Franz Und Sue Zt Gmbh

What Franz Und Sue Zt Gmbh does

Franz&Sue ZT GmbH is a Vienna-based architecture firm operating as a general planner (Generalplaner) for educational, public, residential, healthcare, and office buildings across the German-speaking region. The practice was formed in May 2017 through the merger of Franz Architekten (founded 2009) and Sue Architekten (founded 2006), and currently fields a team of more than 100 people from 15 countries working in interdisciplinary teams across architecture, construction engineering, building economics, sustainability, and construction project management. Its service offering covers the full project lifecycle, from competition entry and design through to detailed planning, contract management, and on-site supervision (ÖBA), often delivered as the single point of accountability on complex inner-city, heritage, and large-scale public mandates.

The firm has won more than 55 architectural competitions in the education, residential, and office segments, and is a regular presence on competitionline's ranking of top competition offices in the DACH region, with major recognitions including a 2025 Mies van der Rohe Award nomination, the FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence, the Austrian Staatspreis Architektur, and multiple best architects awards. Its underlying technology stack centres on BIM-based planning processes and a dedicated Digital Tools department, supporting integrated digital workflows across competition design, detailed design, and execution stages.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees paid by public and private sector clients, with EU-wide architectural competitions functioning as the dominant project-acquisition channel. The firm is privately held by its partners, has no external institutional investors or funding rounds, and reports no publicly disclosed revenue figures. As of 2025 it operates from its self-developed Stadtelefant campus in Vienna's Sonnwendviertel alongside a broader network of affiliated architecture practices, with a leadership team expanded to eight partners and four associates to manage succession beyond the founding generation.

Name

Franz Und Sue Zt Gmbh

Legal name

Franz und Sue ZT GmbH

Website

https://franzundsue.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Franz&Sue ZT GmbH is a Vienna-based general-planning architecture firm delivering educational, residential, healthcare, and office building projects for public and private clients across Austria, Germany, and Switzerland through competition wins and integrated BIM-based design services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and General Planning Services: Revenue generated through design and planning services for architectural projects including competition fees, planning fees, and general contractor coordination for public and private sector clients

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Franz&Sue is a Vienna-based architecture firm operating as a general planner (Generalplaner) for educational, residential, healthcare, and commercial building projects across the DACH region (Austria, Germany, Switzerland). The firm provides comprehensive services from architectural competition entry and design through to project and contract management, delivering high-quality architecture for public sector clients, educational institutions, and private developers. With more than 100 employees from 15 countries and 55+ competition wins, they specialize in complex inner-city projects, heritage building renovations, and sustainable design.

Product overview

Franz&Sue is a Vienna-based architecture firm operating as a general planner (Generalplaner) offering comprehensive architectural and planning services. The firm specializes in public, educational, residential, and office building projects throughout the German-speaking region. Their portfolio encompasses school campus design (primary schools, secondary schools, polytechnic schools), university facilities (anatomy centers, study centers), sports facilities (gymnasiums, pavilions), residential complexes (social housing, high-rise buildings), office buildings, and special-use facilities (forensic therapeutic centers). The firm acts as both project planner and general planner, handling high-quality design, state-of-the-art planning, contract management, and project management. Key projects include the Stadtelefant architecture cluster in Vienna, multiple education campuses across Austria and Germany, and the recently won Vertical Village project in Switzerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full architectural design services for educational, residential, healthcare, and commercial building projects, including architectural competition entries, schematic design, design development, and construction documentation. Delivered for public and private sector clients across the DACH region.
• General Planning Services (Generalplaner) Acting as lead consultant coordinating all planning disciplines, including architecture, structural engineering, building services, and landscape architecture for complex building projects. Franz&Sue works in large interdisciplinary teams responsible for high-quality design and state-of-the-art planning.
• Project and Contract Management Services Comprehensive project management, contract management, and construction supervision (ÖBA) services throughout the design and construction phases, ensuring quality standards and timely delivery for complex large-scale projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 55+ competitions won in educational, residential, and office buildings
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bräunlin Kolb ArchitektencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Vertical Village project in Pratteln, Switzerland. Bräunlin Kolb is the partner office for this significant high-rise development (27 floors) with hotel and residential uses, and bus station as part of a new mobility hub.
• ZPF IngenieurecoreTechnology or IntegrationStructural engineers for the Pratteln project, collaborating on the skeletal structure design with massive core as part of the vertical village concept.
• KPPKcoreTechnology or IntegrationStructural engineering partner for the Division of Anatomy MedUni Graz project.
• ZentraplancoreTechnology or IntegrationBuilding services engineering partner for the MedUni Graz Anatomy project.
• VamedcoreTechnology or IntegrationÖBA (construction supervision) partner for the MedUni Graz Anatomy project.
• Bollinger und GrohmanncoreTechnology or IntegrationStructural engineering partner for the Montanuni Leoben Studies Centre project.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Delugan Meissl Associated Architects: Austrian architecture firm with a similar focus on competitions, public commissions, and high-profile residential and cultural projects. Comparable in size, market, and design-led positioning.
• Coop Himmelb(l)au: Vienna-based architecture firm of comparable scale and reputation, known for signature public and cultural buildings and a strong competition track record in the DACH region. Directly comparable general-planner capability and public-sector client base.
• PPAG architects: Vienna-based architecture firm known for public-sector and educational building commissions, with a similar competition-driven project pipeline and team size.
• Marte.Marte Architekten: Award-winning Austrian architecture firm (multiple national and international prizes) with strong public sector and cultural portfolio. Comparable in cultural orientation and competition strategy, though smaller in headcount.
• Baumschlager Eberle: Austria- and Liechtenstein-headquartered architecture group with broader DACH and Swiss footprint (Lochau, Zurich, Munich, Paris). Similar general-planner model focused on public buildings, residential, and education at comparable scale.
• Pichler & Traupmann Architekten: Vienna-based architecture office with comparable scale, public-sector focus, and competition-based acquisition model. Operates in adjacent DACH and Eastern European markets.

Broad incumbents

• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): Globally recognized competition-driven architecture firm with extensive public and cultural project portfolio. Much larger scale and global reach, but a directly comparable competition-led growth model.
• Mecanoo: Dutch architecture firm with strong public-sector and education portfolio across Europe. Comparable project types and competition-based GTM, but operates at a larger scale with broader international presence.
• Snøhetta: Norwegian architecture and design firm with a competition-heavy portfolio and global public-sector commissions. Comparable business model (competition wins, public clients, integrated design) but significantly larger scale and international footprint.
• 3XN: Copenhagen-based architecture firm with strong competition track record in education, residential, and public buildings. Larger scale and broader geographic reach, but overlapping client base and project types.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/franzundsue
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/franz-und-sue-zt-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/franzundsue

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Franz Und Sue Zt Gmbh