Architecture Sans Frontieres UK
Architecture Sans Frontières UK is a volunteer-led non-profit charity using community-led design and planning to create fairer cities. Founded in 2008, it delivers Change by Design, Resilience by Design, and Inclusion by Design programmes across 14 countries, serving marginalised communities, built environment professionals, and civil society organisations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Architecture Sans Frontieres UK does
Architecture Sans Frontières UK (ASF-UK) is a volunteer-led non-profit charitable organisation registered in England and Wales under charity number 1123786, founded in 2008. It uses community-led design and planning to create fairer cities, delivering three core programmes: Change by Design (participatory design and planning for equity and democracy), Resilience by Design (climate vulnerability and disaster recovery), and Inclusion by Design (migration, displacement, and urban inclusion, derived from pan-European DESINC projects). Its underlying methodology is a structured Theory of Change framework translated into toolkits hosted on the ASF-Participate platform and an independent-learning course called Challenging Practice, RIBA-accredited for CPD and organised in three stages (Framing, Acting, Reflecting).
The organisation operates a hybrid service model combining field workshops, commissioned training, and educational courses. It runs residential Change by Design workshops in locations including London, Freetown, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Salvador da Bahia, and Samandağ, delivered through multidisciplinary cohorts of ~25 participants, plus the Stage A Challenging Practice seminars held at universities such as UCL, Oxford Brookes, and Sheffield. Its revenue mix is diversified across small individual donations (Gift Aid–eligible), £25 annual memberships, paid workshops (£120–£650), commissioned training programmes (e.g., the Arup Community Engagement in Practice programme with 26 participants in 2026), and grant or partnership-funded project delivery in collaboration with civil society and academic institutions. ASF-UK has effectively one paid administrator plus a Managing Associate, with the remaining governance and delivery carried out by 8 Trustees and a network of 6 Senior Associates, 13 Associates, and 6 Advisors.
ASF-UK serves three primary segments: marginalised communities (informal settlement residents, displaced populations), built environment professionals (architects, planners, designers), and a secondary network of civil society organisations, local governments, and academic institutions across 14 countries including the UK, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Türkiye, Kenya, Nepal, India, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Cameroon, Ghana, Sudan, and Indonesia. Its distribution is partnership-based rather than commercial, delivered via direct residential workshops, commissioned training, university-hosted seminars, and presence at international forums such as the World Urban Forum.
Architecture Sans Frontieres UK firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Architecture Sans Frontieres UK
- Legal name
- Architecture Sans Frontières UK
- Website
- https://asf-uk.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Architecture Sans Frontières UK is a volunteer-led non-profit charity using community-led design and planning to create fairer cities. Founded in 2008, it delivers Change by Design, Resilience by Design, and Inclusion by Design programmes across 14 countries, serving marginalised communities, built environment professionals, and civil society organisations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Architecture Sans Frontieres UK industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community-led urban design and planning services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Institutional Capacity Building & Training (Workforce/Systems Strengthening) (BPADAEAC), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK), Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO)
Keywords
Where Architecture Sans Frontieres UK is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Architecture Sans Frontieres UK business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership at £25 provides governance participation, networking, programme updates, priority placement on workshops and courses, and AGM invitations.
- Donations: Monthly donations (£10, £20, £50) and one-off donations support community engagement, co-design workshops, and community-led initiatives across the UK and internationally.
- Workshop and Training Fees: Challenging Practice seminars charged at £120-£200 for students/unemployed, £180-£200 for working professionals. Change by Design workshops at £550-£650 with optional accommodation and scholarships available.
- Commissioned Training Programmes: ASF-UK was commissioned by Arup to design and deliver Community Engagement in Practice training programme, building organisational capacity for more participatory ways of working.
- Partnership Funding: Support from academic institutions (University of Sheffield, UCL), policy centres (Istanbul Policy Centre), and civil society organisations for specific project delivery.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual membership providing governance rights and event priority access |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly donation tiers supporting community engagement and workshops |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Challenging Practice Stage A seminar fees |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Change by Design Johannesburg workshop full programme |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Change by Design Samandağ 2026 workshop |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Architecture Sans Frontieres UK product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ASF-UK delivers community-led design and planning services through three flagship programmes (Change by Design, Resilience by Design, Inclusion by Design) that work with marginalised communities, civil society organisations, and municipalities to advance equity in urban development. It complements these with the Challenging Practice educational course for built-environment professionals, paid workshops and seminars, commissioned enterprise training, and a public ASF-Participate tools repository documenting participatory methodologies.
Product overview
Architecture Sans Frontières UK operates as a non-profit organisation offering community-led design and planning services through three core programmes: Change by Design (participatory design for equitable cities), Resilience by Design (climate vulnerability reduction), and Inclusion by Design (inclusive urban spaces). The organisation supplements these with the Challenging Practice educational programme, an online tools repository (ASF-Participate), and resource libraries containing reports, publications, films, and case studies. All offerings emphasise equitable partnerships with communities and organisations to scale community-led development in urban policy and practice.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Change by Design ASF-UK's flagship participatory design and planning programme that works with local stakeholders and marginalised communities to develop equitable urban design outcomes. Initiatives are grounded in partnerships with civil society, municipalities, and academic institutions, and are delivered through residential workshops in locations including London, Freetown, Johannesburg, Samandağ, Salvador and Quito.
