OMI Architects
OMI Architects is a Manchester-based, design-led architecture practice founded in 1993, serving UK housing developers, commercial property owners, heritage clients, and community organizations across residential, commercial, heritage, education, and cultural sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What OMI Architects does
OMI Architects is a design-led architecture practice founded in 1993 and headquartered in a RIBA Award-winning conversion of a Victorian swimming bath at 31 Blackfriars Road, Salford, Manchester. The firm operates across the United Kingdom with a portfolio spanning residential developments (including private rented sector, affordable housing, and extra care), commercial office refurbishments, heritage conservation of Grade I and Grade II* listed buildings, education facilities, museums and cultural venues, and community sector projects. Notable commissions include the Havelock £28M sustainable retrofit for Credit Suisse (the first full building retrofit in North of England to achieve BREEAM Outstanding), the ALTO £30M residential development for Renaker Build, and the Trinity office refurbishment for Helical.
The practice's underlying technology stack comprises industry-standard architectural design software (Vectorworks), BIM methodologies, and BREEAM sustainability assessment frameworks, with no proprietary technology platform. Its work emphasizes sustainable retrofit over demolition and new build, evidenced by whole-life carbon assessment capabilities demonstrated on the Havelock project which retained 2,000 CO2e of embodied carbon and reduced energy use intensity from 174 to 72 kWh/m²/yr. The firm is RIBA Chartered, certified B Corporation with a first-time score of 90.7, and Planet Mark certified, reflecting formalized environmental and social performance standards.
Revenue is generated through professional services fees structured as a percentage of construction cost or fixed-fee arrangements negotiated on a per-project basis. Go-to-market is sales-led via design competitions, invited tenders, direct client appointments, and repeat enterprise relationships, supplemented by industry event participation (UKREiiF) and an award-driven earned-media presence. Customer segments are diversified across housing associations, commercial developers, educational institutions, charities, and religious organizations, though the project-based commission model creates episodic dependency on large individual mandates.
OMI Architects firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OMI Architects
- Legal name
- OMI Architects
- Website
- https://omiarchitects.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- OMI Architects is a Manchester-based, design-led architecture practice founded in 1993, serving UK housing developers, commercial property owners, heritage clients, and community organizations across residential, commercial, heritage, education, and cultural sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OMI Architects industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)
Keywords
Where OMI Architects is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
OMI Architects business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architectural Services: OMI Architects generates revenue through providing architectural design services on project basis. Fees are typically structured as a percentage of construction cost or fixed fee arrangements for specific project phases. Projects range from residential developments (£30M+ value projects like ALTO and Spectrum) to commercial refurbishments (£6M Trinity, £28M Havelock) to heritage work and community buildings.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
OMI Architects product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OMI Architects provides comprehensive architectural design services across residential, commercial, heritage, education, healthcare, and public building sectors. The practice specialises in complex heritage schemes involving Grade I and Grade II listed buildings, sustainable retrofits achieving BREEAM Outstanding ratings, residential developments including PRS apartments and affordable housing, and commercial office refurbishments. Services span the full project lifecycle from concept through completion, delivered on a project-by-project basis through design competitions, direct appointments, and invited tenders.
Product overview
OMI Architects is a design-led architectural practice based in Manchester, UK. The firm operates as a single integrated service practice rather than a platform-based software product. Their core offering is architectural design services spanning multiple sectors: residential (including PRS apartments, affordable housing, and supported living), commercial offices, heritage conservation, education facilities, museums and cultural venues, and community buildings. The practice has particular expertise in heritage work involving Grade I and II listed structures, sustainable retrofit projects, and achieving high BREEAM sustainability ratings. The firm does not offer a software product but provides professional architectural services across the North West of England and beyond.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architectural Design Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced Energy Use Intensity from 174 to 72 kWh/m²/yr through retrofit
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use OMI Architects
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
OMI Architects technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
OMI Architects partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights5 records
OMI Architects competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SimpsonHaugh: Manchester-based architecture practice delivering design-led residential, commercial, and tall-building projects across the UK. Closest direct peer to OMI by city, scale, project type, and North West focus.
- Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCB Studios): UK architecture practice with leadership in sustainable design and BREEAM-certified projects. Comparable to OMI in design-led ethos, sustainability credentials, and mixed residential/commercial/heritage portfolio.
- Haworth Tompkins: Design-led UK architecture practice with strong reputation in theatre, heritage, residential and education sectors. Closely comparable to OMI on project types, RIBA award pedigree, and craft-led approach.
- Purcell: UK heritage and conservation architecture specialist with deep experience on Grade I/II* listed buildings. Directly comparable to OMI on the heritage, conservation, and adaptive reuse side of the practice.
- Allies and Morrison: Established UK architecture practice with comparable breadth across residential, commercial, heritage, and education projects. Comparable project mix and award profile though larger in scale and London-anchored.
- Levitt Bernstein: UK architecture practice with strong housing, regeneration, and affordable housing focus. Comparable to OMI on residential-led work with housing association clients and design quality emphasis.
- Feilden Fowles: RIBA Stirling Prize-shortlisted UK architecture practice with a comparable size and design-led, awards-driven positioning. Comparable in scale, ambition, and craft focus.
- Page\Park Architects: Scottish architecture practice with comparable heritage, conservation, and education portfolio plus RIBA award pedigree. Comparable in scale and specialism mix, though regionally focused.
- Buttress Architects: Manchester-based architecture practice with comparable heritage, residential, and commercial portfolio in the North West. Most directly comparable peer by city, size, and project types.
Broad incumbents
- Make Architects: Larger UK architecture practice with significant residential, commercial, and tall-building portfolio. Operates in overlapping segments but at greater scale, providing a useful comp for how OMI could grow.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
OMI Architects social profiles
Digital presenceOMI Architects compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
OMI Architects financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OMI Architects leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
OMI Architects funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OMI Architects M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about OMI Architects
What does OMI Architects do?
OMI Architects provides comprehensive architectural design services across residential, commercial, heritage, education, healthcare, and public building sectors. The practice specialises in complex heritage schemes involving Grade I and Grade II listed buildings, sustainable retrofits achieving BREEAM Outstanding ratings, residential developments including PRS apartments and affordable housing, and commercial office refurbishments. Services span the full project lifecycle from concept through completion, delivered on a project-by-project basis through design competitions, direct appointments, and invited tenders.
Is OMI Architects a public or private company?
OMI Architects is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was OMI Architects founded?
OMI Architects was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is OMI Architects based?
OMI Architects is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does OMI Architects make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Services.
Who are OMI Architects's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SimpsonHaugh, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCB Studios), Haworth Tompkins, Purcell, Allies and Morrison, Levitt Bernstein, Feilden Fowles, Page\Park Architects and Buttress Architects. Make Architects is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does OMI Architects have an API?
No public API is recorded for OMI Architects.
What industry is OMI Architects in?
OMI Architects's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAH, Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning. Its NAICS code is 54131.