The verdict in three sentences
An architecture firm in Zurich that hires a local agency should expect a 2026 ballpark of 15 000 to 40 000+ CHF, with Zurich at the top of Swiss ranges. Kolonell delivers a portfolio site at a fixed 2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 CHF, with native English or French copywriting, in 3 to 4 weeks (Premium: 4 to 6 weeks on a written schedule). A local agency stays relevant if you want in-person workshops and German copy written for you; if your project photography already exists and you target international clients, the fixed price is usually the better value.
What does an architect's website cost in Zurich in 2026?
The ranges below are prudent orders of magnitude, drawn from the public rate cards of Swiss agencies, the minimum project sizes on Clutch.co profiles and freelance platform rates (Malt, Upwork). Published hourly rates of Swiss digital agencies commonly sit between 120 and 200 CHF, which is why a custom portfolio site climbs quickly. Amounts vary widely by scope.
| Option | Build price (2026 ballpark) | Typical delay | Most often included | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zurich design agency | 20 000 to 40 000+ CHF | 10 to 20 weeks | Editorial concept, custom design, animations, German copy | Maintenance contract |
| Local generalist agency | 15 000 to 25 000 CHF | 8 to 14 weeks | Custom design, CMS, copy often supplied by you | Hourly billing at 120 to 200 CHF |
| Zurich freelancer | 4 000 to 10 000 CHF | 6 to 12 weeks | Theme-based build, simple portfolio | Variable |
| Kolonell Starter | 2 700 CHF | 3 to 4 weeks | 5 pages, compact project gallery | 3 months |
| Kolonell Growth | 4 500 CHF | 3 to 4 weeks | Project pages, filters, practice page, contact | 3 months |
| Kolonell Premium | 8 200 CHF | 4 to 6 weeks, written schedule | Extended portfolio, advanced design, bilingual EN/FR | 6 months |
Every tier is described on our international website offer.
What does each tier cover for an architecture firm?
| Need | Starter 2 700 CHF | Growth 4 500 CHF | Premium 8 200 CHF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pages | Around 5 pages | Around 10 to 12 pages | Around 15 to 20 pages |
| Projects | Gallery of 6 to 8 projects | One page per project with plans, credits and key data | Rich project pages, filters by typology and status |
| Practice and team | One page | Practice, partners and team pages | Same with approach, real awards and press |
| Competitions and publications | No | Simple list | Dedicated section |
| Careers | No | One page | Page plus application form |
| Languages | English or French | English or French | Bilingual English and French, German supplied by you |
| Support | 3 months | 3 months | 6 months |
A client area for sharing drawings and documents, or a construction follow-up extranet, is a custom application: quoted on request.
What a Zurich architect's website needs
The site of a practice in Kreis 5 or Seefeld serves private clients, developers, competition juries and job applicants at the same time.
- Careful project pages: location, programme, floor area, year, status, credits (engineers, landscape architects, photographer).
- Heavy but fast images: modern formats, progressive loading, without losing quality.
- Image rights: architectural photos often belong to the photographer; check that your licence covers web use and credit it.
- Real awards and publications only, with their source.
- A careers page, since the site is also a recruiting tool.
- Languages: Kolonell writes English and French; German is supplied by you or quoted separately.
A local agency keeps a real advantage if you want to coordinate a shoot of your buildings or hold in-person workshops. Kolonell does not do on-site photography: it works with your existing images or your photographer's.
Compliance, factually: the Swiss revFADP (nLPD) has applied since 1 September 2023, including to contact and application forms. The rules of professional associations you belong to may frame your communication; check them. This article is not legal advice.
Mini case study
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Illustrative example: Lukas Meier, partner in a 6-architect office in Zurich, wants an English and French site for international clients, with German taken from his current copy.
| 3-year scenario | Local agency | Kolonell Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Build | 22 000 CHF (mid-range assumption) | 8 200 CHF |
| Included support | Depends on contract | 6 months |
| Maintenance, 1 800 CHF/year assumption | 5 400 CHF | 4 500 CHF over 30 months |
| Indicative total | 27 400 CHF | 12 700 CHF |
The gap of about 14 700 CHF comfortably funds a professional shoot of his three latest projects. Maintenance is an identical calculation assumption, not a rate.
FAQ
What is the minimum budget for an architect's site in Zurich?
At a local agency, rarely under 15 000 CHF for a custom portfolio. At Kolonell, a compact site starts at 2 700 CHF and a full portfolio is 4 500 CHF.
Does Kolonell write German copy?
No, Kolonell writes natively in English and French. German is supplied by the firm or quoted separately; the Premium tier at 8 200 CHF carries it as an additional language.
Can you use our existing photos and drawings?
Yes, provided you hold the web publication rights. Images are optimised to stay fast even with 20 or more projects.
How does the project run?
A project manager in your time zone schedules Google Meet calls and sends a written update every week. The team is based in Senegal (GMT), 1 to 2 hours behind Zurich.
How do we pay?
By bank transfer or Wise, 50 % to start and 50 % at delivery, so two payments of 4 100 CHF for Premium. Request a free quote with your project list.
Let's scope your project. A 10 to 20 page portfolio site for your Zurich architecture firm, between 4 500 and 8 200 CHF at a fixed price, live in 3 to 6 weeks. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
