Fondation Architectes De L'urgence

What Fondation Architectes De L'urgence does

Fondation Architectes De L'urgence is a French nonprofit humanitarian organization founded in 2001 by Patrick Coulombel, recognized as 'Reconnue d'utilité publique' (public utility foundation) by French government ordinance in August 2007. The foundation provides architectural and engineering expertise for populations affected by natural disasters and crises, operating across three core service lines: emergency interventions (building damage assessment, tarpaulin/shelter distribution in the immediate aftermath of catastrophes), medium-to-long-term reconstruction projects (schools, maternities, orphanages, housing, water infrastructure), and professional training for humanitarian architects. Its core technology comprises seismic-resistant construction techniques and post-disaster damage assessment methodologies, supplemented by proprietary R&D including the WHESS (Water Hydrogen and Electricity Sustainable System) prototype — a 270 kg mobile unit producing 5 m³ of potable water and 6 kW/h of electricity per day from river, brackish, or seawater, deployable in 30 minutes. The foundation also operates two QUALIOPI-certified training programs ('L'architecte et l'urgence' at €550-650 and 'Approfondissement au parasismique' at €500) and a sheltered foundations service hosting external foundations under its public utility umbrella.

The foundation's business model is donation-funded, with no commercial sales of services. Revenue streams include individual donations (66% tax deductible under French law), corporate partnerships and skills-based sponsorship (mécénat de compétences, 60% tax deduction up to 0.5% of revenue), grants from public bodies (AFD, French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Région Hauts-de-France, Fondation de France), training program fees, hosting fees from sheltered foundations, and proceeds from an annual Paris charity auction. Distribution is direct through field deployment teams of volunteer architects and engineers, supported by a small core staff (1-10 employees) based in Paris and Amiens. Since 2001, the foundation has completed 125+ projects in 40+ countries with contributions from 1,500+ volunteer professionals. Major current and recent operations span Turkey (Hatay), Morocco (Atlas region), Mayotte (post-Cyclone Chido), Lebanon, Haiti, Ukraine, Armenia, and Venezuela.

The foundation is led by co-founder Patrick Coulombel as Director General, with Alice Moreira as Administrative and Financial Director and Denis Brogniart as the foundation's sponsor (parrain). It maintains strategic partnerships with UNDP, AFD, Fondation de France, Fondation Air France, Nexity, BNP Paribas Real Estate, Würth France, and the French Centre de Crise et de Soutien. As a recognized public utility foundation, it operates under French law 1901 with no parent company, no external investors, and no M&A activity; the two sheltered foundations (Haïti Générations Futures, Windows for Beirut) are programmatic affiliates rather than subsidiaries in the corporate sense.

Name

Fondation Architectes De L'urgence

Legal name

Fondation Architectes de l'urgence

Website

https://archi-urgent.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fondation Architectes De L'urgence is a French public utility nonprofit (founded 2001) that provides humanitarian architectural services — emergency shelter, building assessment, and seismic-resistant reconstruction — to disaster-affected populations across 40+ countries, funded by donations, corporate partnerships, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Humanitarian architecture
• Disaster reconstruction
• Emergency shelter
• Seismic construction
• Post-disaster assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through one-time or recurring donations, with tax deductibility benefits (66% reduction for individuals under French tax law). Donors are reached through website, events, and newsletters.
2. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorship: Companies support the foundation through direct program financing, skills-based sponsorship (mécénat de compétences), or event organization. Corporate donors benefit from 60% tax reduction on donations (up to 5 per thousand of revenue).
3. Hosted Foundations (Fondations Abritées): The foundation hosts other foundations under its umbrella, providing administrative, financial, and accounting services. Hosted foundations contribute to operational costs while benefiting from the sheltering foundation's public utility status.
4. Annual Charity Auction: The foundation organizes an annual charity auction in Paris (ninth edition planned for December 2026) as a major fundraising event.
5. Training Programs: The foundation offers professional training courses including 'L'architecte et l'urgence' (550-650 euros per session) and 'Approfondissement au parasismique' (500 euros), certified QUALIOPI. Revenue from training contributes to operational costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fondation Architectes de l'Urgence is a French humanitarian nonprofit foundation that deploys volunteer architects and engineers to disaster-affected regions for emergency shelter assessments, rapid damage evaluation, and long-term reconstruction of schools, housing, and community infrastructure using seismic-resistant techniques. The foundation also delivers professional training courses for architects and operates a sheltered foundations hosting service for other organizations seeking public utility status.

