Modern City Architecture and Urbanism

What Modern City Architecture and Urbanism does

Modern City Architecture and Urbanism (MCAU) is a Manchester-headquartered architectural and urban design practice delivering integrated planning, design, and community engagement services across the United Kingdom, with a secondary office in Liverpool and selected international work in Malta. The firm operates a "vision-to-fruition" service model that bundles place visioning, architecture, urban design, masterplanning, heritage reuse, and community co-creation into a single offering, augmented by Fourth Street, an embedded strategic and placemaking advisory arm co-founded by Jim Roberts and integrated into MCAU in 2012.

MCAU serves UK local authorities, housing associations, government bodies, private developers, and heritage and cultural institutions. Its sector mix is weighted toward residential and housing (build-to-rent, social and affordable housing, estate renewal), urban regeneration (declining shopping centres, town centres, retail parks), and heritage buildings (Victorian baths, listed structures, adaptive reuse), with additional commercial, industrial, cultural, and education work. Notable commissions include Silk Street Manchester (69 zero-carbon social homes), the New Reno Moss Side regeneration (212 mixed-tenure homes), Shadsworth (£30m estate renewal), the National Waterfront Museum Swansea (£30m+ grant funding), and the Swindon Health Hydro (£6.5m Grade II* restoration).

The business model is professional services: project-based commissions with bespoke fees determined by scope, scale, and complexity, secured through direct client engagement, competitive tenders, and long-term relationships with UK public-sector and housing association clients. The practice is privately held, founder/management-led under Managing Director David Skidmore, with no disclosed external investment, and earns revenue through professional fees across the full project lifecycle from visioning through design to technical delivery.

Name

Modern City Architecture and Urbanism

Legal name

MCAU Limited

Website

https://mcau.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MCAU is a UK architecture and urbanism practice delivering integrated planning, design, and community engagement services for local authorities, housing associations, developers, and heritage bodies across the UK, with embedded strategic and placemaking advice via its Fourth Street arm.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL), Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Urban design planning
• Masterplanning regeneration
• Heritage building reuse
• Community engagement design

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Urban Design Services: Professional fees for architectural design, masterplanning, urban design, heritage repurposing, estate renewal, and town centre mixed-use development. Revenue is generated through project-based commissions across the full project lifecycle from vision through design to technical implementation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Modern City Architecture and Urbanism (MCAU) is a UK architecture and urbanism practice delivering architectural design, masterplanning, urban design, place visioning, community engagement, and heritage repurposing services. The firm operates an integrated 'vision-to-fruition' model that combines architecture, urbanism, and strategic placemaking advisory (via its Fourth Street offer) to deliver residential, regeneration, heritage, and commercial/industrial projects for local authorities, housing associations, government bodies, and private developers.

