3h Építésziroda

What 3h Építésziroda does

3h Építésziroda is a privately held architectural design practice headquartered in Budapest, Hungary, founded in 1994 by Katalin Csillag (DLA) and Zsolt Gunther (DLA). The firm operates with a lean team of approximately 15 employees and delivers architectural services across five principal building categories: offices, residential developments, public buildings, ecclesiastical (church and monastic) structures, and historic building restoration. Its client base is concentrated among institutional and enterprise buyers, including MOME (Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design), Futureal Group, Audi Hungaria, OTP Bank, ECE Projektmanagement, and the Municipality of Budapest, with a project portfolio spanning Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia, Norway, Denmark, and Poland.

The firm has built a distinct practice around complex, high-prestige commissions — most notably the renovation of the 900-year-old Basilica of Pannonhalma in collaboration with John Pawson (completed 2015), which received European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture (Mies van der Rohe Award) nominations in 2005 and 2015, as well as recognitions including ICOMOS Awards, FIABCI Prix d'Excellence, and multiple Médium Prize awards from the Hungarian Architectural Academy. Project work is supported by in-house R&D and a publication program (titles including NARRATIVES, WHITE, CONCEPT, CONTEXT, and Spaces of Intensity) that functions as brand-building and design discourse.

The business model is professional services fees billed on a project basis, with go-to-market driven primarily through architectural competitions, public tenders, and direct invitations for institutional and developer-led commissions. There is no external equity funding, no disclosed revenue, and the firm is privately held by the founding partners. There is no evidence of platform, SaaS, or recurring-license revenue; income is entirely project-based fee-for-service.

Name

3h Építésziroda

Legal name

3h Építésziroda

Website

https://3h.hu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Budapest-based private architectural design practice founded in 1994, delivering office, residential, public, ecclesiastical, and historic restoration projects. Serves enterprise and institutional clients across real estate, education, finance, religious, and public sectors in Central Europe and Scandinavia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Historic building restoration
• Ecclesiastical architecture
• Sustainable architecture design
• Public building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Budapest

HQ country

Hungary

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Revenue generated through fees for architectural design services including office, residential, public, ecclesiastical buildings, and historic building restoration. Services include design competitions, authorized plans, and implementation plans.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

3h Építésziroda (3h architects) is a Budapest-based architectural practice founded in 1994 that provides comprehensive architectural design services across office, residential, public, and ecclesiastical building types, alongside historic building restoration and heritage adaptation. The firm operates as a single unified practice delivering projects from initial concept and design competition participation through authorized plans, implementation plans, and construction administration for clients ranging from commercial developers and corporations to religious orders and municipalities.

Product overview

3h Építésziroda is a Budapest-based architecture firm founded in 1994 by Katalin Csillag and Zsolt Gunther. The firm operates as a single unified practice offering comprehensive architectural design services rather than a platform-based product model. Their core offering encompasses architectural design for office, residential, public, and ecclesiastical buildings, complemented by historic building restoration services. The firm also produces architectural publications documenting their projects and design philosophy, including titles such as Spaces of Intensity, NARRATIVES, WHITE, CONCEPT, and CONTEXT. Projects range from small-scale rural buildings to large urban developments, with a portfolio spanning Hungary and international locations including Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia, Norway, Denmark, and Poland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Comprehensive end-to-end architectural design practice delivering projects from concept and competition entry through authorized plans, implementation plans, and construction administration for commercial, residential, public, and ecclesiastical building clients.
• Public Building Design
• Office Building Design
• Residential Building Design
• Historic Building Restoration

Quantifiable outcome

• Mies van der Rohe Award nomination (2020, 2011)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Váncza Művek Architecture StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Váncza Művek on the reconstruction of the Cathedral of Szeged (2015). This partnership combined 3h's expertise with László Váncza's team for the complex historical restoration and visitor center project.
• John PawsonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerServed as Hungarian partner in collaboration with internationally renowned minimalist architect John Pawson for the renovation of the Basilica of Pannonhalma Archabbey (2015). 3h acted as local partner implementing Pawson's design vision for the liturgical reinterpretation.
• Anthony GallminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Anthony Gall as partner on the Institute for the Physically Disabled project in Budapest.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Vikár és Lukács Építész Stúdió: Hungarian architecture studio known for award-winning public, cultural, and commercial work in Budapest. Comparable in boutique size, design-led philosophy, and Hungarian institutional client focus.
• TSPC Group: Hungarian multidisciplinary engineering and architecture group active across commercial, infrastructure, and building projects. Comparable as a domestic peer with overlapping client base in Hungarian real estate developers and institutional clients.
• Finta Stúdió: Long-established Hungarian architecture practice founded by Imre Finta with a comparable national profile in Hungarian commercial, public, and cultural architecture. Directly comparable in scale, reputation, and domestic prestige to 3h.
• TIBA Architects: Budapest-based architecture studio with a multi-decade track record in commercial, residential, and interior architecture across Hungary. Comparable in mid-sized boutique positioning and domestic market focus.
• Archikon Építésziroda: Hungarian architecture firm with a strong portfolio in cultural, educational, and public projects in Budapest. Directly comparable as a similarly sized, award-active Hungarian practice serving institutional clients.
• Középülettervező Iroda: Hungarian architecture firm with deep public-sector and institutional portfolio including educational and governmental buildings. Comparable as a domestic peer with shared focus on Hungarian public commissions.
• Caruso St John: London-based boutique architecture practice with a strong profile in heritage, cultural, and adaptive reuse projects. Comparable in boutique scale, materials-driven contextual approach, and historic-building expertise.

Broad incumbents

• David Chipperfield Architects: Internationally renowned practice with a flagship specialty in historic restoration and cultural architecture (e.g., Neues Museum Berlin). Comparable in heritage restoration capability and design philosophy, though materially larger and more global.
• Snøhetta: Norway-headquartered international architecture practice with cultural, public, and adaptive reuse projects overlapping 3h's portfolio (notably in Norway, where 3h has delivered commissions). Comparable as a design-led practice with cross-border project delivery in Scandinavia.

Others

• John Pawson: Minimalist architect and 3h's documented collaboration partner on the Pannonhalma Archabbey Basilica project. Comparable in restraint-led, context-responsive design philosophy and ecclesiastical project experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3harchitects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 3h Építésziroda