Studio Gil

What Studio Gil does

Studio Gil is an architecture and design practice founded in 2009 by Director Pedro Gil, headquartered in a small studio (2-10 employees) at SPACE Ilford in the London Borough of Redbridge. The practice delivers architectural and design services across housing regeneration, community facilities, cultural infrastructure, public realm, education buildings, and interiors, with an explicitly social mission focused on working with global majority and marginalised communities. Its core methodology is participatory co-design, executed through workshops, collaborative drawing, community storytelling, and the proprietary Collective Imagination Drawing Tool, supplemented by circular-economy construction principles, low-carbon and natural materials, hand-drawn and physical/digital modelling, and illustrated public artworks such as the Ilford Multiverse.

The business model is a bespoke professional services firm: revenue is generated through project-based architectural commissions won via open competition, design contests, and direct appointment, with pricing custom-quoted per project and no public pricing disclosed. The go-to-market combines enterprise direct sales to London borough councils and public authorities (London Borough of Southwark, Enfield, Redbridge, GLA, LLDC), specialist co-design partnerships embedded within larger architectural teams (Karakusevic Carson Architects on Ledbury Estate, HTA Design on Joyce & Snell's, Matthew Lloyd Architects on Ilford Housing), and community organisation commissions (Carnaval del Pueblo, Latin Elephant, Ubele Initiative, Applecart Arts, SPACE Studios). Academic visibility through Pedro Gil's Associate Professor role at UCL Bartlett reinforces brand and pipeline.

Customer segments are vertical: Local Government and Public Sector (primary), Community and Cultural Organisations (primary), Housing Associations and developers including Peabody and Lendlease (secondary), and Academic Institutions (secondary). Marketing relies on earned architecture press, awards and judging roles (AJ100 Disruptor 2020, RIBA shortlist 2014, LEAF finalist 2010, AJ Small Projects judge 2021-2022, Pineapples shortlist 2025), exhibitions (UCL East, RIBA Beyond Borders, Venice Biennale via BFA), and LinkedIn/Instagram presence. Internationally, Studio Gil has completed buildings in Colombia and academic projects in Haiti, but operating geographies remain predominantly London-centric.

Name

Studio Gil

Legal name

Studio Gil

Website

https://studiogil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Studio Gil is a London-based architecture and design practice founded in 2009 that delivers housing regeneration, community facilities, public realm, and cultural infrastructure projects for UK local authorities, housing associations, and community organisations using a participatory co-design methodology centred on global majority and marginalised communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Social housing design
• Estate regeneration
• Public realm design
• Community co-design

Headquarters

HQ city

Ilford

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Studio Gil earns fees for architectural design services including masterplanning, building design, public realm design, and interior design. Revenue is generated through project-based commissions from public and community sector clients. Projects range from feasibility studies through to full design, planning, and delivery.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Studio Gil is an architecture and design practice that delivers bespoke architectural design services including masterplanning, new build and reuse housing design, public realm design, community facility design, cultural building design, interior design, and feasibility studies. Projects are awarded as commissions through open competitions, design challenges, and direct appointments from public sector bodies, housing associations, community organisations, and academic clients. All projects are developed through a participatory co-design methodology that integrates the perspectives of marginalised communities.

