What Arch Henderson does

Arch Henderson is a multi-disciplinary consulting engineering and architectural practice founded in 1919 in Aberdeen, Scotland, providing integrated services across maritime, civil, structural, architectural, mechanical, geotechnical, diving inspection, nuclear and renewables engineering. The firm operates from six UK offices (Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, Lerwick, Southampton and Thurso) with around 70 staff plus additional personnel in Orkney and Inverness, and has historically delivered projects in the UK, Ireland, Finland, Algeria, Qatar, Egypt, the Falkland Islands and Antarctica. Its core offering is delivered as integrated professional services rather than discrete products, with a shared document management system enabling cross-office collaboration on long-duration public sector mandates.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional service fees from competitive tenders and framework agreements with public sector clients — primarily port and harbour authorities, local authorities, NHS trusts and the UK Ministry of Defence — alongside private sector clients in oil and gas, offshore wind (notably Seagreen Wind Energy), defence (BAE Systems) and shipbuilding. Notable mandates include lead design consultancy on the £400m Aberdeen South Harbour expansion, the £11.75m Dales Voe South Quay Extension (the strongest quay in the UK at 60 tonnes per square metre), the £8.5m Peterhead Fish Market, the Glen Mallan Northern Ammunitioning Jetty for the Royal Navy, and a £1.3m appointment to lead Phase 2 of the Orkney Islands Ferry Replacement Programme. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and contracts are awarded via competitive tender or framework call-off.

In March 2025 the firm was acquired by Royal HaskoningDHV, an international consulting engineering group founded in 1881 with 6,500+ staff across more than 25 countries. Arch Henderson retains its brand short-term and now operates within the parent's Water & Maritime Business Unit, combining its established Scottish port authority relationships with access to the acquirer's 800+ UK colleagues and international pipeline for naval, decommissioning and offshore wind work.

Name

Arch Henderson

Legal name

Arch Henderson LLP

Website

https://arch-henderson.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Arch Henderson is a 100-year-old Aberdeen-based multi-disciplinary consulting engineering and architectural practice serving UK port authorities, local government, NHS trusts, defence and energy clients with integrated maritime, civil, structural and nuclear design services across six UK offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime and Civil Engineering Consulting Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Engineering Services (54133), Architectural Services (541310)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB), Project Management & Owner’s Engineering / Technical Consultancy (Spec Writing, Bid Support, Site Support) (IMAJAGAO)

Keywords

• Maritime engineering consultancy
• Civil engineering services
• Structural engineering design
• Port and harbour consulting
• Architectural design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Aberdeen

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Engineering Consultancy Services: Arch Henderson generates revenue through fees for professional engineering and architectural consulting services. These include feasibility studies, design, project management, contract administration, site supervision, structural surveys, and principal designer (CDM) services across maritime, civil, structural, nuclear, and architectural projects. Revenue is project-based and sourced from public sector clients (ports, harbours, local authorities, NHS) and private sector clients (oil companies, ship builders, developers).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Arch Henderson is a multi-disciplinary consulting engineering and architectural firm delivering feasibility studies, design, project management, contract administration, CDM principal designer duties, structural surveys, geotechnical investigations, and diving inspections across maritime, civil, structural, mechanical, nuclear, and architectural engineering. Its core competence is maritime civil engineering (harbours, deep-water quays, piers, breakwaters, decommissioning facilities), supported by architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, geotechnical, and nuclear services delivered as an integrated practice from project conception through construction supervision.

Product overview

Arch Henderson is a multi-disciplinary consulting engineering and architectural practice offering a unified portfolio of integrated services. The core offerings comprise Maritime Engineering (harbours, piers, quays, decommissioning facilities), Civil Engineering (infrastructure, reclamation, bridges), Structural Engineering (new structures and refurbishment), Architecture (healthcare, commercial, residential, marine environments), Project Management, Geotechnical Services, Diving Inspections, Mechanical Engineering (moving structures), Nuclear Industry Services, and Renewables and Sustainability Consulting. These disciplines work together on projects ranging from major port expansions (Aberdeen South Harbour at £400M) to decommissioning bases (Dales Voe South Quay Extension) and inter-island ferry infrastructure. The firm operates as a single integrated consultancy rather than separate modular products, with staff across multiple offices collaborating through networked document management systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maritime Engineering Multi-disciplinary maritime civil engineering service covering design of harbours, piers, deep-water quays, slipways, container berths, dry-docks, Ro-Ro berths, shipbuilding yards, offshore service bases, breakwaters, and decommissioning facilities. Includes feasibility studies, dredging schemes, land reclamation, coastal protection projects, surveys, and diving inspections for ports and harbour authorities, energy companies, and defence clients.
• Civil Engineering