Product overview

MCAU is an architecture and urbanism practice offering an integrated service combining Architecture & Urbanism, Place Visioning, and Community Engagement. Their core services span residential, regeneration, heritage, and commercial/industrial sectors. The practice works across the full project lifecycle from visioning and masterplanning through to design delivery and community co-creation. Notable projects include Silk Street Manchester (69 low-carbon social homes), New Reno Moss Side (212 mixed-tenure homes), Ashton Old Baths (heritage repurposing), Shadsworth regeneration, and Swindon Health Hydro restoration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture & Urbanism Full-service architectural and urban design offering covering design and delivery, placemaking, masterplanning, residential, estate renewal, town centre mixed-use, heritage repurposing, and commercial projects for local authorities, housing associations, and private developers.
• Place Visioning Strategic advisory service helping places identify and articulate their unique qualities through visioning and strategy, business planning, planning support, and funding and investment strategy. Delivered primarily through the integrated Fourth Street offer.
• Community Engagement Stakeholder and community consultation service using bespoke engagement programmes, co-design methodologies, and communication strategies to involve residents and stakeholders in the design process. Marries technology (interactive mapping, virtual town halls, AI-assisted feedback analysis) with human interaction.
• Residential Design Housing design services spanning build-to-rent, co-living, student accommodation, social and affordable housing, later-living, and extra care, combined with masterplanning capabilities for strategic land and urban extensions.
• Regeneration Urban regeneration services for declining shopping centres, high streets, retail parks, and housing estates, focusing on adaptive reuse and retrofitting of existing buildings.
• Heritage Buildings Creative reuse and adaptation services for old buildings, heritage sites, Victorian baths, breweries, railway arches, and obsolete factories, developing reuse strategies to drive investment and community pride.
• Industrial & Logistics Architecture Industrial and logistics architecture prioritising practicality, sustainability, and innovation with flexible, adaptable designs for manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Silk Street Manchester: 69 low-carbon social homes with solar panels, ground-source heat pumps, and green roofs. First zero-carbon affordable council homes in nearly two generations for Manchester City Council.
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Tameside MBCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCAU worked with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council on the Ashton Old Baths regeneration project, bringing back to life a former public baths and Grade II* listed building that had been empty for 40 years and on the heritage at risk register. The innovative design solution integrates multiple uses to restore the historic building.
• Together Housing GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCAU partnered with Together Housing Group on the Shadsworth regeneration project in Blackburn, part of £30m of investment in new and existing homes, a new park, and a new community centre. The project involved co-creation with local communities.
• Newground TogethercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCAU worked alongside Together Housing Group's charity Newground Together at Shadsworth, creating places that contribute to the long-term needs of a disadvantaged community, with focus on community co-design.
• MSV (Moorgarth)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrust-based collaboration between MSV, Manchester City Council, local groups, MCAU designers, and residents to co-create the Moss Side masterplan through engagement sessions, steering groups, school visits, and open drop-ins. The regeneration delivers 212 mixed-tenure homes.
• Cobalt HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCAU worked closely with Cobalt Housing on the Stonedale Croxteth regeneration, creating a phased masterplan approach to fully re-energising the Radburn estate with carefully considered demolition, energy-efficient new build homes, and new public realm.
• Swindon Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCAU acts as client representative, project manager, lead consultant, principal designer and lead architect on the Swindon Health Hydro revitalisation. The £6.5m project is delivered in partnership with Swindon Borough Council, with support from Towns Fund, Historic England, and National Lottery Heritage Fund.
• Historic England's Repair Grants ProgrammesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric England's Repair Grants programme provides funding support for the Swindon Health Hydro Grade II* listed building revitalisation, contributing to the phased restoration approach.
• Ebbsfleet Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFourth Street (MCAU) was commissioned alongside RCKa and AOC architects to develop a cultural infrastructure prospectus for Ebbsfleet Garden City — the first new garden city in 100 years with a target of 15,000 new homes by 2035. The work was endorsed by DCMS and the Thames Estuary Growth Board.
• U+I Plc (formerly Cathedral Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFourth Street (MCAU) conducted more than 20 separate assignments for U+I Plc, advising on major projects in Manchester, Cambridge, London, and Brighton. Key work included placemaking strategy for The Old Vinyl Factory in Hayes, which secured £11m funding through Mayor's Outer London Fund.
• Brunel UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrunel University partnered with U+I and Fourth Street (MCAU) on The Old Vinyl Factory project, contributing to the £11m funding secured through the Mayor's Outer London Fund for the Central Research Laboratory makerspace.
• Hilton WorldwidesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHilton Worldwide secured as the hotel operator for St George's Park National Football Centre through a 30-year management contract, as part of the project's operational planning.
• Spire HospitalssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpire Hospitals secured as the sports medicine facility operator for St George's Park through a 15-year lease, as part of the integrated sports and healthcare destination vision.
• National Museums and Galleries of WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCAU consultants worked continuously as lead consultant on the National Waterfront Museum Swansea project for over 3 years, securing over £30m in grant funding from National Lottery, European Funds, and Welsh Government.
• Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFourth Street (MCAU) worked with V&A to conceive Architecture for All partnership with RIBA, creating the world's most comprehensive architectural resource. Secured nearly £5m NLHF grant toward the £7m project budget.
• Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFourth Street (MCAU) partnered V&A and RIBA on the Architecture for All initiative, combining RIBA's architectural prints, drawings and models collection with V&A's architectural fragments for a permanent architecture gallery, library and archive.
• Farsons Group (Malta)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFourth Street (MCAU) advised Farsons Group on the Trident Park Malta development, pivoting the brief from leisure and tourism to a mixed-use scheme anchored by Grade A office development, with detailed financial appraisal for the 45,000 sqm development.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stanton Williams: Renowned UK practice in cultural, heritage, and masterplanning projects including major gallery and university commissions. Direct peer of MCAU on heritage adaptive reuse, cultural-sector expertise, and integrated urban design.
• Haworth Tompkins: Long-established mid-size UK practice with comparable portfolio across heritage, housing, theatres, and cultural projects. Highly comparable to MCAU in scale, integrated design ethos, and adaptive reuse specialism.
• Pollard Thomas Edwards: Housing-led UK practice with deep expertise in mixed-tenure developments, estate renewal, and masterplanning. Direct peer of MCAU in residential scale, regeneration commissions, and community-led design approach.
• Mikhail Riches Architects: Climate-focused UK mid-size practice renowned for Stirling Prize-winning Goldsmith Street social housing. Direct peer of MCAU given shared focus on zero-carbon, affordable, council and housing-association-led residential design at comparable firm size.
• Mae Architects: UK practice with mission-driven focus on sustainable, healthy, community-anchored architecture and housing. Directly comparable to MCAU on net-zero residential, sustainable retrofit, and integrated community engagement.
• Proctor & Matthews: UK practice with strong housing and masterplanning credentials for new communities and mixed-use schemes. Comparable in scale, tenure mix, and estate/masterplan-led residential focus.
• Karakusevic Carson Architects: London-based practice specialising in housing and estate regeneration. Direct peer of MCAU in residential-led masterplanning and council/housing-association client base.
• Levitt Bernstein: Established UK practice with strong social housing, healthcare and urban regeneration expertise. Comparable to MCAU in mixed-tenure housing commissions, regeneration focus, and public-sector client mix.

Broad incumbents

• Allies and Morrison: Long-established UK architecture practice with broad housing, cultural, and civic portfolio. Comparable to MCAU on masterplanning, cultural commissions and public-realm work, though operating at materially larger scale.
• Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios: Larger UK practice specialising in sustainable architecture, masterplanning and education/cultural buildings. Broader incumbent peer; several MCAU directors previously worked there and the design philosophy around low-carbon design overlaps significantly.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/modern-city-architecture-&-urbanism
• Instagraminstagram.com/mcau_architects
• Xx.com/mcauarchitects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Modern City Architecture and Urbanism