Website redesign for an architecture firm in Zurich: budget, timeline and risks (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

For an architecture firm in Zurich, a redesign by a local agency costs, as a 2026 ballpark, CHF 15,000 to 45,000, against a Kolonell fixed price of CHF 4,500 (Growth) or CHF 8,200 (Premium, the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) for a German and English site. The two critical points are the project portfolio (ranking URLs, very heavy images) and the competition and careers pages, which must not disappear during the switch. With a URL inventory, a 301 map and planned image processing, the redesign fits in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready.

Which signals say it is time to redesign?

A practice based in Kreis 4 or 5, Zürich-West or Seefeld lives on its visual reputation: private clients, developers, competition juries and future hires look at the portfolio first. Typical signals:

• a project page weighs 20 to 40 MB and takes several seconds to load on mobile;
• the portfolio cannot be filtered by type (residential, commercial, competitions) or status;
• the English version is partial while international clients are looking at you;
• job openings are posted as PDFs, invisible to search engines;
• the wording about your professional membership (for example SIA) and photographer credits is out of date.

What does the redesign cost, and what does each option include?

2026 ballparks, based on typical quotes from Zurich agencies and freelancers.

With Kolonell, every package includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, 3 months of support, then maintenance on quote. Architectural photography stays a third-party cost (independent photographer), as do 3D renders ordered from an outside studio. See the international offer.

Which timeline, and which risks to control?

Typical Kolonell timeline: 3 days for the URL inventory and Search Console export; 3 days for site structure and the 301 map; 7 to 10 days of design and copy; 5 to 7 days of build and portfolio migration; 2 to 3 days of review and testing; go-live and two weeks of monitoring.

On compliance: the revFADP (revised Federal Act on Data Protection, in force since 1 September 2023) applies, supervised by the FDPIC; the GDPR may also apply if you target EU residents. The application form should ask only for what is needed, with clear information on how long files are kept. Wording on professional membership and project descriptions should be reviewed by a partner before go-live. This is not legal advice.

When is a Zurich agency the better choice?

If you want to co-create the firm's full visual identity in on-site workshops, have a project extranet built for your clients, or integrate closely with your project management tool, a local agency is the better fit. Questions to ask: who prepares the portfolio 301 map? How are images compressed? Are competition pages kept? Who proofreads the German version?

Mini case study

Illustrative example: Studio Hardgarten Architekten, a fictional 14-person firm in Zürich-West, 60 projects online, site in German with a few English pages.

• Kolonell Premium, German and English: CHF 8,200.
• New shoots for 3 recent projects by an independent architectural photographer (third-party cost, assumption): 3 x 1,800 = CHF 5,400.
• Total budget: 8,200 + 5,400 = CHF 13,600, below the low end of a local agency quote for the redesign alone.
• Page weight: 60 projects x 25 images x 1.5 MB = 2,250 MB of images; brought down to 250 KB each, that falls to 375 MB, six times less.

FAQ

How much does an architecture firm website redesign cost in Zurich?

As a 2026 ballpark, CHF 15,000 to 45,000 with a local agency. Kolonell offers CHF 4,500 (Growth) and CHF 8,200 (Premium, the multilingual tier).

Should we keep the project URLs?

Yes, as far as possible; otherwise each project gets a 301 redirect. For 60 projects, allow about one day of mapping.

Is photography included?

No, it is a third-party cost paid to an independent photographer. In Zurich it often runs CHF 1,500 to 3,000 per project, depending on scope.

Does the site need German and English?

For international clients, yes. That is the Premium tier at CHF 8,200, languages set in the quote.

How long does the redesign take?

3 to 4 weeks with Kolonell once content is ready. Add 2 weeks of redirect monitoring in Search Console.

Let's scope your project. A German and English redesign with a migrated portfolio and a 301 map, from CHF 4,500 to 8,200, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.