JDA Architects

What JDA Architects does

JDA Architects (legally Jennings Design Associates Ltd) is a UK-based architecture and placemaking practice founded in 2000 by Bill Jennings. The firm provides full architectural services across RIBA Stages 0–7, with core specialisms in social and affordable housing, extra care and dementia-friendly design, healthcare facilities (notably the Delamere addiction rehabilitation clinic), urban regeneration, and bespoke one-off residential projects. Its technical differentiators include expertise in Modern Methods of Construction (modular, prefabricated, and volumetric delivery via partners such as Willerby Homes), BREEAM sustainability assessment, and a dedicated retrofit sub-brand, JDA Sustain, offering PAS 2035 design coordination for housing decarbonisation.

The business operates on a project-based professional services model, billing clients per project across multi-year engagements. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is determined by scope, complexity, and client requirements. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting registered housing providers, housing associations, local authorities (e.g., Wrexham Council), and private developers (e.g., Vistry Group, Harcourt Developments) primarily across North West England, with expanding delivery into Wales, the West Midlands, and the South West.

The firm is headquartered in Manchester (Denton) with regional offices in Liverpool (opened 2014) and Birmingham (opened 2022), employing 11–50 staff. In 2024 the practice completed a management buyout with directors Rob Henderson, Karen O'Reilly, and Tom Kelly taking ownership from founder Bill Jennings, who moved into a consultancy role. JDA holds ISO certification (since 2004), Investors in People Silver accreditation, and RIBA chartered practice status, and has won multiple Northern Housing, CIH, LABC, and Northern Design Awards between 2019 and 2024.

Name

JDA Architects

Legal name

Jennings Design Associates Ltd

Website

https://jda-architects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

JDA Architects is a UK architecture practice founded in 2000, delivering full RIBA-stage design for social housing, extra care, healthcare, and regeneration projects. It serves housing associations, local authorities, and developers primarily across the North West, with offices in Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Multi-Family Residential Construction (Apartments, Condos, Townhomes) (IMAFABAB), Senior Living & Assisted Living Facility Construction (IMAFACAJ)

Keywords

• Social housing architecture
• Residential design services
• Care facility design
• Retrofit coordination services
• Modern methods construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Full architectural services from RIBA Stages 0-7 covering concept design through to construction delivery, working with registered providers, housing associations, developers, and private clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

JDA Architects provides full-service architectural design across RIBA Stages 0-7 for residential housing, care and extra care facilities, regeneration projects, partnerships, and one-off bespoke dwellings. The practice also operates JDA Sustain, a dedicated retrofit and refurbishment sub-brand offering retrofit assessments, PAS 2035 design coordination, grant application support, and implementation for sustainable building upgrades. Services are delivered primarily to registered housing providers, housing associations, local authorities, and private developers across the UK, with deep specialism in social housing, modern methods of construction (MMC), and sustainable design.

Product overview

JDA Architects (formally Jennings Design Associates Ltd) is a UK-based architecture and placemaking practice offering a unified portfolio of services centered on residential design, care facilities, regeneration, and sustainable retrofit. The core offering comprises full architectural design services spanning multiple sectors, underpinned by JDA Sustain — a dedicated retrofit and refurbishment sub-brand that consolidates assessment, grant application support, design, and delivery into a single service. The practice operates across housing, care, high-rise, regeneration, partnerships, and one-off residential categories, serving registered providers, developers, housing associations, and private clients throughout the North West and nationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JDA Sustain: Retrofit and refurbishment services division of JDA Architects, offering expert retrofitting assessments, design and coordination for sustainable housing.

Products and services

• Architecture and Design Services
• JDA Sustain

Quantifiable outcome

• Award-winning projects including Northern Housing Awards, LABC Building Excellence Awards, Northern Design Awards
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Willerby HomescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for modular housing delivery. Worked together on Naylorsfield Drive (33-unit modular scheme) and Cross Keys (14 modular houses) projects. Willerby Homes provides factory-built volumetric units delivered on low loaders without specialist escorts.
• Homes EnglandcoreOthersGovernment housing agency providing funding support for affordable housing developments. JDA projects including Edge Lane benefited from Homes England Affordable Homes Programme funding.
• Places MatterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent design review service. White House project was assessed and endorsed by Places Matter following two reviews, accepted as exceptional design and endorsed for planning.
• Greater Manchester Combined AuthorityminorOthersRegional governing body. Joe Crolla from GMCA presented at Place North West sustainability events discussing skills shortages and upskilling needs in the construction sector.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pollard Thomas Edwards (PTE): UK architecture and masterplanning practice with a long-standing reputation in social housing, regeneration, and placemaking for housing associations and local authorities. Highly comparable to JDA in sector focus, client base and empathic design ethos across North-of-England and London schemes.
• PRP Architects: Long-established UK housing-focused architecture firm serving registered providers, local authorities and developers on social, affordable and extra-care housing. Directly comparable to JDA in specialisation, award-winning affordable housing schemes and over-55/specialist housing expertise.
• Levitt Bernstein: London- and Manchester-based practice with deep specialisation in social housing, estate regeneration, and affordable housing for housing associations and councils. Overlaps directly with JDA on residential-led regeneration, masterplanning and public-sector client mix.
• Mikhail Riches: Award-winning UK practice known for high-quality social housing, council housing and retrofit-led projects alongside private residential. Comparable to JDA in housing-association client focus, sustainability ethos and recognition via national housing awards.
• Haworth Tompkins: UK architecture practice with strong portfolio in housing, care, regeneration and cultural projects for institutional and public-sector clients. Comparable to JDA on award-winning residential and care sector work plus empathic, user-centred design approach.
• Stride Treglown: Multi-disciplinary UK architecture practice with residential, healthcare and education sectors serving registered providers and developers. Comparable regional scale and North-of-England presence to JDA with overlapping client types in social housing and care.
• Corstorphine & Wright: UK practice with extensive affordable housing, extra-care and healthcare portfolios for housing associations and NHS trusts. Comparable mid-sized practice profile with similar client mix to JDA across North West and Midlands regions.
• Allies and Morrison: Established UK architectural practice with social housing, regeneration and masterplanning commissions for housing associations and public bodies. Comparable to JDA in placemaking, residential-led regeneration, and award recognition for housing schemes.

Broad incumbents

• BDP (Building Design Partnership): Large multi-disciplinary design firm covering architecture, engineering and planning across healthcare, residential, education and public sectors. Competes for the same housing-association and local-authority briefs as JDA but from a much wider portfolio and at greater scale.
• AHR (formerly Aedas UK): Major UK architecture and building consultancy practice with broad sector coverage including residential, healthcare and education. Overlaps with JDA on residential and care-led briefs for public-sector clients but at much greater scale and sector breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/JDAArchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jennings-design-associates
• Instagraminstagram.com/jdaarchitects
• Xx.com/JDAArchitects

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 JDA Architects