Sjölander da Cruz Architects

What Sjölander da Cruz Architects does

Sjölander da Cruz Architects is a Birmingham-based, founder-owned architectural practice founded in 2001 by Maria Sjölander and Marco da Cruz, operating with 1–10 employees from Studio 211 at the Custard Factory in the city's Jewellery Quarter. The practice delivers full architectural services across residential, commercial, mixed-use, and community building typologies, with a distinct specialization in heritage building retrofit, Passivhaus Enerphit-standard sustainable design, and adaptive reuse of industrial structures. Its core technology is design-led rather than digital, combining sustainable construction methodologies (notably Passivhaus Enerphit retrofit of existing shells), exposed-material palettes, embodied-carbon reuse, and collaborative community-engagement processes, demonstrated by the firm's own River Studio project which saved £78k through reusing existing steel and slab.

The practice's commercial model is project-based professional services, with architectural fees billed as a percentage of construction cost or fixed fees for defined scope, and project values ranging from £50,000 to £15 million. Customers span private developers (e.g., LIV Projekt on Squirrel Works), public/community bodies (MADE and the Government Office for the West Midlands on the Shelters programme), and end-user residential clients purchasing loft apartments and townhouses in converted heritage buildings. Go-to-market is sales-led via direct engagement, competitive tender, referrals, and industry award credibility (RIBA West Midlands, AJ Retrofit, RICS, Civic Trust, and Brick Awards across 2014–2023).

Geographically the firm is concentrated in Birmingham and the West Midlands, with occasional projects extending into surrounding counties such as Warwickshire. The business is independently owned with no external investors, no disclosed subsidiaries, and no parent company, operating as a private limited company under UK jurisdiction.

Name

Sjölander da Cruz Architects

Legal name

Sjölander da Cruz Architects

Website

https://sjolanderdacruz.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sjölander da Cruz Architects is a Birmingham-based architectural practice founded in 2001, specializing in heritage retrofit, Passivhaus sustainable design, and mixed-use developments across the West Midlands for private developers, public bodies, and community clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Sustainable architecture
• Heritage building retrofit
• Passivhaus Enerphit design
• Mixed-use developments

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Full-service architectural fees for project design, planning, and construction administration. Revenue is generated through standard architectural service contracts typically billed as a percentage of construction cost or fixed fees for defined scope. Projects range from £50,000 to £15 million.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sjölander da Cruz Architects is a private architectural practice providing full-service design, planning, and construction administration for residential, commercial, mixed-use, and community building projects, primarily in Birmingham and the West Midlands. The firm specialises in sustainable design, heritage building conversion, and Passivhaus Enerphit retrofit, with completed project values ranging from £50,000 to £15 million. Architectural fees are structured as a percentage of construction cost or fixed project fees.

Product overview

Sjölander da Cruz Architects is an architecture practice that offers architectural design services across residential, commercial, mixed-use, and community building projects. Their portfolio includes specific named projects such as Squirrel Works (residential conversion), River Studio (commercial Passivhaus studio), Alben Works (mixed-use development), The Badge Works (live-work development), No. 1 Legge Lane (commercial unit), and Shelters (community installations). The practice focuses on regeneration, urban design, sustainability, and retrofit projects, particularly in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Squirrel Works A Grade 2 listed, three-storey Arts and Crafts factory in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, converted into a mixed-use development of loft apartments, a townhouse, and an office unit in collaboration with developer LIV Projekt. Delivered as an architectural conversion and conservation project.
• River Studio A Passivhaus Enerphit studio developed from an eyesore asbestos-clad shell, originally a packing shed for a market garden located in greenbelt outside Leamington Spa. Completed December 2013 and designed to Passivhaus Enerphit standards.
• Alben Works A mixed-use development in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter consisting of nine contemporary houses (3 and 4 storey) arranged around a courtyard, with four Live/Work Lofts and ground floor commercial space.
• No. 1 Legge Lane A commercial unit with expansive floor-to-ceiling height featuring a first-floor mezzanine connected by a new raw steel staircase, located at Alben Works in the Jewellery Quarter. Designed to reinforce the historic building line and create an active street scene.
• The Badge Works A 1930s Art Deco factory remodelled into a mixed-use development of live-work townhouses, commercial units, and loft-style apartments in the heart of Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. Restored by stripping back and subtracting elements to regain the simple architectural quality of the existing space.
• Shelters Youth shelters created through a design-led process offering an alternative to mass-produced catalogue products. Each shelter is unique, reflecting a different design response to people and place, developed through collaboration between young people, an artist, and the architect. Includes the Wolverhampton skate park shelter (designed with artist Gwen Heeney, form derived from skater movement analysis) and the Amington Shelter (form derived from a folded maple leaf).