Product overview

Fondation Architectes de l'Urgence is a humanitarian foundation recognized as a public utility since 2007, offering a portfolio of interconnected services focused on disaster response and reconstruction. Its core activities include emergency interventions immediately following catastrophes (seismic, cyclonic, or conflict-related), long-term reconstruction projects of housing, schools, and community infrastructure, and professional training programs for architects ('L'architecte et l'urgence' and 'Approfondissement au parasismique'). The foundation also operates a research and development function (producing the WHESS water-energy prototype) and provides a sheltered foundations service enabling external organizations to establish foundations under its umbrella. These offerings share the foundation's expertise in seismic-resistant construction, post-disaster project management, and knowledge transfer to local populations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WHESS (Water Hydrogen and Electricity Sustainable System) A mobile, 270 kg autonomous system that treats river, brackish, or seawater to produce 5 m3 of potable water per day and 6 kW/h of electricity, deployable in 30 minutes. Designed for isolated areas in humanitarian contexts, providing 300 liters of drinking water and 300 W/h of energy daily per family of five from seawater at a 7-year cost of €1.70 per household per day.
• Formation 'L'architecte et l'urgence' Professional training program for architects and humanitarian professionals covering building pathology, humanitarian risk concepts, legal frameworks, seismic design, and post-disaster evaluation. Delivered remotely over 6 half-day sessions (18 hours), priced at €550 per participant (€200 reduced rate for students). QUALIOPI certified.
• Formation 'Approfondissement au parasismique' Advanced training program on seismic reinforcement of existing buildings, including case studies and methodology. Prerequisites include prior introductory seismic training. Delivered over 3 half-day sessions (10 hours), priced at €500 for professionals and €200 for students. QUALIOPI certified.
• Fondations Abritées (Sheltered Foundations) A turnkey hosting service allowing individuals, companies, or associations to create and host foundations under the foundation's public utility status, providing automatic access to fiscal advantages, administrative support, and governance frameworks. Coverage domains include heritage preservation, humanitarian aid, education, and emergency response.
• Emergency Humanitarian Architectural Interventions Deployment of architectural teams to disaster zones to assess damage, distribute emergency shelter materials (e.g., 100,000 m² of tarps following Cyclone Chido in Mayotte), conduct building safety evaluations (e.g., 2,345 buildings diagnosed in Mayotte), and coordinate debris removal and emergency shelter provision for populations affected by earthquakes, cyclones, tsunamis, and other catastrophes.
• Post-Disaster Reconstruction Projects Medium to long-term reconstruction of housing, schools, community centers, orphanages, maternities, and water infrastructure using seismic-resistant techniques and integrating local communities in project design. Notable examples include 73 houses rebuilt in Sri Lanka housing 400 people, 565 houses built in Indonesia following the 2004 tsunami, and 19 classrooms across 3 schools in Haiti serving 1,800 students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 125+ projects completed across 40+ countries since 2001
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Radio FranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio France supports the foundation through media coverage and visibility during disaster response campaigns.
• UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDP collaborates with the foundation on development and reconstruction projects in disaster-affected regions.
• Région Hauts-de-FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government partner providing support for foundation activities and disaster response initiatives.
• BNP Paribas Real EstateminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting foundation reconstruction projects through donations and sponsorship.
• Centre de Crise et de Soutien (Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench government crisis response center partnered on 'Un bateau pour l'Ukraine' operation to send construction materials to Ukraine.
• ActedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational humanitarian NGO consortium partner on Haiti school reconstruction project funded by AFD.
• Un enfant par la maincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian association consortium partner on Haiti school reconstruction project.
• Les Cycles de l'immobilierminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharitable cycling challenge Paris-MIPIM organizer that raised €38,786 for the foundation from €207,683 total collected.
• Ville d'AmiensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Amiens provides support for foundation activities and participated in Ukraine material shipment.
• Amiens MétropoleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan area community supporting foundation activities and Ukraine relief efforts.
• Lyon UkrainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation partnered for sending construction materials to support populations affected by conflict in Ukraine, particularly Kherson region.
• Fonds Arménien de FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArmenian Fund France partnered for technical equipment shipments to support schools in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Haïti Générations FuturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSheltered foundation under Architectes de l'urgence focused on supporting Haitian youth.
• Windows for BeirutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSheltered foundation focused on rehabilitation of housing and facades in Beirut following the port explosion.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Build Change: International nonprofit specializing in disaster-resistant construction, training local builders and engineers in seismic- and wind-resistant building techniques in post-disaster settings. Highly comparable on the core competency of seismic-resistant reconstruction and the train-local-talent methodology used in Afghanistan.
• Article 25: UK-registered charity providing pro-bono architectural services to NGOs and communities in developing countries and disaster-affected regions. Directly comparable as a humanitarian architecture specialist applying professional design expertise to humanitarian causes, with a similar volunteer/pro-bono engagement model.
• Shelter Projects / Shelter Centre: Initiative providing guidance and resources on transitional shelter and settlement after natural disasters. Comparable as a specialist in post-disaster shelter provision, addressing similar needs (Mayotte tarp distribution, Lebanon 33,000 m² of tarpaulins).
• ShelterBox: International disaster relief charity providing emergency shelter and essential household items to families displaced by disasters and conflict. Directly comparable as a disaster-response organization delivering shelter-focused humanitarian aid, particularly on the emergency-interventions phase that precedes reconstruction.

Emerging players

• Cordaid: Dutch international development and humanitarian organization operating in fragile contexts with programs in healthcare, education, and reconstruction. Comparable on the faith-rooted, European-headquartered, multi-country humanitarian operation model.
• Acted: French-headquartered international humanitarian NGO with programs in 40+ countries focused on emergency response, reconstruction, and economic development. Already a consortium partner on the AFD-funded Haiti school reconstruction project; comparable scope of humanitarian programs and reconstruction focus.

Others

• Concern Worldwide: Irish humanitarian organization addressing extreme poverty and emergency response in disaster-affected regions. Comparable on humanitarian mission and European NGO funding base, though with broader health and livelihoods programs rather than a specialized architecture focus.

Broad incumbents

• Habitat for Humanity International: Global nonprofit focused on building affordable housing and supporting community development for low-income families. Comparable on the affordable-housing reconstruction mission but operates at vastly greater scale and with a permanent-staff rather than volunteer professional model.
• UN-Habitat: United Nations agency coordinating human settlement policies and programs globally. Comparable as a multilateral body addressing shelter and reconstruction in disaster-affected and developing contexts, though at a vastly larger institutional scale.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): World's largest humanitarian network coordinating disaster response, shelter provision, and reconstruction across 191 national societies. Comparable on emergency shelter and post-disaster recovery, but operates at a scale and with permanent field staff that smaller players cannot match.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/archiurgent
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@EmergencyArchitects
• Facebookfacebook.com/archidelurgence
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondation-architectes-de-l-urgence
• Instagraminstagram.com/architectesdelurgence

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Fondation Architectes De L'urgence