What JDDK Architects does

JDDK Architects is a UK architectural practice founded in 1987 in Newcastle upon Tyne, operating as an Employee Ownership Trust since 2022. The firm delivers professional architectural design services across more than 10 sector specialisms, with deepest expertise in healthcare and hospice design (approximately 40 completed projects including award-winning St Oswald's Hospice), residential and supported living (Karbon Homes, Thirteen Group, Believe Housing), heritage conservation (Grade I and II* listed work), visitor centres (RSPB Sherwood Forest, The Sill at Northumberland National Park), and veterinary facilities. The practice employs approximately 25 architects, technologists, and administrative staff organised under four Directors and four Associate Directors, and is differentiated by exceptionally low staff turnover and Director-level hands-on engagement across projects.

The firm's technical platform is BIM Level 2 (Autodesk Revit and NBS Create) deployed since 2008, complemented by Passivhaus-trained personnel, Flixo thermal bridge modelling, and the proprietary '20:20, A Vision for Our Future' sustainability strategy. The firm has earned over 100 architectural awards including the RIBA Building of the Year Award (now the Stirling Prize) and maintains the JDDK Hospice Research Initiative, a national research partnership with Northumbria University and Papyrus Research.

JDDK generates revenue through negotiated, project-based professional design fees spanning feasibility studies through to detailed design and contract administration. Projects are secured via repeat client relationships, framework agreements (e.g., Newcastle City Council), and competitive tender for public sector and major developments. Geographic reach is principally UK-wide with prior commissions in Ireland and mainland Europe. Certifications include RIBA Chartered Practice status and CHAS accreditation; revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

JDDK Architects

Legal name

JDDK Architects

Website

https://jddk.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

JDDK Architects is a Newcastle upon Tyne-based, Employee Ownership Trust architectural practice (founded 1987, ~25 staff) delivering healthcare/hospice, residential, heritage, visitor centre, and retrofit design services across the UK through project-based professional fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Healthcare and hospice architecture
• Heritage conservation architecture
• Sustainable building design
• Residential and supported living architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Ponteland

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: JDDK generates revenue through professional architectural design fees for new build, refurbishment, and retrofit projects across multiple sectors including healthcare, residential, leisure, heritage, and commercial.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

JDDK Architects is a UK architectural practice delivering fee-based design services for new build, refurbishment, and retrofit projects. The firm works across multiple sectors including healthcare (hospices, cancer treatment centres), residential (private and affordable), supported living, visitor centres, heritage conservation, education, veterinary, workspace, and leisure. Services span feasibility studies, concept and detailed design, BIM coordination, sustainability strategy, and contract administration.

