Falconer Chester Hall

What Falconer Chester Hall does

Falconer Chester Hall (FCH) is a privately held UK architectural practice founded in 1997 and headquartered in Liverpool, with additional studios in London (opened 2012) and Manchester (established 2016), employing between 50 and 100 staff across all locations. The firm delivers full-service architecture spanning concept, planning, and construction delivery, with particular specialization in tall building design (up to 34+ storeys), heritage and Grade II/II* listed building conversions, and purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA). Notable projects include the £80M Parliament Square mixed-use scheme (500+ apartments), Horizon Heights (1,000+ student beds for Unite Students), The Lexington 34-storey PRS tower, and the Aloft Hotel Liverpool conversion of the Grade II listed Royal Insurance Building.

The practice operates a project-based professional services revenue model, with fees determined by scope, complexity, and project value rather than a published rate card, typically structured as multi-year contracts. Its go-to-market relies on competitive tenders, design competitions, and direct enterprise relationships with property developers, student accommodation operators, hotel brands (Hilton, Aloft, Indigo, DoubleTree), and local authorities, supplemented by brand positioning through industry awards (AJ100, RICS, RIBA, BCIA) and PR coverage in trade media. The customer base is heavily weighted toward repeat-clients including Unite Students, Downing, Elliot Group, X1 Developments, Vinco, Legacie, and McAleer & Rushe, with delivery across the UK and selected international work (Malaysia).

Beyond core architecture, FCH offers two adjacent services: FCH Interiors (interior design for hospitality and residential fit-outs) and FCH Academy (RIBA mentoring and internal professional development). The firm is wholly owned by its founding partners led by Managing Director Adam Hall, with no external investment, parent company, or public listing identified, and has operated continuously for 25+ years while maintaining consistent AJ100/AJ120 ranking.

Name

Falconer Chester Hall

Legal name

Falconer Chester Hall

Website

https://fcharchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Falconer Chester Hall is a UK architectural practice founded in 1997, headquartered in Liverpool with studios in London and Manchester, delivering full-service architecture and interior design for residential, student accommodation, hotel, heritage conversion, and commercial projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Project-based professional fees for architecture and design services spanning from initial concept through planning and construction delivery

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Falconer Chester Hall is an architectural practice delivering full-service architecture and design across residential, commercial, hotel, student accommodation, and heritage conversion projects. The firm is paid via project-based professional fees from concept design through planning and construction delivery, with specialised expertise in tall residential buildings (up to 34+ storeys) and Grade II listed building restorations, supported by an in-house interior design team (FCH Interiors) and a professional development programme (FCH Academy).

Product overview

Falconer Chester Hall (FCH) is an award-winning architectural practice offering comprehensive architectural design services across residential, commercial, hotel, hospitality, and student accommodation sectors. The practice operates a multi-service model combining core architectural services with specialized offerings including FCH Interiors (interior design) and FCH Academy (professional development/mentoring). Key project types include mixed-use developments, tall buildings, heritage conversions, build-to-rent (BTR) and purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA). The practice maintains offices in Liverpool (headquarters), Manchester, and London, and has delivered projects internationally in Malaysia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Parliament Square: £80m mixed-use development with 500+ apartments and 20,000+ sq ft commercial space
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ashall Property DeveloperscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAshall partnered with FCH for the Aloft Hotel Liverpool project - £18m restoration of Grade II listed Royal Insurance Building. FCH designed the scheme to preserve heritage while creating a vibrant design-led hotel.
• Downing DevelopmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDowning is a major client for student accommodation schemes. FCH designed Cambridge student housing (£75m, 586 beds) and Liverpool schemes including Islington Regeneration Company projects (800+ beds).
• Elliot GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor repeat client for multiple residential towers including Infinity (1,002 units across three towers), Wolstenholme Square (£40m), and various Norfolk Street phases.
• Unite StudentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading purpose-built student accommodation provider. FCH designed Horizon Heights - the largest single building completed by FCH and Unite Students with 1,000+ units.
• X1 DevelopmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular client for residential developments across Liverpool and Manchester. X1 The Quarter (£74m, 693 apartments) and Manchester Waters (216 apartments).
• Legacie DevelopmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient for Parliament Square (£80m mixed-use development with 500+ apartments and 20,000+ sq ft commercial space in Liverpool's Baltic Triangle).
• Longmeadow EstatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper for Tower Wharf Birkenhead - commercial development on Wirral Waters Enterprise Zone. Project achieved BREEAM Excellent rating.
• Vinco GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular client for residential schemes including Aigburth Road (£10m, 60 apartments) and Freemasons Row (656 apartments).
• NR Capricornus/Niveda RealtycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLondon-based developer for Renshaw Hall - combination of apart-hotel (52 units) and student accommodation (320 units) in Liverpool.
• Hotel IndigocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFCH designed Hotel Indigo Liverpool, shortlisted for European Hotel of the Year. One of four FCH hotels in Guardian's Top 10 Liverpool hotels.
• Anwyl Construction CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient for Pall Mall PRS development (336 apartments) and Skelhorne Street student accommodation.
• McAleer & Rushe GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthern Ireland-based developer for Arcadian Nottingham - 293-bed purpose-built student accommodation completed in 2024.
• The Northern GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper for One Silk Street Manchester - 9-storey mixed-use scheme with 75 build-to-rent apartments and commercial space, shortlisted for multiple Insider awards.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Allies and Morrison (AHMM): Award-winning London-based architectural practice of similar size and prestige, working across residential, commercial, cultural, and heritage projects. Comparable to FCH in scale, AJ100 standing, and breadth of sectors.
• AEW Architects: Northern UK architecture practice operating across commercial, residential, and education sectors. Direct comparable in geography and scale; FCH's Manchester lead David George was previously at AEW.
• SimpsonHaugh and Partners: London-headquartered architecture practice with strong reputation in tall residential towers, mixed-use, and hotel schemes across the UK. Directly comparable in scale, sector focus (PRS, PBSA, residential towers), and project type to FCH.
• MJP Architects: UK architectural practice with comparable headcount and sector focus on residential, education, and commercial buildings. Comparable in scale and AJ100 profile to FCH.
• Fletcher Priest Architects: Long-established London-based UK practice with a similar-sized team and comparable portfolio in residential, commercial, and mixed-use schemes. Direct competitor for tall-building and urban regeneration mandates.
• Jestico + Whiles: London-headquartered UK practice of similar scale working across residential, hotel, education, and heritage projects. Directly comparable in size, sector mix, and AJ100 standing to FCH.

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: Global architectural giant with deep UK presence and a portfolio spanning commercial, residential, and cultural projects at the largest scale. Broad incumbent competitor for flagship tall-building and hotel briefs that FCH also targets.
• Grimshaw Architects: Major international practice with strong UK presence across transport, commercial, residential, and education sectors. Overlaps with FCH on large mixed-use and tall-building briefs as a broad incumbent.
• Zaha Hadid Architects: Globally recognised architecture practice with strong residential, mixed-use, and cultural portfolio. Operates as a broad incumbent in the same architectural services category as FCH at much greater scale.

Emerging players

• ShedKM: Emerging Manchester-based architecture practice with a growing portfolio in residential, hospitality, and cultural projects. Comparable to FCH's regional Northern focus but at an earlier stage of scale and brand recognition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fcharchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/falconer-chester-hall

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Falconer Chester Hall