SPACE&PLACE

What SPACE&PLACE does

SPACE&PLACE (legal entity AFLSP Limited, often referred to as S&P) is a UK-based multidisciplinary architecture and design consultancy founded in 1982 and headquartered at 10 Orange Street, Haymarket, London. The firm specialises in the design of sports, leisure, entertainment, and community facilities, operating across all RIBA stages from initial concept (Stage 0) through to onsite delivery (Stage 7). Its core service portfolio comprises four pillars: Community & Competition (sports venues, Olympic swimming venues, stadia), Commercial Leisure (leisure centres, indoor waterparks, swimming pools), Entertainment (theatres, arenas, performance spaces), and Wellbeing (spas, health clubs, wellness hubs).

The firm differentiates technically through Certified Passivhaus Designers delivering ultra-low-energy leisure facilities (St Sidwell's Point in Exeter, the UK's first Passivhaus-accredited mixed-use community asset), authorship of Sport England's swimming pool development guidance, and leadership of Sport England's Active Design team. Underlying capabilities span architectural design, structural engineering, Passivhaus sustainable design, sports venue compliance, and a social value measurement framework that claims £2.34 of social return per £1 of project spend. Notable technical references include London 2012 Olympic legacy venues, the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin for Special Olympics 2003, and the Wolverhampton Civic Hall refurbishment delivered jointly with Atkins Realis.

SPACE&PLACE operates as a professional services firm generating fee revenue from architecture and design commissions. Its go-to-market is exclusively enterprise field sales through direct engagement with UK public sector clients (200+ Local Authorities, government agencies, Sport England frameworks, UK government design and construction frameworks) and private sector leisure and entertainment operators (Holmes Place/Virgin Active, Thorpe Park, Butlins, Rank Leisure, TopGolf, Freeport). Pricing is project-based and not publicly disclosed. The firm employs 101–250 staff, works across the UK and internationally (Ireland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Oman, Dubai, Greece, Portugal, Netherlands), and reports 100 million+ annual visits to buildings it has designed. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors or parent company.

Name

SPACE&PLACE

Legal name

AFLSP Limited

Website

https://space-place.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SPACE&PLACE is a UK-based multidisciplinary architecture and design consultancy, founded in 1982, specialising in sports, leisure, entertainment, and community facilities for public sector clients (200+ UK Local Authorities) and private leisure operators across the UK and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture and Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Interior Design Services (541410)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Workplace Strategy & Space Standards (BPABAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Space & Occupancy Services (Move/Add/Change, Seating, Wayfinding) (IMAIALAF), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Sports facility architecture
• Leisure centre design
• Entertainment venue architecture
• Community facility design
• Passivhaus leisure design

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, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Consultancy Services: SPACE&PLACE generates revenue through fees for professional architecture and design services, including RIBA stages 0–7, from initial concept through to onsite delivery and completion. Projects span sports venues, leisure centres, entertainment venues, community facilities, and wellbeing/spa spaces for public and private sector clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SPACE&PLACE is a multidisciplinary architecture and design firm that provides professional design consultancy services for sports venues, leisure centres, entertainment venues, community facilities and wellbeing/spa spaces. Engagements span the full RIBA Stage 0–7 lifecycle, from initial concept through to onsite delivery, for public sector (local authorities, national sports bodies) and private sector (leisure operators, entertainment brands) clients.

Product overview

SPACE&PLACE is an architecture and design consultancy offering a unified portfolio of specialized design services for sport, leisure, entertainment and community facilities. Their four core service areas—Community & Competition, Commercial Leisure, Entertainment, and Wellbeing—work together under one multidisciplinary team of architects, consultants, engineers and designers. The company operates from project inception through to onsite delivery across all RIBA stages, serving over 200 UK Local Authorities and completing projects from 1982 to present.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• £2.34 social value per £1 spent on SPACE&PLACE projects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and notable.

