What Fathom Architects does

Fathom Architects is a London-headquartered architectural practice founded in 2016 by Justin Nicholls and Jonathan Mitchell, both previously senior architects at Foster + Partners and Make. The firm delivers full architectural services from initial vision through to project completion, with a focus on complex briefs and sensitive sites across four core sectors: Workplace, Homes, Research & Education, and High Streets & Communities. It serves enterprise clients including King's Cross Group, The Crown Estate, Landsec, Duchy of Cornwall, BGO, and Berkeley Estate Asset Management in commercial real estate, alongside the University of Oxford, the Science and Technology Facilities Council, and Spelthorne Borough Council in the public and research sector, and Southwark Charities in social housing. Headcount stands at approximately 17 staff organised across three Directors (Nicholls, Mitchell, Rebecca Thomas), two Associates, and a layered cohort of senior architects, architectural assistants, and a Practice Manager.

The practice's technical differentiators centre on heritage retrofit (Grade I, II, and II* listed buildings), Passivhaus EnerPHit environmental standards, circular-economy material re-use methodologies, and ageing- and dementia-friendly housing design developed with the University of Stirling's Dementia Services Development Centre. Documented project outcomes include a 41-49% reduction in upfront embodied carbon at LOMA for Capital 38 / Morgan Real Estate, over 10,000 kgCO2e of carbon savings through material re-use at The Waterman for BGO, and Passivhaus EnerPHit compliance at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology extension. A long-term co-development partnership with David Lock Associates covers site masterplanning for UK Research and Innovation national laboratory facilities, while project-level collaborations with specialists such as Novus Space extend laboratory-design capability.

Fathom operates as a privately held partnership under the two founding directors and Rebecca Thomas, with no external institutional investment or parent company. Revenue is generated exclusively through project-based professional fees secured via direct commissions, competitive tenders, and repeat client relationships, with pricing tailored to individual project requirements rather than disclosed publicly. The firm maintains a single Bermondsey studio as its headquarters and delivers projects across the UK including London, Oxford, Cambridge, Sussex, Cornwall, and Staines-upon-Thames, and is actively pursuing industry recognition across 2025 awards circuits including BCO, AJ, and FX.

Name

Fathom Architects

Legal name

Fathom Architects

Website

https://fathomarchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fathom Architects is a London-based architectural practice founded in 2016 that designs workplace, housing, research, and community projects for enterprise clients, universities, and charities across the UK, with specialisation in heritage retrofit, sustainable design, and complex sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

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

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Reconfiguration & Structural Alterations (HSAPAEAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Heritage retrofit design
• Workplace architecture
• Sustainable building design
• Urban design placemaking

Headquarters

HQ city

London

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. Architecture Services: Full architectural services from initial vision through to delivery for complex briefs and sensitive sites. Revenue comes from professional fees for design, planning, and project oversight services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fathom Architects is an independent architecture practice providing full architectural design services from initial vision through to project delivery across four sector verticals: Workplace, Homes, Research & Education, and High Streets & Communities. The practice delivers workplace retrofits and interiors, residential and affordable housing, laboratories and university masterplans, and urban regeneration schemes. Complementary expertise areas include Creative Reuse, Heritage Architecture, Interior Design, and Urban Design, with documented specialisms in circular-economy retrofits, Passivhaus EnerPHit standards, and dementia-friendly housing.

Product overview

Fathom Architects is an architectural practice offering design services across four core sectors: Workplace, Homes, Research & Education, and High Streets & Communities. Their expertise spans Creative Reuse, Heritage, Interiors, and Urban Design. They do not offer a software product or platform; their offering consists of architectural and design consultancy services delivered through collaborative projects with clients including developers, charities, universities, and commercial property owners. Projects range from small-scale retrofits to large masterplanning commissions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workplace Design Services Architectural design services for commercial workplaces including office retrofits, new build offices, and workspace interiors. Covers heritage warehouse conversions, Grade A office sustainability certification, and CAT B fitouts for asset managers, property developers, and commercial occupiers.
• Homes Design Services Residential architecture services spanning affordable housing, almshouses, apartments, and family homes for housing associations, charities, and developers. Includes heritage-sensitive retrofits and innovative affordable housing developments for specific demographics, including older and vulnerable residents.
• Research and Education Design Services Specialist architectural services for scientific research facilities, laboratories, universities, and educational institutions. Includes dry labs, wet labs, bioinformatics spaces, and research campus masterplanning delivered for universities, research councils, and educational establishments.
• High Streets and Communities Design Services Urban design and placemaking services for mixed-use developments, high street regeneration, community facilities, and public realm improvements. Includes design codes, estate strategies, and placemaking activations for local authorities, heritage bodies, and developers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 41-49% reduction in upfront embodied carbon achieved at LOMA compared to typical newly constructed office
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and project-level.

• David Lock AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Long-term collaborative relationship as site masterplanners for UK Research and Innovation. Together they have prepared Development Plans for the UK's most significant research facilities, including Rutherford Appleton Laboratory at Harwell and Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire. Also collaborated on Spelthorne Masterplan.
• Novus Spaceproject-levelImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaboratory specialist collaboration on Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology extension project, developing plans to enhance existing wet lab and office spaces.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Make Architects: Fathom founders' alma mater (23+ combined years at Make); a much larger London practice competing across workplace, residential, and heritage sectors. Direct competitor for talent and major commissions.
• John McAslan + Partners: Established London practice with strong heritage retrofit and education sector portfolios; comparable client base (universities, institutional landlords) but substantially larger headcount.
• Allies and Morrison: Larger established London practice with deep UK heritage, masterplanning, and residential portfolio. Competes for institutional clients including universities and major developers, but operates at materially greater scale than Fathom.

Direct peers

• Haworth Tompkins: Comparable London practice with similar scale and overlapping expertise in heritage retrofit, theatre/cultural buildings, and creative reuse. Often competes for the same institutional and cultural-sector clients.
• Karakusevic Carson Architects: London housing-focused practice with similar track record in affordable and social housing for housing associations and charities (e.g., Southwark, London Borough clients). Direct competitor for projects like Blackfriars Almshouses.
• Mikhail Riches: Award-winning London practice specialising in sustainable housing, Passivhaus, and retrofit. Closely comparable on sustainability credentials and housing developer client base.
• Feilden Fowles: Award-winning UK practice with strong sustainability and heritage credentials, RIBA Stirling-shortlisted. Comparable on project scale, sustainability positioning, and award-driven reputation-building.
• Proctor & Matthews: UK practice with comparable housing, urban design, and masterplanning portfolio; known for award-winning residential and mixed-use schemes for housing associations and developers.
• Coffey Architects: Similar-sized London practice with comparable work across workplace, heritage, and education sectors. Competes for mid-tier institutional clients and design-and-build contracts.
• Mae Architects: London-based architectural practice of similar size with comparable specialism in heritage retrofit, housing, and creative reuse for sensitive sites. Both firms are mid-sized, award-winning, and target institutional/housing clients in the UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fathom-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/fathom_arch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Fathom Architects