee-for-service design and research projects across 20+ countries via international competitions and tenders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Urban design studio
• Sustainable building design
• Residential architecture
• Educational facility design

Headquarters

HQ city

Eindhoven

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: UArchitects generates revenue through direct commissions for architectural design, urban design, and interior design projects. Revenue is project-based and fee-for-service, sourced from international competitions won, European tenders, and private client commissions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

UArchitects is an urban-design and architecture studio that delivers comprehensive architectural design, urban design, and interior design services for residential, educational, healthcare, sports, and public-building projects. Engagements are won through international design competitions, European public tenders, and direct private commissions, with intensive client dialogue throughout the design process and an emphasis on context-driven, humanistic, and sustainable outcomes.

Product overview

UArchitects is an urban design and architecture studio based in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, founded by Misak Terzibasiyan. The firm offers comprehensive architecture design services across multiple categories including residential, educational, sports, healthcare, and public buildings. Their portfolio includes completed projects like School de Brug in Belgium, multiple residential projects (Living among the Trees, Villa R Split View, Circle of Life in New Zealand), community facilities (Juvenile Detention Living, IKC de Geluksvogel, 't Hofke School), and innovative concepts like SFAC (Self-Sustaining Floating Adaptable Community) for climate-responsible living. The firm also publishes books on architectural philosophy. Projects emphasize context, flexibility, sustainability, and the relationship between architecture and nature/community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Comprehensive architectural design services covering residential, educational, sports, healthcare, and public buildings, with an emphasis on context, history, indoor climate, flexibility, safety, environment, and sustainability. Delivered to government, education, and private clients via competitions, tenders, and direct commissions.
• Urban Design Services Urban design services focused on experience, perception, and local culture, exploring flexible future use of buildings and the wider cultural context of architecture and urban development. Includes community-level and city-scale design work.
• Interior Design Services Interior design services for residential, commercial, and adaptive-reuse projects, exemplified by the Loft Lichttoren project (64 m² loft in a national monument in Eindhoven) featuring demountable steel structures, birch plywood custom furniture, and polycarbonate partition walls designed for future reuse and different ways of living.
• Published Books on Architectural Philosophy Three published books by founder Misak Terzibasiyan, published by Loft Publications: 'Experience and Meaning of Architecture' (2021), 'Experience of Architecture and Art' (2022), and 'UArchitects 20 Years — Journey of a Studio' (2024). They explore the phenomenological meaning of architecture and chart the studio's two-decade journey.

Quantifiable outcome

• First juvenile detention in Netherlands with small groups of 10 instead of 12, enabling more treatment and coaching per youngster
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BUET (Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024BUET collaborated with UArchitects during feasibility studies and the construction of the first SFAC prototype in Bangladesh. They conducted initial feasibility phase work and provided academic/technical support alongside local communities and key stakeholders in Dhaka.
• BD+PcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024BD+P is part of the SFAC consortium alongside UArchitects/Misak Terzibasiyan, BUET, and NGO JJS. The consortium executed feasibility studies and built the first SFAC prototype in Bangladesh.
• NGO JJS (Jagrate Juba Shangha)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NGO JJS is part of the SFAC consortium alongside UArchitects/Misak Terzibasiyan, BD+P, and BUET. They represent local community interests in Bangladesh for the floating community project.
• Interior Builder (Loft Lichttoren project)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAn interior builder collaborated closely with UArchitects to realize the demountable interior for the Loft Lichttoren project, working on the execution and custom-made birch plywood elements.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Sou Fujimoto Architects: Tokyo-based architecture studio with international competition portfolio in housing and conceptual work; comparable in experimental, conceptually driven typology development and competition-circuit visibility.

Direct peers

• Heatherwick Studio: London-based design studio blending architecture, urban design, and installation work with strong international brand; comparable in narrative-driven, humanistic approach to design and ability to attract signature public-sector commissions.
• Mecanoo: Netherlands-based architecture firm working across residential, educational, and cultural typologies with strong international competition presence; directly comparable to UArchitects in scale and sector overlap, particularly Dutch educational and residential commissions.
• MVRDV: Dutch architecture studio headquartered in Rotterdam with a global portfolio spanning housing, cultural, and urban projects; competes with UArchitects in the same international competition circuit (WAF, Architizer) and shares the Dutch design-led boutique positioning.
• UNStudio: Amsterdam-headquartered architecture and design studio (Ben van Berkel) operating internationally with focus on architecture, urban, and product design; comparable in international competition strategy and humanistic design positioning to UArchitects.
• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): Internationally recognized design-led architecture studio with strong competition portfolio across housing and experimental typologies; operates in the same WAF/competition circuit and overlaps in modular, climate-adaptive, and humanistic housing concepts.
• Powerhouse Company: Dutch architecture firm with global reach across housing, cultural, and urban projects; closely comparable as a similarly positioned Dutch boutique with active competition-portfolio model.
• Snøhetta: Norwegian-origin multidisciplinary architecture and design practice with global footprint across cultural, educational, and landscape architecture; comparable as an international design-led studio with strong thought-leadership brand and competition presence.
• Studio Gang: Design-led architecture studio with strong reputation for context-responsive, ecological, and humanistic projects across the United States and internationally; closely comparable in design philosophy and competition-circuit positioning.

Broad incumbents

• OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture): Rotterdam-headquartered global architecture practice (Rem Koolhaas) with broad portfolio of cultural, institutional, and urban projects; represents a broader incumbent in the Dutch design-led architecture space where UArchitects operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/mterzibasiyan
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/UArchitectsEindhoven/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/UArchitects.UArchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uarchitects
• Instagraminstagram.com/uarchitects_nl
• Pinterestpinterest.com/uarchitects_nl/_created

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Uarchitects