Product overview

Studio Gil is an architecture and design practice that does not offer a unified software product or platform. Instead, it delivers a portfolio of architectural and design services across distinct project categories including housing regeneration, community facilities, public realm, cultural spaces, educational buildings, and commercial interiors. Their project portfolio includes notable works such as the Wolves Lane Community Centre, Ledbury Estate Regeneration, Waterden Green Space for Teenage Girls, Old Peckham Library Housing, Latin American Cultural Centre, Ilford Multiverse artwork, Wire Frame performance stage, Intergenerational Living proposals, St Michael's Church restoration, Concrete House, Distriandina hub, Playbooth installation, Toy Box structure, Plaza Latina festival spaces, Flex house in Colombia, and various community and public realm projects. Each project is bespoke, developed through collaborative design processes with specific clients, communities, and collaborators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wolves Lane Community Centre A 1-hectare community hub masterplan in Wood Green, North London for the Wolves Lane Consortium, retaining existing glasshouses and adding teaching, meeting, and learning spaces with emphasis on circular economy construction and ecological food growing.
• Ledbury Estate Regeneration Estate renewal project in Peckham for London Borough of Southwark providing 224 council homes and 116 mixed-tenure homes with community hall, commercial spaces, and green public realm, designed as specialist co-design partner within the wider masterplan led by Karakusevic Carson Architects.
• Waterden Green Space for Teenage Girls Pioneering public realm project in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park created through co-design with teenage girls for the London Legacy Development Corporation, providing safe, welcoming spaces for ages 12-18.
• Old Peckham Library Housing Mixed-use social housing scheme for London Borough of Southwark providing six residential units, a Women's outreach centre, and community café, designed in collaboration with Architecture Doing Place.
• Latin American Cultural Centre Strategic vision for a new civic and cultural anchor in London creating a permanent purpose-built space supporting cultural expression, economic resilience, and collective identity for Latin American communities.
• Ilford Housing Socially driven housing proposal adjacent to Ilford Station developed in response to the GLA Small Sites Design Challenge, combining family housing with enhanced public realm and Passivhaus principles, in collaboration with Matthew Lloyd Architects.
• Ilford Multiverse Large-scale illustrated artwork commissioned by SPACE Studios, developed through participatory workshops with local residents to collectively reimagine Ilford across four parallel worlds.
• Wire Frame External performance stage designed for Lendlease at Elephant and Castle, conceived as urban furniture with seating and benching elements that can be transported to different areas.
• Intergenerational Living (Meridian Water) Competition proposal for Meridian Water, Enfield focused on multi-generational living as a method for facilitating community and civic pride.
• St Michael's Church Restoration Restoration of Grade II Listed St Michael's Church in Ipswich for The Ark of the Lord Church congregation, focusing on community, accessibility, and inclusivity, in collaboration with LDN Architects.
• Concrete House Rear infill extension and interior remodelling of a Victorian terraced house in Mile End, East London, shortlisted for RIBA London Awards.
• Distriandina Social and cultural hub for the Latin American community in Elephant & Castle, bringing together restaurant, bar, and internal market supporting small independent businesses.
• Playbooth Public realm installation conceived as an immersive, playful environment with interactive elements inspired by children's games, nursery rhymes, puzzles, and riddles.
• Toy Box Giant toy box structure with three landscape surfaces at different heights supporting interactive games accessed through a perimeter screen.
• Plaza Latina Series of market stalls and performance spaces designed for Carnaval del Pueblo Association's Plaza Latina festival in Nursery Row Park.
• Flex House New-build house in Colombia structured around thickened walls that flex along the plan and courtyard lightwells, finalist for LEAF Young Architect of the Year Award.
• Plashet Grove Community Theatre Feasibility study for conversion of Grade II listed Passmore Edwards Library into community theatre, workspaces, and community café for Applecart Arts.
• Ilford Public Art Strategy Public art strategy for Ilford Town Centre identifying community groups, artists, suitable sites, and potential installations using tactical urbanism.
• Life-Span House Adaptable and flexible floor plans and architectural components designed for multi-generational and multi-use housing to accommodate varying lifespans.

Quantifiable outcome

• 340 social housing units (224 council + 116 mixed-tenure) planned at Ledbury Estate, Peckham
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 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