Quantifiable outcome

• Dales Voe South Quay Extension shortlisted for Saltire Engineering Awards 2017
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Royal HaskoningDHVflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Royal HaskoningDHV, an international consulting engineering company dating from 1881, acquired Arch Henderson in March 2025 to strengthen its maritime position in Scotland and globally. The acquisition combines Arch Henderson's 100+ years of maritime expertise and established client relationships in Scottish ports with Royal HaskoningDHV's 800+ UK workforce and global network across 25+ countries. Arch Henderson retains its brand name in the short-term as part of Royal HaskoningDHV and continues serving ports and harbours from its Scottish offices. The acquisition enables joint expansion of specialist civil, structural, and architectural services to naval bases in the UK and allied nations, combining Arch Henderson's experience on the Clyde estate with Royal HaskoningDHV's experience at Portsmouth and Devonport.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Royal HaskoningDHV: Arch Henderson's parent since March 2025, Royal HaskoningDHV is a 6,500+ employee Dutch-origin international consulting engineering firm with a large Water & Maritime Business Unit. It directly competes in port design, coastal engineering, and maritime consultancy across Europe, Africa, and Asia, and is now Arch Henderson's integration counterpart.
• Mott MacDonald: Global multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy with extensive UK ports, harbours, nuclear, and infrastructure practices. Directly competes for large public-sector frameworks (Aberdeen, Orkney, NHS) where Arch Henderson also bids, typically at the larger end of project scale.
• WSP: WSP is a major global engineering consultancy with a UK Maritime and Ports advisory practice that competes for harbour masterplans, offshore wind O&M bases, and coastal protection. Following WSP's acquisition of Wood E&I and others, it is increasingly competing for the multi-disciplinary commissions Arch Henderson targets.
• Arup: Arup is a global engineering consultancy with deep UK maritime, nuclear, and architectural practices. It competes at the higher end of project scale (e.g., major harbour expansions, defence infrastructure) where Arch Henderson occasionally leads or supports via sub-consultancy.
• AtkinsRéalis: AtkinsRéalis (formerly Atkins / SNC-Lavalin) is a global engineering consultancy with extensive UK maritime, nuclear, defence, and infrastructure practices. It competes for the same large public-sector and MoD tenders that Arch Henderson supports via sub-consultancy or directly.
• Ramboll: Ramboll is a Danish-headquartered engineering consultancy with strong UK maritime, offshore wind, and nuclear practices. It competes for North Sea-facing port, offshore wind O&M base, and decommissioning design commissions in Scotland and across the UK.

Direct peers

• COWI: COWI is a Danish-headquartered engineering consultancy with a strong UK maritime, ports, and coastal engineering practice (formerly Flint & Neill, COWI UK). It directly competes for harbour, quay, and offshore wind O&M base design commissions in Scotland and across the UK, mirroring Arch Henderson's core service portfolio.
• Tony Gee and Partners: Tony Gee is a UK specialist civil and structural engineering consultancy with strong maritime, rail, and infrastructure credentials. It directly competes with Arch Henderson for harbour, quay, and bridge design mandates, and operates at a similar boutique multi-discipline scale.
• Pell Frischmann: Pell Frischmann is a UK-headquartered multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy with significant maritime, highways, and structures expertise. It competes for the same UK port authority, local authority, and framework appointments that anchor Arch Henderson's revenue base.
• Buro Happold: Buro Happold is an independent international engineering consultancy with UK maritime, structural, and sustainability practices. It is comparable in scale and multi-disciplinary model, and competes for the same defence, NHS, and infrastructure commissions across the UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2826483

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Arch Henderson