What Ica does

Ica Studio is a Glasgow-headquartered architecture and interior design firm founded in 2003 by three partners (Ian Burleigh, Chris Fegan, Alistair) and operating from offices in Glasgow and London with 11–50 employees. The firm is vertically specialised in hospitality, delivering integrated architecture and interior design across new builds, refurbishments, heritage conversions, modular construction, and student living for hotel developers, global hotel brands, and institutional investors. Core service lines are Architecture and Interior Design, with modular offerings including Sustainability, Heritage & Conservation, Rebrand & Transformation, Student Living, Serviced Apartments, Build to Rent, Innovation & Modular Design, and Brand Prototypes for chains such as Hilton, IHG, Marriott, Choice, and independent operators.

The business operates as a B2B professional services firm on project-based fees, acquiring work through direct enterprise relationships and repeat business rather than intermediated channels. Its underlying technical platform centres on modular construction methodology and a proprietary dual-skinned cladding system that decouples off-site fit-out from final facade design, enabling consistent branded-room delivery across remote and constrained sites. Approximately half of current work is international, spanning the UK, continental Europe, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, with flagship commissions including Virgin Hotels Edinburgh (three listed buildings in a UNESCO World Heritage Site), citizenM London Victoria, Hilton's Spark European brand, and a 207-room modular resort in Turks & Caicos.

The firm is privately held, founder-controlled, with no disclosed institutional funding, parent company, or acquisition activity. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the firm monetises through project fees with selective brand-prototype IP that locks in multi-property roll-out mandates for global hotel chains.

Name

Ica

Legal name

Ica Studio

Website

https://ica.studio

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ica Studio is a Glasgow-based architecture and interior design firm founded in 2003, specialising in hospitality projects — hotels, serviced apartments, student living, and heritage conversions — for global hotel brands (Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Accor) and developers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Professional architecture and design services billed on a project basis for hotel developers, brands, and investors. Projects range from new builds to refurbishments and heritage conversions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ica Studio provides professional architecture and interior design services for the hospitality sector, delivering new builds, refurbishments, and heritage conversions for hotel developers, international hotel brands, and investors. The studio combines architecture and interior design from project inception, with deep expertise in modular construction, brand prototype development, and sustainable design to produce buildable, commercially viable hospitality assets.

Product overview

Ica is a hospitality-focused architecture and interior design studio offering comprehensive design services. The core offering comprises Architecture and Interior Design services, supported by specialized modules including Sustainability, Heritage & Conservation, Rebrand & Transformation, Student Living, Serviced Apartments, Build to Rent, and Innovation & Modular Design. The studio also develops Brand Prototypes for global hotel chains. Projects span hotels (luxury, boutique, select service), student accommodation, and build-to-rent accommodation, with expertise in modular construction enabling global delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Comprehensive architectural design services for hospitality projects, including new builds, conversions, and refurbishments across hotels, student accommodation, and build-to-rent sectors, sold to hotel developers, brands, and investors.
• Interior Design Interior design services spanning guest rooms, public areas, restaurants, bars, and spas, with expertise in brand identity development and spatial design for hospitality environments, delivered alongside architecture services.
• Brand Prototypes Design and development of brand prototypes, built prototypes, and design manuals for global hotel brands (Hilton, IHG, Marriott, Choice Hotels) and independent operators, covering guestroom standards, brand identity, and tone of voice for global roll-out.
• Modular Construction Design

Quantifiable outcome

• Virgin Hotels Edinburgh: 10-year project from initial sketches to completion, involving three listed buildings in UNESCO World Heritage Site
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• AccorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for branded hotel and aparthotel projects including Adagio London Stratford. Ica designs aparthotels for Accor's extended-stay brands.
• Marriott InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership on multiple Marriott brands including Courtyard by Marriott, Marriott Bristol Royal, Marriott Tribute Edinburgh, and Virgin Hotels (affiliated brand). Projects span new builds, refurbishments, and heritage conversions.
• HiltoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership on Hilton brands including Hampton by Hilton, Curio Collection (The Gantry, Lost Property St Paul's), and Spark by Hilton brand development for European markets.
• IHGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on IHG brands including Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo, and Staybridge. Ica designed the Gen 3 global prototype for Holiday Inn Express and adapted brands for European markets.
• citizenMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for citizenM London Victoria project. Ica serves as delivery partner for modular hotel construction. CitizenM is on a mission to reinvent the hospitality industry through affordable luxury.
• Virgin HotelsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship project partnership for Virgin Hotels Edinburgh in India Buildings—a decade-long project combining three listed buildings in UNESCO World Heritage Site. Virgin Hotels Edinburgh was the first Virgin Hotel outside the USA.
• NativecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOngoing partnership with boutique hotel operator Native for projects including Anchorline Glasgow. Native collaborates with designers and artists to create original spaces.
• Grace Bay Resort HotelmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuxury Caribbean resort development in Turks & Caicos featuring 207 guestrooms with ocean-facing views, off-site modular construction methodology, bespoke bedroom design by Ica.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Michaelis Boyd: London-based architecture and interior design practice with a strong presence in hotels, restaurants and members' clubs. Direct peer to Ica given overlap in boutique hospitality design, brand-led projects and a comparable boutique UK practice profile.
• Mecanoo: Dutch architecture firm with a strong portfolio in hotel, residential and cultural architecture, including complex urban and heritage sites. Direct peer to Ica given overlapping expertise in hotel design, modular construction methods and complex heritage sites such as UNESCO locations.
• MKV Design: Hospitality-focused interior design firm serving branded and independent hotels across the UK, Europe and Middle East. Direct peer to Ica's interior design practice given similar boutique scale, hospitality specialism and European/Middle East geographic focus.
• PRP Architects: Long-established UK architecture firm active in residential, student living, and hotel sectors in the UK and internationally. Direct peer to Ica in the student accommodation and build-to-rent verticals where they compete for similar developer clients.
• Jestico + Whiles: UK architecture studio with a recognised hotels and hospitality practice working on branded and independent projects across Europe. Direct peer to Ica in delivering hotel architecture for major brands and heritage-sensitive urban sites, with comparable firm size.
• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA): World-leading hospitality interior design firm working with major global hotel brands on prototypes and rollouts. Direct peer to Ica's interior design and brand-prototype work, with similar client base of Hilton, Marriott and IHG and comparable scale of international delivery.
• Scott Brownrigg: UK-based architecture and design practice with a significant hospitality and student living portfolio. Direct peer to Ica in serving UK hotel developers and student accommodation providers with similar brand clients including IHG and other major operators.
• Wilson Associates: Hospitality-focused architecture and interior design studio recognised for luxury hotel projects globally, including branded residences and resorts. Direct peer to Ica in the niche of hospitality design for international brands and resort developers.

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: Iconic global architecture firm with a notable hospitality portfolio including high-end and branded hotel projects. Broad incumbent that competes for marquee international hotel commissions but operates at much larger scale with diversified practice areas.
• Gensler: Global design and architecture firm with a dedicated hospitality practice working with major hotel brands on prototypes, renovations and new builds. Broad incumbent over Ica because of wider portfolio across commercial, mixed-use and workplace, but competes head-to-head on large branded hotel commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/icastudio_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Ica