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Black Females in Architecture (BFA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024BFA served as engagement lead on the Waterden Green Space for Teenage Girls project, working with Studio Gil as spatial translators. BFA also collaborated on the Marshgate Lane Public Art Commission exhibition and BFA's Venice Biennale participation. Ama Ofori-Darko of Studio Gil also works for BFA.
• Untitled PracticecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Untitled Practice served as landscape architect on the Waterden Green Space for Teenage Girls project, part of a female and global majority-led design team.
• Make Space for GirlsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Make Space for Girls was a key collaborator on the Waterden Green Space for Teenage Girls project, advocating for and co-designing with teenage girls and young women from the local area.
• Elevate Youth VoicemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Elevate Youth Voice worked with Studio Gil and LLDC on the Waterden Green Space project, providing youth voice engagement and co-design facilitation.
• UP ProjectsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024UP Projects facilitated workshops for the Marshgate Lane Public Art Commission in collaboration with Studio Gil and The London Borough of Newham.
• Matthew Lloyd ArchitectsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Studio Gil partnered with Matthew Lloyd Architects to develop the Ilford Housing proposal in response to the GLA Small Sites Design Challenge, combining social housing with enhanced public realm and green infrastructure.
• LDN ArchitectsmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Studio Gil is working in collaboration with conservation specialists LDN Architects on the restoration of Grade II Listed St Michael's Church in Ipswich for The Ark of the Lord Church.
• Karakusevic Carson ArchitectsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Studio Gil collaborated as a specialist design partner with Lead Masterplanner Karakusevic Carson Architects on the Ledbury Estate regeneration in Peckham, supporting the design of the new tower and community hall within the wider masterplan.
• Office SianminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Studio Gil collaborated with Office Sian as part of the Ledbury Estate regeneration design team alongside Karakusevic Carson Architects and nimtim.
• nimtimminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Studio Gil collaborated with nimtim as part of the Ledbury Estate regeneration design team alongside Karakusevic Carson Architects and Office Sian.
• HTA DesignmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Studio Gil was commissioned by HTA Design as part of a 2000-unit masterplan for Joyce & Snell's Estate in Edmonton, Enfield, contributing a 19-unit social housing block design within the larger scheme.
• Practice ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Studio Gil continued work on Wolves Lane Community Hub with Practice Architecture as they progressed to detail design stages, drawing from circular economy principles.
• UCL Bartlett School of ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Director Pedro Gil serves as Associate Professor at UCL Bartlett, where he leads Unit UG10 focused on narratives around the Global South and Latin American diaspora communities. The unit provides a pipeline for practice innovation and community-engaged design research.
• Applecart ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Studio Gil completed a feasibility study for Applecart Arts to develop a community theatre, workshop spaces, artist studios, exhibition space and café at Passmore Edwards Library in East Ham.
• Architecture Doing Place (ADoP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Studio Gil and ADoP collaborated on Old Peckham Library Housing, a mixed-use social housing scheme providing residential units, a Women's outreach centre, and a community café. The collaboration also extended to Latin American Cultural Centre strategic vision and other projects.
• DistriandinamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Studio Gil designed the Distriandina social and cultural hub for the Latin American community in Elephant & Castle, creating a restaurant, bar, and internal market supporting small independent businesses.
• Material CulturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Studio Gil and Material Cultures jointly developed the masterplan for the Wolves Lane Community Centre, a 1-hectare site in Wood Green, North London. Material Cultures contributed expertise in ecologically designed buildings using natural materials and circular economy principles.
• OrganicLeacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019OrganicLea is a partner in the Wolves Lane Consortium (with The Ubele Initiative) for the Wolves Lane Community Hub project, part of the Mayor of London's Market Garden City initiative.
• The Ubele InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The Ubele Initiative is a partner in the Wolves Lane Consortium (with OrganicLea) for the Wolves Lane Community Hub project, contributing to community food growing and social inclusion initiatives.
• RIBAmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Studio Gil was commissioned by RIBA to design the temporary pop-up exhibition for the 'Beyond Borders' competition. The exhibition units were built in collaboration with architecture students from University of Brighton and University of Greenwich.
• Carnaval del Pueblo AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Long-standing partnership with Carnaval del Pueblo Association spanning multiple projects including Carnaval HQ, Plaza Latina festival stalls, East St. Live Project, and the Latin American Cultural Centre strategic vision. Pedro Gil is a trustee of Carnaval del Pueblo charity.
• KHBT / OSAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Studio Gil collaborated with KHBT / OSA on the Playbooth public-realm installation in Manchester, working with Manchester University and École Spéciale d'Architecture Paris.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Karakusevic Carson Architects: A London practice specialising in council housing estate regeneration, public sector residential, and masterplanning. Directly comparable as Studio Gil's lead masterplanner partner on the 340-unit Ledbury Estate scheme and a co-bidder across the same borough pipeline.
• Mikhail Riches: An award-winning London practice specialising in sustainable social housing, estate regeneration, and Passivhaus delivery. Strongly comparable in social-housing focus, sustainability credentials, and crossover with London borough clients.
• Haworth Tompkins: An established London practice working across housing, community, cultural, and education buildings. Comparable typology and public-sector client base, with overlapping London Borough project pipeline.
• Proctor and Matthews Architects: A London practice with a strong track record in residential, urban regeneration, and community projects for housing associations and local authorities. Directly comparable in typology, public-sector commissioning model, and East/South London project geography.
• Matthew Lloyd Architects: A London-based social housing and community architecture practice focused on estate regeneration for housing associations and councils. Direct partner on Studio Gil's Ilford Housing GLA Small Sites bid and similar in scale and client mix.
• Material Cultures: A specialist design studio focused on circular construction, natural materials, and low-carbon buildings. Core collaborator with Studio Gil on Wolves Lane Community Hub and overlapping in mission around regenerative construction practice.
• Featherstone Young: A small London practice working across social housing, public realm, and community-led design, with strong participatory methodology. Closely comparable in scale, ethos, and type of socially engaged urban regeneration work.
• Whittaker Parsons: A London architecture practice specialising in social housing, regeneration, and masterplanning for local authorities and housing associations. Comparable footprint, scale, and procurement channel.
• nimtim Architects: A London practice working on housing, education, and public realm projects with a strong community engagement approach. Direct design partner with Studio Gil on the Ledbury Estate regeneration team.

Broad incumbents

• Allies and Morrison: A large, established London practice with a broad portfolio spanning residential, public realm, cultural, and civic projects. Operates at much greater scale than Studio Gil but serves many of the same London borough and GLA clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studio-gil
• Instagraminstagram.com/studiogil
• Xx.com/studiogil

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Studio Gil