Space Zero

What Space Zero does

Space Zero is a Manchester-based specialist interior architectural design practice focused on the design of learning environments. Founded in 2010, the firm has completed over 900 educational projects worldwide and specified more than 12.5 million items of FF&E (Furniture, Fittings & Equipment) across roughly 40,000 specifications per year. Its portfolio spans UK state schools, international campuses, residential SEND and DeafSpace facilities, and dementia care environments, with named clients including City of Edinburgh Council, Ta'allum Group, Wellington College China, and The Deaf Academy Exmouth.

Its core offering is built around four modular service lines — Design Services (educational, interior, FF&E, brand identity, experiential), Consultancy (SEND, workplace strategy, space optimisation, post-occupancy evaluation), Technical Services (legacy surveys, scan to BIM, M&E integration, 3D visualisation and CGI, immersive 3D / metaverse), and Management Services (project, cost, procurement, fit-out, move-management). Underlying technology includes BIM Level 2 modelling, ISO 19650-compliance workflows, scan-to-BIM, 3D printing, 360-degree panorama visualisation, gamified stakeholder walkthroughs, and metaverse-compatible 3D environments. Differentiated specialisms are SEND consultancy (including DeafSpace), biophilic design, and dementia-care interior design — the latter delivered via a UK-first BIM Level 2 Gold-ready virtual care home capability.

Space Zero generates revenue predominantly on a project-by-project, fee-for-service basis via direct enterprise and public-sector engagement, with no disclosed subscription, transactional, or licensing model. Pricing is not public and is scoped per project against construction budget and service mix. Distribution is exclusively direct: the firm partners with leading UK tier-1 contractors (Balfour Beatty, BAM, Galliford Try, Kier, Willmott Dixon, Morgan Sindall, Laing O'Rourke, Wates) and architectural firms (Stride Treglown, NORR, Ryder, jmarchitects, Sheppard Robson, IBI, Lovelock Mitchell, Holmes Miller, Hunters), pursuing tenders for educational, care, and commercial interior projects across the UK, Europe, UAE, Thailand, Malaysia, China, and Portugal. The firm is privately held, founder-/management-led, with no evidence of external investment, and operates from a 4,500 sq ft Manchester headquarters.

Name

Space Zero

Legal name

Space Zero Limited

Website

https://spacezero.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Space Zero is a Manchester-based specialist interior architectural design practice focused on learning environments, employing 40+ designers to deliver FF&E specification, BIM Level 2 modelling, SEND consultancy, and dementia care design across 900+ educational projects in the UK and international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interior Design Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Space Planning & Test Fits (BPABAFAB)

Keywords

• Interior design services
• Educational environments design
• FF&E specification
• SEND consultancy
• BIM design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Design Services: Interior design, experiential design, brand identity, and FF&E design services for educational and commercial environments. Project-based engagements with clients from vision through delivery.
2. Consultancy Services: SEND consultancy, strategic briefing, space optimisation, workplace strategy, bid strategy, and post-occupancy evaluation services.
3. Technical Services: Legacy surveys, scan to BIM, asset tagging, clash detection, M&E integration, visualisation and CGI services.
4. Project Management: Cost management, procurement management, fit-out & installation, lifecycle management, and move-management services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Space Zero is a UK-based specialist interior architectural practice that designs and delivers learning environments. The practice provides design, consultancy, technical, and management services, with particular specialisms in SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), immersive technologies, biophilic design, and legacy services. It supports clients across education, care, and commercial sectors with FF&E specification, BIM Level 2 modelling, and end-to-end project delivery.