Quantifiable outcome

• Award-winning projects across multiple years (2014, 2015, 2019, 2023)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• LIV ProjektcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLIV Projekt is the development partner on Squirrel Works, a Grade 2 listed Arts and Crafts factory conversion in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. The collaboration resulted in a mixed-use development of loft apartments, a townhouse, and an office unit.
• Gwen HeeneycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist Gwen Heeney collaborated with the practice on the Shelters youth spaces project in Wolverhampton. The collaboration involved workshops with young people to develop unique shelter designs that blur the distinction between art and architecture.
• Midlands Architecture & Design EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMADE (Midlands Architecture & Design Environment) commissioned the youth shelter projects, providing the framework for the design-led approach to creating unique community spaces rather than mass-produced catalogue products.
• Government Office for the West MidlandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment body that co-commissioned the youth shelter projects with MADE, supporting the creation of unique community buildings through design-led process.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Cullinan Studio: UK practice with deep specialism in sustainable architecture and Passivhaus delivery across cultural, residential, and public-sector projects. Comparable sustainability credentials, public-sector client base, and retrofit expertise.
• Haworth Tompkins: UK architectural practice renowned for heritage retrofit, theatre, and cultural-sector projects with strong sustainability credentials. Directly comparable niche specialism in retrofit of existing buildings, sustainability leadership, and award-winning design delivery.
• Associated Architects: Birmingham-headquartered mid-sized architectural practice working across heritage, residential, and mixed-use projects in the West Midlands. Directly comparable as a regional peer with similar client base (developers, public sector) and project typologies (conversion, regeneration).
• Feilden Fowles: Similar-sized UK practice focused on cultural, educational, and heritage-sensitive contemporary design. Comparable as a small-to-mid architecture firm with strong awards profile and design-led approach to community-facing buildings.
• Mikhail Riches: Award-winning UK practice focused on high-quality sustainable residential and Passivhaus design. Directly comparable in sustainability specialism, residential/mixed-use focus, and award-led positioning, though London-based and slightly larger.
• Proctor & Matthews: West Midlands-based architectural practice with a strong portfolio in conservation, heritage, and residential-led regeneration. Directly comparable on heritage conservation expertise, regional base, and mixed-use/residential project typologies.
• DRMM Architects: UK practice known for award-winning heritage, cultural, and adaptive-reuse projects, including large-scale industrial and historic building redevelopments. Directly comparable in retrofit, adaptive reuse, and awards-led positioning.

Broad incumbents

• SimpsonHaugh: Major UK architectural practice with significant residential, mixed-use, and tall-building experience. Comparable as a broader incumbent delivering commercial and residential architecture with some overlap in regeneration and developer-led projects.
• Glenn Howells Architects: Established Birmingham architecture practice with a strong portfolio across residential, commercial, and mixed-use regeneration, including significant Jewellery Quarter and city-centre work. Comparable as a West Midlands incumbent operating in overlapping typologies and customer segments.

Emerging players

• Mae Architects: London-based practice with strong specialism in Passivhaus and sustainable residential design. Comparable sustainability-first positioning and small-scale delivery model, though operating at larger scale and focused on new-build residential.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sjolanderdacruz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sjolander-da-cruz-architects-limited

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 Sjölander da Cruz Architects