- Resilience by Design Programme that uses participatory methods to build local resilience in communities most vulnerable to climate change and disasters. Takes a multi-scalar and transdisciplinary approach to questions of environmental change, risk, and recovery.
- Inclusion by Design Programme that explores how built environment practice can contribute to making cities of care, where more people feel welcome in more spaces. Emerged from pan-European projects DESINC and DESINC Live focused on migration, displacement and exclusion.
- Challenging Practice independent-learning course Educational programme that supports built-environment professionals to engage with inclusive and sustainable urban development. Course has three stages — Framing, Acting, and Reflecting — and is RIBA CPD-accredited.
- Commissioned Community Engagement Training Programmes Bespoke in-house training programmes commissioned by organisations (e.g. Arup) to build staff capacity in participatory and inclusive community engagement. Delivered as multi-session programmes to enterprise teams.
- Everyday Rights Training for Trainers Programme Training-for-trainers programme that builds community-based organisations' capacity to deliver economic, social, and cultural rights education and advocacy in their local contexts.
- ASF-UK Annual Membership Annual membership subscription at £25/year providing governance participation rights, networking, programme updates, priority placement on workshops and courses, and AGM invitations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 3000 volunteer hours contributed to Freetown programme
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Architecture Sans Frontieres UK
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Architecture Sans Frontieres UK technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Architecture Sans Frontieres UK partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
27 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Arup Community EngagementcoreASF-UK was commissioned to design and deliver Community Engagement in Practice training programme. 26 Arup staff members participated across multiple global offices. Programme is ongoing with further iterations expected.
- Samandağ MunicipalitycoreKey municipal partner for Change by Design Samandağ 2026 workshop on living heritage in post-disaster recovery, working on community-led reconstruction approaches.
- Hatay Deprem Dayanışması (Earthquake Solidarity)coreCivil society partner in Turkey earthquake recovery, collaborating on Change by Design workshops in Antakya and Samandağ with focus on community-led reconstruction.
- Amnesty International UKcorePartnership to deliver Everyday Rights Training for Trainers Programme on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Ten CBOs from England, Scotland, and Wales participated in the pilot.
- Architecture Sans Frontières InternationalcoreASF-International coordinates the global Challenging Practice programme, with ASF-UK serving as the coordinating entity for this international learning initiative on inclusive and sustainable urban development.
- University College London - Bartlett Development Planning UnitcoreLong-standing academic partner supporting research, knowledge exchange, and student involvement across multiple programmes including Change by Design Johannesburg, Freetown, and Turkey work.
- University of Sheffield - School of ArchitecturecoreAcademic partner supporting Change by Design workshops and providing Knowledge Exchange Fund support for translating research into practical tools for communities.
- 1to1 Agency of EngagementcoreKey partner in South Africa work, collaborating on Change by Design Johannesburg workshops and engaging with residents of informally occupied buildings on housing rights.
- Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC)coreLong-term partner in Freetown for developing Settlement Profiles and Community Action Area Plans using the Change by Design methodology.
- Politecnico di MilanominorEuropean partner in Inclusion by Design programmes (DESINC and DESINC LIVE) focused on migration and urban inclusion pedagogy.
- London Metropolitan University - School of Art, Architecture and DesignminorAcademic partner publishing Change by Design research and hosting events as part of London Festival of Architecture.
- Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)minorRIBA CPD accredits the Challenging Practice independent learning course, providing professional development recognition for participants.
- UN-HabitatminorPartnered on slum upgrading programmes in Kenya (with Housing Policy section) and Nepal post-earthquake reconstruction, providing technical guidance and institutional frameworks.
- Herkes İçin Mimarlık (Architecture for All)corePartner in Turkey post-earthquake work, responsible for participatory architecture design. Built Çekmece Community Centre as part of Reviving Living Heritage in Antakya project.
- Istanbul Policy CenterminorAcademic policy centre supporting Change by Design Samandağ 2026 workshop with research expertise on urban policy and post-disaster reconstruction.
- Oxford Brookes University - CENDEPminorCentre for Development and Emergency Practice supporting Turkey workshops through academic expertise and hosting Challenging Practice seminars.
- KU LeuvenminorEuropean academic partner in Inclusion by Design DESINC programme contributing to pedagogy development for urban inclusion.
- Universität der Künste BerlinminorEuropean partner in Inclusion by Design DESINC LIVE programme focused on designing and learning in the context of migration.
- Refugees Welcome ItaliaminorCivil society partner in European Inclusion by Design work addressing urban inclusion for refugees and forced migrants.
- S27 – Art and EducationminorEuropean partner in Inclusion by Design DESINC LIVE programme contributing educational expertise to urban inclusion initiatives.
- Housing EuropeminorEuropean housing federation partner in Inclusion by Design DESINC programme contributing expertise on affordable housing and urban development.
- Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI)coreLegal and housing rights partner in Johannesburg work, bringing expertise on socio-economic rights and supporting policy streams in the Change by Design programme.
- TELCO CitizensminorCommunity organising partner in London for Change by Design workshops addressing affordable housing and community land trust development.
- Federation of the Urban and Rural Poor – Sierra LeoneminorCommunity federation partner in Sierra Leone representing urban and rural poor communities in participatory planning processes.
- Development Action Group (DAG)coreCape Town partner for Change by Design workshops 2015-2018, bringing expertise in citizen mobilisation, capacity building, research and advocacy.
- Sivil Düşler DerneğicoreTurkish civil society partner in Mapping the Unseen project documenting living heritage of Antakya's Dom community for community-led relocation.
- Istanbul Policy CenterminorAcademic partner supporting Turkey post-earthquake recovery research with expertise in urban policy and post-disaster reconstruction frameworks.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Architecture Sans Frontieres UK competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR): Regional coalition supporting community-driven housing and upgrading across Asia. Shares ASF-UK's core philosophy of community-led development, savings groups, and participatory planning for informal settlement residents and marginalised urban populations.
- Slum/Shack Dwellers International (SDI): Federation of community-led organisations in 32 countries working on informal settlement upgrading through participatory methods. Directly comparable mission (community-led design and planning for marginalised urban populations) and overlapping geographic footprint in Africa and South Africa specifically.
- Development Action Group (DAG): South African NGO focused on citizen mobilisation, capacity building, research and advocacy - a direct ASF-UK partner in Cape Town workshops 2015-2018. Operates in the same participatory built-environment niche in South Africa.
- Herkes İçin Mimarlık (Architecture for All): Turkish architecture foundation focused on participatory design for disadvantaged groups, and a core ASF-UK partner in post-earthquake Antakya/Samandağ work. Direct peer in community-led post-disaster reconstruction.
- Architecture Sans Frontières International: Sister international network coordinating ASF chapters globally, including ASF-UK. Operates the same community-led architecture and planning mission across multiple geographies, with shared methodologies (Challenging Practice is coordinated by ASF-UK on behalf of ASF-International).
Emerging players
- Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies: Academic research centres (e.g., IIT Bombay's CURDS-style institutions) that produce planning research with marginalised communities; partial overlap with ASF-UK's theory-of-change and research-to-practice orientation.
- Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI): South African NGO providing legal and socio-economic rights expertise - a core ASF-UK partner in Johannesburg Change by Design programme. Comparable advocacy footprint on housing rights but focused on litigation rather than participatory design.
Broad incumbents
- UN-Habitat: UN agency for sustainable urban development with overlapping programmes on community-led upgrading (Kenya, Nepal). Functions at much larger scale and broader mandate but shares ASF-UK's spatial justice and inclusive cities objectives; operates as both partner and umbrella.
- Habitat for Humanity International: Large global housing NGO working on affordable housing and community development across multiple regions. Overlaps with ASF-UK's housing rights and informal settlement work but at vastly broader scope and scale.
Regional players
- Pamoja Trust: Kenyan community organising NGO focused on housing rights and informal settlement communities, and an ASF-UK partner in the Kenya/Nairobi programme. Closely comparable community-led methodology and overlap with ASF-UK's Nairobi work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Architecture Sans Frontieres UK social profiles
Digital presenceArchitecture Sans Frontieres UK financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Architecture Sans Frontieres UK leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Architecture Sans Frontieres UK funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Architecture Sans Frontieres UK M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Architecture Sans Frontieres UK
What does Architecture Sans Frontieres UK do?
ASF-UK delivers community-led design and planning services through three flagship programmes (Change by Design, Resilience by Design, Inclusion by Design) that work with marginalised communities, civil society organisations, and municipalities to advance equity in urban development. It complements these with the Challenging Practice educational course for built-environment professionals, paid workshops and seminars, commissioned enterprise training, and a public ASF-Participate tools repository documenting participatory methodologies.
Is Architecture Sans Frontieres UK a public or private company?
Architecture Sans Frontieres UK is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Architecture Sans Frontieres UK founded?
Architecture Sans Frontieres UK was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Architecture Sans Frontieres UK based?
Architecture Sans Frontieres UK is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Architecture Sans Frontieres UK make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations, workshop and Training Fees, commissioned Training Programmes and partnership Funding.
Who are Architecture Sans Frontieres UK's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR), Slum/Shack Dwellers International (SDI), Development Action Group (DAG), Herkes İçin Mimarlık (Architecture for All) and Architecture Sans Frontières International. Emerging players are Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies and Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI). Broad incumbents are UN-Habitat and Habitat for Humanity International. Pamoja Trust is listed as a regional player.
Does Architecture Sans Frontieres UK have an API?
No public API is recorded for Architecture Sans Frontieres UK.
What industry is Architecture Sans Frontieres UK in?
Architecture Sans Frontieres UK's product category is Community-led urban design and planning services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAO, Community Engagement & Participatory Planning, with a secondary code of BPADAEAC, Institutional Capacity Building & Training (Workforce/Systems Strengthening). Its NAICS code is 541310 and its SIC code is 8711.