Product overview

Space Zero is a specialist interior architectural practice focused on the design of learning environments. The company operates a modular service structure encompassing four core offerings: Design Services (Educational, Interior, FF&E, Brand Identity, Experiential Design), Consultancy Services (Strategic Briefing, SEND Consultancy, Space Optimisation), Technical Services (Scan to BIM, Visualisation & CGI, Immersive 3D Environments), and Management Services (Project Management, Fit-Out & Installation). These are supported by four specialisms: Immersive Technologies (3D rendered models, 360-degree panoramics), SEND (Special Educational Needs & Disability consultancy), Biophilic Design, and Legacy (asset surveys and reuse). The company has delivered over 900 educational projects worldwide and specifies approximately 40,000 pieces of FF&E annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Design Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 900+ education projects completed worldwide in 14 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Stride Treglown ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Architecture firm partner for The Deaf Academy, Exmouth project. Collaborated on the multi award-winning DeafSpace design project for 100 deaf and hearing-impaired learners.
• MIDASsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAcoustics specialist partnered on The Deaf Academy, Exmouth project, contributing to the specialized deafspace design requirements.
• Mac AcousticssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAcoustics consulting partner for the Deaf Academy project, supporting specialized auditory environment design.
• Atelier TencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental design and building services engineering consultancy that partnered with Space Zero on Beatlie ASN Campus, integrating adaptive learning tools and assistive technologies.
• NORRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm for Beatlie ASN Campus project - an award-winning campus for children with additional support needs valued at £14.7M.
• Holmes MillercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partner for Renton Primary School (£15.1M) which integrates the school, Language & Communication Unit, and Early Learning Centre.
• jmarchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partnered on Castlebrae Community Campus (won Inspiring Learning Space of the Year 2022) and Wallyford Learning Campus (£46M).
• Ryder ArchitecturesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm for New College Doncaster project (£20M construction budget).
• Sheppard RobsonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm for St Ambrose College project (£22.4M construction budget).
• IBI GroupsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm for Crewe Engineering & Design UTC project (£10.6M).
• Lovelock MitchellsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm for Holywell Learning Campus (won two prestigious awards).
• HunterssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm for Grassy Meadow Court dementia care home (£20M).
• StepnellcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner for The Lakes Care Centre (£23M). Space Zero created virtual BIM Level 2 dementia care design, winning the contract.
• Balfour BeattycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor UK contractor partner for multiple projects including St Ambrose College (£22.4M).
• BAM ConstructioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor UK contractor partner for New College Doncaster (£20M) and Crewe Engineering UTC (£10.6M).
• Galliford TrycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor UK contractor partner for Holywell Learning Campus (won two awards).
• KiercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor UK construction and infrastructure group partnered as contractor.
• Willmott DixoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor UK contractor partner in construction and interior fit-out.
• Morgan SindallsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK construction and regeneration group partnered as contractor.
• Laing O'RourkesupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational construction company partnered as contractor.
• WatessupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor UK contractor partnered as construction partner.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MJP Architects: UK architectural practice specialising in education, healthcare, and research buildings. They compete directly with Space Zero for education sector interior design briefs and operate a similar specialist, project-led model with comparable fee structures.
• Bond Bryan Architects: UK architects with a substantial education portfolio covering primary, secondary, and higher education projects. They offer interior design and FF&E services alongside architectural commissions, directly overlapping with Space Zero's service offering in the education vertical.
• Walters & Cohen: UK architectural practice focused on education, cultural, and community buildings. Their education specialism and portfolio of award-winning school projects makes them a direct competitor for premium education interior design mandates.
• Haworth Tompkins: London-based architects with significant education and cultural sector work, including award-winning school and university projects. They compete with Space Zero for high-end education interior design commissions in the UK market.
• FCBStudios (Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios): UK architectural practice with a strong education portfolio and recognised specialism in sustainable learning environments. They compete for the same education sector design briefs and offer comparable interior design and FF&E capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• BDP (Building Design Partnership): One of the UK's largest interdisciplinary design practices with a substantial education sector division. They compete for the same education interior design briefs as part of a much broader multi-sector portfolio, with capacity to absorb fee compression that specialist firms cannot.
• AHR (formerly Aedas UK): Large UK-headquartered design practice with a significant education sector presence across primary, secondary, and higher education. They offer interior design as part of full architectural commissions, competing with Space Zero for major UK education briefs.
• AtkinsRéalis (formerly Atkins / SNC-Lavalin): Global design, engineering, and project management firm with substantial UK education sector work. They compete for major education capital projects through full multi-disciplinary teams, often displacing smaller specialist interior design practices on larger commissions.
• Foster + Partners: Global architecture practice with a high-profile education sector portfolio (including university and international school work). While not a direct specialist competitor, they compete for premium education interior design commissions at the very top of the market.

Emerging players

• Design Engine Architects: UK architecture practice with a focused education specialism across schools and higher education. They overlap with Space Zero on education design briefs but operate with a more compact team and narrower geographic reach, positioning them as a niche competitor.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/Space_Zer0
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/space-zer0

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Space Zero