Product overview

JDDK Architects is a UK-based architectural practice founded in 1987, operating as an Employee Ownership Trust since 2022. The firm offers a comprehensive range of architectural and design services organised into sector specialisms: Health (hospices, cancer treatment centres), Visitor Centres, Leisure, Heritage, Private Residential, Affordable Residential, Supported Living, Learning, Workspace, Sustainability, Veterinary, and Retrofit & Net Zero. The firm delivers projects through a 'Discover, Design, Deliver' methodology, combining creative design with technical expertise in BIM (Autodesk Revit, NBS Create), Passivhaus standards, and sustainable design. A distinctive offering is the JDDK Hospice Research Initiative, a national research project in partnership with Northumbria University examining hospice design principles. Sustainability services are governed by the '20:20, A Vision for Our Future' strategy. The practice has received over 100 architectural awards including the RIBA Building of the Year Award for St Oswald's Hospice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Health Architecture Services Design and delivery of healthcare facilities including hospices (approximately 40 projects), cancer treatment centres, and palliative care environments for NHS trusts, hospice charities, and specialist cancer treatment operators.
• Visitor Centre Architecture Design of visitor centres for wildlife reserves, national parks, and heritage sites. Notable projects include the £5.3m RSPB Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre and The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre for Northumberland National Park Authority.
• Private Residential Architecture Design of bespoke private homes, from contemporary houses in sensitive historic settings to eco-homes featuring Passivhaus standards, timber frame construction, ground source heat pumps, and photovoltaic systems, for individual private clients.
• Affordable Residential Architecture Design of affordable housing including extra-care schemes, social housing, and mixed-tenure developments for housing associations and local authorities. Recent projects feature passive house standards.
• Supported Living Architecture Design of specialist accommodation for vulnerable adults including extra-care housing, dementia-friendly units, and facilities for people with physical disabilities or learning difficulties, drawing on expertise from University of Stirling dementia design training.
• Heritage and Conservation Architecture Conservation and repair of historic buildings, including work on Grade I and Grade II* listed structures. Services include sympathetic contemporary extensions, building recording, and sensitive retrofit for energy efficiency while preserving heritage significance.
• Veterinary Facility Architecture Design of veterinary referral hospitals and specialist animal care facilities spanning over 12 years, including Wear Referrals Veterinary Hospital in Sedgefield and DWR Veterinary Specialists Referral Centre in Cambridge.
• Retrofit and Net Zero Services Energy efficiency upgrades and decarbonisation retrofits for existing buildings, including the Walker Retrofit project for Newcastle City Council which upgraded 274 social-rented properties to EPC band C. Services include Passivhaus design, thermal bridge modelling (Flixo), and retrofit coordination.
• Building Information Modelling (BIM) Services BIM Level 2 service using Autodesk Revit and NBS Create for 3D modelling, design coordination, clash detection, and production of construction information. Services include visualisations, interactive panoramas, and collaborative design reviews via virtual meeting software.
• JDDK Hospice Research Initiative National research project examining how hospice clients perceive the design process and resultant buildings, conducted in association with Papyrus Research and Northumbria University through 'Designing With Care - Hospice Design Since 1980'.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 architectural awards in 35+ years of operation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northumbria UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016JDDK collaborated with Northumbria University on the 'Designing With Care - Hospice Design Since 1980' national research project. Northumbria University conducted independent statistical research into the development of hospice design involving analysis of patients over 30+ years, complementing JDDK's practice-based evidence.
• Papyrus ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016JDDK worked with independent market research consultants Papyrus Research to formulate questions and analyse results for the JDDK Hospice Research Initiative. Papyrus conducted and analysed interviews with 12 hospice clients across the UK.
• RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects)minorOthersJDDK is a RIBA Chartered Practice and members of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Team members serve in various RIBA roles including Vice President positions.
• Silver Bullet MarketingminorOthersDigital agency responsible for JDDK's website design and development.
• Autodesk (Revit)coreTechnology or IntegrationJDDK uses Autodesk Revit as their primary BIM software. They have been at the forefront of BIM technology since 2008 and were selected for RIBA Enterprise's NBS Create Focus Group.
• NBS (RIBA Enterprises)coreTechnology or IntegrationJDDK uses NBS Create for specifications and project documentation. Selected to be part of RIBA Enterprise's NBS Create Focus Group, contributing experience and expertise to product development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Haworth Tompkins: Award-winning UK architectural practice with heritage, theatre, and residential expertise. Comparable mid-sized UK practice with similar reputation-based positioning.
• MJP Architects: UK architectural practice with strong heritage, education, and public-sector credentials. Comparable mid-sized UK practice with similar sectoral breadth.
• Medical Architecture: UK architectural practice dedicated to healthcare design, including hospitals, hospices, and clinical facilities. Directly comparable to JDDK's healthcare specialism and hospice project focus.
• P+HS Architects: UK healthcare-specialist architectural practice delivering acute, mental health, and community healthcare buildings. Closely aligned with JDDK's hospice and supported living work.
• Donald Insall Associates: UK heritage and conservation architectural practice specialising in historic buildings, listed structures, and conservation area work. Comparable to JDDK's heritage/conservation sector.
• Feilden Fowles: Award-winning UK architectural practice with multi-sector work and a strong sustainability narrative. Comparable in scale, award profile, and sectoral breadth to JDDK.
• Purcell: UK architectural practice specialising in heritage, conservation, and architecture for historic environments. Closely comparable on listed-building and conservation credentials.

Broad incumbents

• Allies and Morrison: Established UK architectural practice working across residential, cultural, and public sectors. Comparable on multi-sector portfolio depth and RIBA award profile.
• AHR (formerly Aedas Horne Roberts): Large UK-headquartered architectural practice with significant healthcare, housing, and heritage work. Represents a broader incumbent competing for similar public-sector frameworks.

Regional players

• Ryder Architecture: North East England-based architectural practice with multi-sector expertise including heritage and healthcare. Geographic peer operating from a similar Newcastle/Tyneside base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jddk-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/jddkarchitects
• Xx.com/JDDKarchitects

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 JDDK Architects