Architecture Sans Frontieres UK

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.

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

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

• Participatory urban design
• Community-led planning
• Humanitarian architecture services
• Community engagement training
• Inclusive city development

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership at £25 provides governance participation, networking, programme updates, priority placement on workshops and courses, and AGM invitations.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

27 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arup Community EngagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026ASF-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 MunicipalitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026Key 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026Civil society partner in Turkey earthquake recovery, collaborating on Change by Design workshops in Antakya and Samandağ with focus on community-led reconstruction.
• Amnesty International UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2025Partnership 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 InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASF-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 UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-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 ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner supporting Change by Design workshops and providing Knowledge Exchange Fund support for translating research into practical tools for communities.
• 1to1 Agency of EngagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner in Freetown for developing Settlement Profiles and Community Action Area Plans using the Change by Design methodology.
• Politecnico di MilanominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean 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 DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner publishing Change by Design research and hosting events as part of London Festival of Architecture.
• Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRIBA CPD accredits the Challenging Practice independent learning course, providing professional development recognition for participants.
• UN-HabitatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner 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 CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic policy centre supporting Change by Design Samandağ 2026 workshop with research expertise on urban policy and post-disaster reconstruction.
• Oxford Brookes University - CENDEPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentre for Development and Emergency Practice supporting Turkey workshops through academic expertise and hosting Challenging Practice seminars.
• KU LeuvenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean academic partner in Inclusion by Design DESINC programme contributing to pedagogy development for urban inclusion.
• Universität der Künste BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean partner in Inclusion by Design DESINC LIVE programme focused on designing and learning in the context of migration.
• Refugees Welcome ItaliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivil society partner in European Inclusion by Design work addressing urban inclusion for refugees and forced migrants.
• S27 – Art and EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean partner in Inclusion by Design DESINC LIVE programme contributing educational expertise to urban inclusion initiatives.
• Housing EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal and housing rights partner in Johannesburg work, bringing expertise on socio-economic rights and supporting policy streams in the Change by Design programme.
• TELCO CitizensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity 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 LeoneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity federation partner in Sierra Leone representing urban and rural poor communities in participatory planning processes.
• Development Action Group (DAG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCape Town partner for Change by Design workshops 2015-2018, bringing expertise in citizen mobilisation, capacity building, research and advocacy.
• Sivil Düşler DerneğicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurkish civil society partner in Mapping the Unseen project documenting living heritage of Antakya's Dom community for community-led relocation.
• Istanbul Policy CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic 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

Direct 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/architecture-sans-frontieres-uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/asf_uk
• Xx.com/ASF_UK
• Facebookfacebook.com/architecture.frontieresuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Architecture Sans Frontieres UK