• Sport EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPACE&PLACE contributes to and originates Sport England's guidance on swimming pool development, and leads Sport England's Active Design team. This is a deep, ongoing knowledge partnership where SPACE&PLACE helps shape national standards for sports facility design in the UK.
• Atkins RealiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPACE&PLACE (S&P) and Atkins Realis jointly delivered the Wolverhampton Civic Hall refurbishment project. Atkins Realis joined after the original contractor went into administration in 2019, and S&P took over the project from RIBA Stage 0, working in partnership with Atkins Realis for the design and delivery.
• Swim EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO Keith Ashton served on the board of Swim England and is a former Non-Executive Director of British Swimming, establishing a long-standing strategic relationship between SPACE&PLACE and the UK's national governing bodies for aquatic sport.
• BISL (British Institute of Sports Law)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO Keith Ashton chaired BISL's sport sector, representing SPACE&PLACE's involvement in the UK's sports law and policy ecosystem.
• AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEG joined as the new client towards the end of the Wolverhampton Civic Hall refurbishment project, becoming the venue operator. SPACE&PLACE delivered the completed venue for AEG.
• Willmott DixonmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWillmott Dixon has been the main contractor on multiple SPACE&PLACE projects including the Xcel Leisure Complex, Thame Sports and Arts Centre, and other public sector leisure facility developments, operating as a key delivery partner.
• DC LeisuremajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDC Leisure was the operator partner on the Xcel Leisure Complex, working with SPACE&PLACE as design lead and Willmott Dixon as contractor in a public-private partnership for the design, construction and long-term operation of the leisure facility.
• Terry Farrell, Bennetts Associates, Gustafson Porter Ltd, John McAslan and PartnersnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor the Swiss Cottage redevelopment in North London, SPACE&PLACE worked alongside these architecture and design firms as part of a collaborative team on this large mixed-use regeneration project.
• Marks Barfield ArchitectsnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPACE&PLACE was one of three architectural practices (alongside Marks Barfield Architects) working on the Michael Tippett School BSF project, responsible for the hydrotherapy centre within the special educational needs school.
• Freeport / Freeport RetailmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSPACE&PLACE has designed multiple Freeport retail and entertainment centres across the UK and Europe (Castleford, Braintree, Sweden, Czech Republic), acting as design partner for the Freeport factory outlet brand over multiple years and multiple countries.
• Holmes PlacemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSPACE&PLACE designed and delivered numerous Holmes Place health clubs across the UK and Europe (Bromley Lido, Cricklewood, Parrs Wood, Printworks Manchester, Fulham, Star City Birmingham, Maroussi Athens, Bittacy Hill). These clubs have since been rebranded as Virgin Active under the same ownership.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Populous: Global architecture firm dedicated to sports venues and stadia; directly comparable on elite competition venue design (Olympic, World Cup, Premier League) and overlaps with SPACE&PLACE's community and competition portfolio.
• Grimshaw Architects: International architecture firm with a significant sports and transport portfolio; competes with SPACE&PLACE on major public sector leisure and community infrastructure commissions.
• FaulknerBrowns Architects: UK architecture practice with a specialist sports, leisure, and aquatics division — the closest direct competitor to SPACE&PLACE in the British leisure and swimming pool design market.
• BDP (Building Design Partnership): Major UK interdisciplinary design practice with an established leisure, sports, and public buildings sector — comparable on community leisure centre and local authority framework work.
• Wilkinson Eyre: Award-winning UK architecture practice with strong credentials in sports, leisure, and cultural venues — comparable to SPACE&PLACE on leisure centre and arena projects.

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: Global architecture firm with iconic sports and cultural projects (e.g., Wembley Stadium) — competes for landmark leisure, cultural, and public realm commissions at the upper end of the market.
• Arup: Multidisciplinary engineering and design firm with deep involvement in sports venues (including Olympic delivery) and urban regeneration; competes for the same large public sector leisure briefs.
• HKS: US-headquartered architecture firm with one of the largest global sports practices — comparable on stadium and arena design but operating predominantly in North America.
• Atkins (Atkins Realis): Global design, engineering, and project management consultancy; partnered with SPACE&PLACE on Wolverhampton Civic Hall and competes broadly for the same public sector leisure and community design commissions.

Regional players

• Mecanoo: Dutch architecture firm with a strong public sector and cultural venue portfolio across Europe; comparable to SPACE&PLACE on community and leisure typologies but primarily operates outside the UK.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/s&p-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/inspaceandplace
• Xx.com/inspaceandplace
• Facebookfacebook.com/inspaceandplace

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 SPACE&PLACE