Kauss Arhitektuuribüroo

What Kauss Arhitektuuribüroo does

Kauss Arhitektuuribüroo is an Estonian architecture and interior design firm founded in 2004, headquartered in Tallinn, and operating as the legal entity KAUSS ARHITEKTUUR OÜ (registration code 11052342). The firm delivers architecture, interior architecture, and concept design services across public-sector, commercial, and residential projects, with a documented portfolio exceeding 200 building permits since inception. It is led by three partners — Kaur Talpsep, Lauri Eltermaa, and Allan Pilter — and operates with a team of approximately 15 members.

The firm's technical capabilities center on educational and public-sector buildings, heritage-area renovations, and energy-efficient Passive House design, with team members holding Certified Passive House Designer credentials. Its client base includes Estonian government entities (Riigi Kinnisvara, Siseministeerium), real estate developers (Domus Kinnisvara, Citycon), and technology-sector tenants (Helmes, Andmevara). The firm has secured multiple architectural competition wins, particularly for educational facilities, and has begun participating in international competitions in Finland and Denmark.

The business model is project-based fee-for-service consulting, with revenue derived from architectural commissions, competition prize awards, and interior design engagements. The firm employs a competition-led go-to-market strategy, using competition wins as the primary brand-building and lead-generation mechanism rather than direct sales outreach. There is no public funding, no disclosed revenue, and operations remain primarily Estonian, with limited international expansion occurring via competition entries rather than secured contract backlog.

Name

Kauss Arhitektuuribüroo

Legal name

KAUSS ARHITEKTUUR OÜ

Website

https://kauss.ee

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kauss Arhitektuuribüroo is an Estonian architecture and interior design firm founded in 2004, serving public-sector, commercial, and residential clients with a focus on educational buildings and energy-efficient Passive House design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Interior architecture design
• Passive house design
• Heritage area architecture
• Public space design

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallinn

HQ country

Estonia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture Services: Full-service architectural design for new buildings and renovation projects, including project management from concept through completion. Services span public buildings, schools, healthcare facilities, residential buildings, and interior architecture.
2. Interior Architecture: Interior design services for office environments and public spaces, including project management, budget preparation, contractor selection, and author supervision through project completion.
3. Concept Design Consulting: Pre-construction consultation and feasibility/cost-effectiveness studies for clients, including analysis of building rights and space suitability assessments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Kauss Arhitektuuribüroo provides architectural design, interior architecture, and concept design services from its Tallinn, Estonia office. The practice is particularly known for energy-efficient and passive house design, heritage-sensitive architecture in protected areas, and public space design projects served to municipal, developer, and private individual clients.

Product overview

Kauss Arhitektuuribüroo is an architecture and design firm offering three integrated service lines: Architecture Services (Arhitektuur), Interior Architecture (Sisearhitektuur), and Concept Design. The Architecture Services division handles both small and large new construction and reconstruction projects with energy-efficient and passive house design expertise. The Interior Architecture division designs contemporary office environments and public spaces with full project management through to completion. The Concept Design service provides pre-construction consultation and feasibility studies. Since 2004, the firm has pursued approximately 200+ building permits and specializes in heritage area projects and fixed-budget work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Full architectural design services for buildings and spaces, including energy-efficient and passive house design, for municipal, developer, and private individual clients.
• Interior Architecture Interior architecture services for residential and commercial projects, delivered to developer and private individual clients.
• Concept Design Early-stage concept design services provided to clients at the front end of architectural projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Won multiple first-place architecture competition prizes including Jõhvi Põhikool (2019), Kuressaare Hariduse Kool (2019), Kuusalu Keskkool (2019), Lähte ühisgümnaasium (2021), Tiskre hariduskompleks (2021)

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Pin ArhitektidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Sarapuu gallery homes project. Pin Arhitektid worked together with Kauss on this apartment building project in Pähkli-Sarapuu area, with focus on creating quality environment and car-free spaces between the three buildings.
• Esplan OÜminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Sydhavnen church project in Copenhagen. Esplan OÜ partnered with Kauss on this international competition entry for a new church and cultural center building.
• Kino maastikuarhitektidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-author Henn Runnel from Kino landscape architects collaborated on Pepleri kindergarten project in Tartu, providing landscape architecture expertise for the competition entry.
• Vint 44mmminorOthersDesign collaboration for 'VINT' ping pong table - a handmade hybrid table designed for both indoor and outdoor use, meeting the street ping pong club's need for a simple and durable table.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• KOKO architects: Estonian/Baltic architecture firm with strong public-sector and residential portfolio. Direct competitor in Estonian design competitions and a relevant comparable for boutique-scale Baltic practices.
• HG Arhitektuur: Estonian architecture practice with a portfolio of public, educational, and residential buildings. Comparable size and competes for the same municipal and state design commissions.
• Salto Architects: Estonian architecture practice of similar size and scope, focused on public buildings, schools, and urban projects in the Baltics. Most directly comparable peer — same market, same client base, same competition-driven business model.
• PIN Arhitektid: Estonian architecture firm that has co-developed projects with Kauss (Sarapuu gallery homes). Overlapping residential and public-sector portfolio, direct competitor in the same competition circuit.
• Kadarik Tüür Arhitektid: Established Tallinn architecture office known for cultural, educational, and residential buildings in Estonia. Similar boutique scale and direct overlap in competition work for schools and public buildings.
• Arhitekt11: Tallinn-based architectural studio with strong public-sector portfolio including schools and cultural buildings. Competes against Kauss in the same Estonian design competitions for state and municipal work.
• 3+1 Architects: Estonian architecture firm with comparable team size and a portfolio spanning public, residential, and interior projects. Regular competitor in Estonian public architecture competitions.

Broad incumbents

• Henning Larsen Architects: Large Nordic architecture firm with global reach and a strong portfolio in civic, educational, and cultural buildings. Demonstrates the scale and attainability gap for an Estonian boutique looking to expand internationally.
• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): Internationally recognized architecture firm with roots in Copenhagen and a strong pipeline of cultural and public projects. Comparable to Kauss's architectural-competition DNA but operating at a vastly different scale.

Emerging players

• Esplan OÜ: Estonian architectural firm that partnered with Kauss on the Sydhavnen church competition in Copenhagen. Comparable boutique practice with Nordic/Baltic project ambitions and a directly analogous client profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Kauss-Arhitektuur/126370080773371?fref=ts

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Kauss Arhitektuuribüroo