What BDP (Building Design Partnership Ltd) does

BDP (Building Design Partnership Ltd) is a privately held UK multidisciplinary design practice founded in 1959 (per company history; 1961 per firmographics) and headquartered at 16 Brewhouse Yard in Clerkenwell, London. The firm operates as a single integrated practice offering architecture, interior design, building services engineering, structural and civil engineering, lighting design, landscape architecture, urban design, sustainability consulting, and acoustics, serving enterprise and public-sector clients across the workplace, healthcare, higher education, sports and entertainment, cultural and heritage, and urban development sectors.

The firm generates revenue through project-based professional services fees — negotiated per engagement, typically structured as multi-year fixed-fee or time-based contracts — won via competitive tendering, invited design competitions, and long-term client relationships. It employs between 1,001 and 5,000 people across 19 owned studios in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, the UAE, China, Singapore, India, the United States, Canada, and Peru, with named sub-brands BDP Pattern (sports venues, acquired 2021) and BDP Quadrangle (Toronto) extending the practice's reach.

Its marquee project portfolio includes Google's UK headquarters Platform 37 at King's Cross (60,400 sqm, 7,000 employees), the £750 million National Gallery Project Domani alongside Kengo Kuma, FIFA World Cup 2022 stadiums, Everton FC's Hill Dickinson Stadium, BBC Tea Factory, PwC's Glasgow HQ, and major university and NHS hospital programmes. Proprietary frameworks — The Good City thought leadership initiative and the Climate & Social Action Design Framework — anchor its sustainability positioning, though no AI/ML or platform technology capabilities are disclosed in available data.

Name

BDP (Building Design Partnership Ltd)

Legal name

Building Design Partnership Ltd

Website

https://bdp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

BDP (Building Design Partnership Ltd) is a privately held UK-headquartered multidisciplinary design practice founded in 1959, operating 19 studios globally. It delivers integrated architecture, engineering, interior design, and sustainability services to enterprise and public-sector clients across healthcare, higher education, sport, culture, and workplace sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural and Engineering Professional Services: BDP generates revenue through providing comprehensive architectural design, engineering, and multidisciplinary consultancy services across building and urban design projects. Revenue is project-based, derived from design fees, project management, and technical consultancy engagements with government bodies, educational institutions, healthcare organizations, and commercial developers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BDP is a multidisciplinary architecture and design practice that delivers integrated architectural, engineering, interior design, lighting, landscape, urban design, sustainability, acoustics, and structural engineering services for buildings and urban environments. It serves enterprise clients including governments, universities, NHS trusts, and major corporations through project-based engagements won via competitive tendering and design competitions, with specialist sports-venue design delivered through its BDP Pattern sub-brand.

Product overview

BDP (Building Design Partnership Ltd) is a multidisciplinary architecture and design practice offering an integrated suite of professional design services. The firm operates as a single unified practice rather than a modular software platform, providing architecture, interior design, building services engineering, lighting design, landscape architecture, urban design, sustainability consulting, acoustics, civil and structural engineering, and specialized services including media environments and sports venue design (through its BDP Pattern sub-brand). With 19 studios worldwide, BDP delivers projects across sectors including workplace, healthcare, education, housing, culture, sport, transport, and retail. The company also operates The Good City Initiative as a thought leadership program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services
• Interior Design
• Building Services Engineering
• Lighting Design
• Landscape Architecture
• Urban Design
• Sustainability Consulting
• Acoustics
• Civil & Structural Engineering

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects targeting BREEAM 'Excellent' and LEED 'Gold' certifications with aspirations for 'Outstanding' and 'Platinum'
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, strategic, core and minor.

• Kengo Kuma and AssociatesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2026BDP is partnering with Kengo Kuma and Associates and MICA to design the new wing of the National Gallery as part of Project Domani, a £750 million transformation. This represents one of BDP's most significant cultural projects, involving the largest transformation of the National Gallery since its formation 200 years ago.
• Nippon KoeistrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 July 2024BDP partnered with Nippon Koei to support Ukraine's National Recovery Plan through cooperation in transportation, healthcare, and urban regeneration under a new MOU.
• Pattern (acquired by BDP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021BDP acquired architecture practice Pattern in 2021, which has since operated as BDP Pattern. Pattern designed major stadiums including those for FIFA World Cup 2022 and Everton FC, strengthening BDP's capabilities in global sports venue design.
• Heatherwick StudioflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeatherwick Studio serves as concept architect for Google's King's Cross headquarters (Platform 37), with BDP serving as executive architect and lighting designer. This landmark project comprises 60,400 sqm of prime office space and is Google's first wholly owned and designed building outside the United States.
• Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIG serves as concept architect alongside Heatherwick Studio for Google's King's Cross headquarters, with BDP delivering architecture, design management, interior design, and lighting as executive architect.
• MICAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMICA partnered with Kengo Kuma and BDP to win the National Gallery Project Domani competition, forming the winning design team for this major cultural development.
• Sportsnet StudiosminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBDP has converted underutilized office floors into media studios and broadcast hubs for clients in cities like Toronto, demonstrating expertise in office-to-studio conversions.
• Pakistan Cricket BoardstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerBDP Pattern appointed by Pakistan Cricket Board to enhance fan experiences through improvements to cricket stadium infrastructure.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HOK: Global architecture, engineering, and planning firm with strong healthcare, education, sports, and workplace practices. Directly comparable to BDP on sector mix, integrated design approach, and international project delivery.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture and design practice with strong healthcare, education, and cultural sector portfolios and integrated sustainability research. Comparable to BDP on sector mix (education, healthcare, workplace), interdisciplinary model, and international footprint.
• Foster + Partners: UK-headquartered multidisciplinary architecture and design practice with global delivery and a similar mix of cultural, commercial, and infrastructure commissions. Directly comparable to BDP in scale, integrated practice model, and international studio network.
• Populous: Specialist sports and entertainment venue architecture firm with a global portfolio of stadiums and arenas. Direct competitor to BDP Pattern in the sports venue design segment.
• Grimshaw: UK-headquartered multidisciplinary architecture practice with a strong transport, education, and commercial portfolio and similar international studio presence. Comparable to BDP on practice size, integrated design model, and project types.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Global architecture, design, and planning firm with deep workplace, commercial, and interior design practices. Overlaps with BDP on corporate workplace commissions (e.g., PwC, Google-class clients) and operates at substantially larger scale.
• AECOM: Multinational infrastructure consulting firm with integrated architecture, engineering, and project management services. Comparable to BDP on multidisciplinary delivery but operating at much larger scale across broader infrastructure and built environment segments.
• WSP: Global professional services firm combining engineering, design, and strategic advisory across buildings, transportation, and environment. Overlaps with BDP on building services engineering, sustainability consulting, and large-scale institutional commissions.
• Arup: Global multidisciplinary engineering and design firm offering structural, MEP, sustainability, and advisory services integrated with architectural delivery. Comparable to BDP on engineering integration, sustainability focus, and global studio footprint, though significantly larger.

Emerging players

• Heatherwick Studio: London-based design studio known for high-profile cultural and commercial projects (Google King's Cross, Coal Drops Yard). Functions as a concept architect partner to BDP and a partial substitute for flagship cultural and workplace commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/BDPdotCOM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bdp-building-design-partnership-ltd-/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/bdp_com
• Xx.com/bdp_com

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BDP (Building Design Partnership Ltd)