The verdict in three sentences
A portfolio website for an architecture practice in Copenhagen, with 40 projects and filters by building type, costs between 7,000 and 13,000 EUR excluding VAT (about 52,000 to 97,000 DKK) and ships in 7 weeks. The AVIF format keeps full-screen, high-definition photos while cutting their weight by more than three times compared with JPEG. For a practice that lives on public buildings, the site matters: around 30 % of won competitions involve a jury that checks the website before deciding.
The budget, line by line
An architecture practice sells a design language and the ability to deliver. The site has to show both: strong images, and project pages that reassure a public client (floor area, construction cost, completion date, certifications). Here is a typical budget split for 40 projects:
| Item | 2026 range (EUR excl. VAT) | Share of budget |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping, sitemap, selection of the 40 projects | 700 to 1,300 | 10 % |
| Art direction and mockups | 1,400 to 2,600 | 20 % |
| Project template and filters (public buildings, housing, retrofit) | 1,750 to 3,250 | 25 % |
| AVIF image pipeline and responsive sizes | 700 to 1,300 | 10 % |
| Loading the 40 projects (texts, photo credits, fact sheets) | 1,050 to 1,950 | 15 % |
| CMS, technical SEO, contact form | 910 to 1,690 | 13 % |
| QA, performance audit, go-live | 490 to 910 | 7 % |
| Total | 7,000 to 13,000 | 100 % |
The low end assumes texts supplied by the practice and a single project template. The high end adds a studio page with team and references, transition animations between projects, a map view of completed buildings and a Danish plus English version. These are 2026 orders of magnitude for an independent practice in Northern Europe.
An immersive portfolio that stays light: choosing the image format
The classic dilemma of an architect's website: large images that slow everything down. On a mobile network, a jury member opening a 12-photo project in JPEG downloads almost 10 MB. In AVIF, the same page drops below 3 MB with no visible loss on a Retina screen.
| Scenario | JPEG quality 85 | WebP | AVIF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-screen photo, 2,400 px | 820 KB | 520 KB | 245 KB |
| Saving versus JPEG | baseline | -37 % | -70 % |
| Project page with 12 photos | 9.8 MB | 6.2 MB | 2.9 MB |
| Home grid with 24 thumbnails | 2.9 MB | 1.8 MB | 0.9 MB |
| Load time on average 4G (project page) | 6.5 s | 4.1 s | 1.9 s |
| Browser support in 2026 | 100 % | about 97 % | about 94 % |
Best practice is to serve AVIF first, WebP as a fallback and JPEG for the few remaining browsers, with lazy loading for photos below the fold. The pipeline is automated: the practice uploads high-definition photos to the CMS and the site generates the formats and sizes itself. No manual work is required from the team.
7-week schedule
| Week | Step | What the practice provides |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scoping, sitemap, project selection | List of the 40 projects, priorities |
| 2 | Art direction | Visual references, existing brand guidelines |
| 3 | Mockups for home, project, studio pages | Partners' sign-off |
| 4 to 5 | Development, filters, image pipeline | High-definition photos, credits |
| 6 | Content loading | Texts and fact sheets |
| 7 | QA, performance, go-live | Final sign-off |
The most frequent delay comes from content: gathering 40 complete project sheets takes 25 to 35 hours on the practice side on average. Planning it from week 1 avoids pushing back the launch.
Mini case study
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Mette, partner in a 14-person practice in Copenhagen focused on public buildings, enters 25 competitions a year with a 12 % success rate, so 3 projects won. If around 30 % of won competitions involve a website check, close to one project a year depends directly on the quality of the portfolio. With average fees of 180,000 EUR per won competition, a single extra win secured by a more convincing site is worth 18 times the cost of a 10,000 EUR website. Conservative estimate: even one extra win every three years pays for the project.
FAQ
How much does an architecture practice website cost in Copenhagen in 2026?
Allow 7,000 to 13,000 EUR excluding VAT for a 40-project portfolio with filters, delivered in 7 weeks. A simpler site with 15 projects and no animations starts around 4,500 EUR.
Does AVIF reduce the quality of architecture photos?
No, at equal weight it preserves sky gradients and concrete textures better than JPEG. It cuts weight by about 70 % and is supported by about 94 % of browsers in 2026, with a WebP fallback for the rest.
Should project pages show construction cost?
For public clients, yes: floor area, construction cost and completion year are the three data points they check first. They take less than 5 minutes per project to fill in.
Who updates the portfolio after delivery?
The practice, through the CMS: adding a project takes about 20 minutes, photos included. Technical maintenance then costs 60 to 150 EUR per month depending on the support level.
Does the website really help win competitions?
It does not replace the submission, but around 30 % of won competitions involve a jury that visits the site. A slow or dated portfolio can cost a point against a rival team with an equivalent entry.
Let's scope your project. Tell us how many projects you want to show, your building types and your deadline: we will price the scope, give an indicative budget between 7,000 and 13,000 EUR and a 7-week schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
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.
