Local agency or remote studio for an architecture firm website in Geneva: how to choose (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

For an architecture firm in Geneva, the website is a portfolio before it is a brochure: project pages that stay fast despite very heavy images, competitions and awards given proper weight, and a CMS that lets you add a project without calling the supplier. Geneva agencies commonly quote CHF 12,000 to 40,000 for this kind of site (2026 ballpark from typical local agency quotes), while a remote studio such as Kolonell builds it on a fixed grid of CHF 2,700, 4,500 or 8,200, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks, with a project manager reachable in your time zone and native English and French copy. A local agency is worth it if you want art direction built in workshops and in-person follow-up; if your architectural photography already exists and your identity is settled, a remote studio is very often enough.

Which criteria really matter for a Geneva architecture practice?

Architects judge a website the way they judge a building: proportion, material, light. The risk is choosing a supplier on the look of a mock-up alone. The criteria below weigh more over three years.

Geneva freelancers often charge CHF 4,000 to 10,000, a good option for a small studio using a refined theme, but rarely with a custom project CMS and serious image optimisation. Compare scopes on the international offer, which details each Kolonell tier.

What should an architecture firm's website contain?

Developers, property managers, public clients and private owners look first at projects close to theirs: multi-family housing, renovation of older buildings, private villas, public facilities. The site must filter by typology, status and year, and load quickly even on a phone on the tram.

Three content rules apply. Rights to photographs and renderings often belong to the photographer or the visualiser: check your licences before publishing. Anonymous competitions are published only after results, under the applicable rules (SIA 142 for many Swiss competitions). The profession's ethical rules on communication remain general, but statements must be accurate: cite an award or a client only with verifiable facts and, for a private client, their consent. The Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADP, in force since 1 September 2023) requires a privacy notice and appropriate security for forms. Accessibility obligations for private firms are limited in Switzerland, but targeting WCAG 2.1 AA (alt text, contrast, keyboard navigation) also helps search visibility. This is not legal advice.

When is a Geneva agency clearly the better choice?

To be honest: the local agency is the better choice if your practice is changing identity and needs full brand work (logo, typography, signage, publications), if you want art direction built in workshops with the partners at your office, if you are preparing a printed monograph and a website together, or if your board requires a Swiss-law contract with a team within walking distance of Plainpalais or Eaux-Vives.

A remote studio is enough when your architectural photography is already commissioned from a specialist, when your guidelines exist and what you need is a fast, well-structured portfolio that is easy to update. Ask both providers the same questions:

• Who owns the code, templates and content on final payment?
• Are the domain and hosting in our name, with our own logins?
• What average project page weight do you guarantee on mobile?
• How long does it take a team member to publish a new project?
• What does maintenance cost after launch, and how does a handover work?

Over three years, a typical comparison:

Mini case study

Illustrative example: Sophie Dufour is a partner in an 8-person architecture practice in Geneva specialising in multi-family housing and renovation of older buildings. The local agency she consulted quotes CHF 26,000, bilingual copy included, plus a retainer of CHF 250 per month, or CHF 35,000 over three years. The practice already holds professional photos of 18 projects. Kolonell Premium at CHF 8,200 covers the filterable portfolio, the competitions page, the CMS and copy in English and French, with no external translation. The build gap of CHF 17,800 pays for roughly two photo campaigns of completed projects. Sophie chooses the remote studio and has the domain and template transfer written into the contract. Request a free quote to compare with your own local quote.

FAQ

Will very heavy images slow the site down?

Not if they are converted to AVIF or WebP, served in responsive sizes and loaded on scroll. A realistic target is a project page under 2 MB on mobile, against 10 to 20 MB for raw files.

Can we publish a competition entry?

Yes, after the results are announced and in line with the competition rules. Plan a competitions page with date, ranking and visuals you hold the rights to.

Can a team member add a project alone?

Yes, the CMS is designed for it: a complete project sheet is published in 20 to 30 minutes. One to two hours of training is usually enough.

How fast is the site delivered?

Kolonell delivers in 3 to 4 weeks once photos and project sheets are available. Geneva agencies more often plan 8 to 14 weeks.

What happens after the 3 months of support?

Kolonell maintenance beyond the 3 included months is quoted to your needs. Require a full handover clause from any provider.

Let's scope your project. Tell us how many projects you want to publish, your languages and your launch date, and we will propose a fixed tier between CHF 2,700 and 8,200. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.