Create Design & Architecture

What Create Design & Architecture does

Create Design & Architecture (CREATE) is a privately-held, multidisciplinary architecture and planning practice founded in 2012 in London by Matthew Williams. The firm operates across four studios — London (headquarters), St. Austell in Cornwall (established 2018, created via the acquisition of Lipscomb Jones Architects), Braga in Portugal (2019), and St Julians in Malta — serving UK and EU clients in residential, education, healthcare, hospitality, pharmaceutical, film/media, and public-sector segments. Its service portfolio spans six integrated disciplines: Architecture, Town Planning, CDM & BSA 2022 Principal Design, Landscape Design, Interior Design, and Drone Surveys/CGI/BIM.

The practice's technology stack is anchored by BIM Level 2 certification using ARCHICAD, BIMx, and SOLIBRI, supplemented by an in-house bespoke BIM environment, LiDAR-equipped drone survey capability (registered to UK Government Point Cloud data), high-resolution CGI rendering, and live interactive 3D models for web and VR review. CREATE holds specialist compliance credentials under the Building Safety Act 2022 and is APS-registered as a Principal Designer practice, a regulatory position that has translated into six Building Safety Regulator Gateway 2 approvals at a 100% success rate.

CREATE is a fee-for-service professional services firm. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements with property developers, housing associations, educational institutions, government bodies, and private individuals, with no standard public pricing. Go-to-market is direct, enterprise-field engagement supported by reputation, referrals, and repeat business. Distribution is delivered through the four-studio model. Notable enterprise clients include Ealing Studios (carbon-negative redevelopment, BREEAM Outstanding March 2026), IPE Developments, Network Homes, Starwood Capital, Savills, Southern Housing, and the Government of Malta. The firm commits to RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge and UN Race to Zero, with a town planning arm operating across 21 local planning authorities reporting a 90%+ application success rate and a 100% appeal success rate in 2025 (versus a 31% UK national average).

Name

Create Design & Architecture

Legal name

Create Design & Architecture

Website

https://createdesign.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CREATE Design & Architecture is a London-headquartered, multidisciplinary architectural and planning practice operating from four studios in London, Cornwall, Portugal, and Malta, serving UK and EU property developers, housing associations, educational institutions, and government clients with integrated architecture, town planning, BSA principal design, landscape, interior, and BIM/drone services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture, Planning and Building Safety Consultancy

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC), Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Town planning consultancy
• Building safety consultancy
• Landscape architecture design
• Drone survey mapping

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Fee-for-service architectural design, planning applications, heritage buildings, sustainable design, and SEND school buildings across UK and EU markets
2. Town Planning Consultancy: Independent planning consultancy managing projects across 21 local planning authorities in London, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest England with 90%+ success rate
3. CDM & BSA Principal Design Services: Principal designer services for construction projects including Higher Risk Residential Buildings (HRBs) and recladding remediation projects under Building Safety Act 2022

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CREATE is a multidisciplinary architecture and planning practice delivering integrated design, planning, and building safety services from concept through to completion. Core offerings span architecture, town planning consultancy, CDM and BSA 2022 Principal Design, landscape architecture, interior design, and technology-enabled services including BIM Level 2, drone LiDAR surveys, CGI visualization, and VR-ready interactive models. Projects serve residential, commercial, education, public sector, and remediation clients across the UK and EU.

Product overview

Create Design & Architecture is a multidisciplinary architecture and planning practice offering an integrated service portfolio across six core disciplines: Architecture, Town Planning, CDM & BSA Principal Design, Landscape Design, Interior Design, and Drone Surveys/CGI/BIM. The practice operates from four studios (London, Cornwall, Portugal, and Malta) and provides services from initial concept through to completion. The practice also offers a pro bono program called Architecture Café. The architecture service serves as the primary offering, supported by town planning consultancy (managing projects across 21 local planning authorities), principal designer services under Building Safety Act 2022, and specialized technology services including BIM, CGI visualization, and drone surveys. Projects span residential, commercial, educational, healthcare, and hospitality sectors, with notable focus on sustainable and low-carbon design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CREATE South West: Regional studio serving South-West England, based in St. Austell, Cornwall.
• CREATE Europe

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full architectural design services covering sustainable and low-carbon design, heritage and listed buildings, building remediation, BIM, feasibility studies, residential design, SEND school buildings, and urban regeneration. Services are delivered for property developers, housing associations, educational institutions, and private clients across the UK and EU.
• Town Planning Services Independent planning consultancy offering site assessments, heritage consultations, planning applications, appeals, and multi-project support across 21 local planning authorities in London, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest England, with a 90%+ application success rate and 100% appeal success in 2025 (against a 31% national average). Delivered for developers, architects and design practices, housing associations, educational institutions, and public sector clients.
• CDM and BSA Principal Design Construction Design and Management (CDM) and Building Safety Act (BSA) 2022 Principal Designer services for Higher Risk Residential Buildings (HRBs) above 18 metres and lower-risk buildings, including Gateway process applications. CREATE has achieved six BSR Gateway 2 approvals at a 100% success rate and is progressing projects through Gateway 3. Service is offered to building owners, management companies, and developers navigating post-Grenfell building safety remediation.
• Landscape Design Landscape architecture services covering landscape design reports, construction supervision, urban landscape regeneration, planning-stage design, tender specification, and sustainable landscape design for private, residential, education, and public realm projects. Services are delivered alongside the practice's architectural and town planning portfolio for developers, housing associations, education, and public sector clients.
• Interior Design Interior design services delivering sustainable and creative design solutions from concept through to completion, covering concept design, quality control, tender information, furniture fixtures and equipment (FF&E), and product information. Delivered for commercial, pharmaceutical (Combino Pharm, Medichem), film and media, education, and residential clients including high-end refurbishments.
• Drone Surveys, CGI and BIM Services Technology services including high-resolution CGI and animated graphics using bespoke textures from local materials, drone surveys using LiDAR airborne mapping processed in-house and registered to Government Point cloud data, live interactive 3D models for web browser and VR exploration, and BIM Level 2 certified services across all RIBA stages using ARCHICAD, BIMx, and SOLIBRI with a bespoke in-house BIM environment. Used to support architecture, planning, and visualisation deliverables for internal projects and clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90%+ planning application success rate across hundreds of applications
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Green Business Action LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit initiative advising London-based SMEs on their journey to Net Zero. Through this partnership, CREATE enrolled on the Better Futures Programme, a government initiative for educating SMEs on reducing carbon footprint.
• Climate EssentialsminorOthersSoftware platform designed to help SMEs measure, manage, reduce, and report carbon emissions. Used by CREATE to establish current carbon footprint and develop reduction strategy.
• Planet AminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSustainability consultants working with CREATE to audit energy consumption, establish carbon footprint, and develop detailed Net Zero plan.
• Sustain QualityminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSustainability consultants collaborating with CREATE on carbon footprint auditing and Net Zero strategy development.
• SME Climate HubcoreOthersUN-backed initiative through which CREATE pledged to halve emissions by 2030 and reduce emissions by 90% by 2040, supporting the Race to Zero Campaign.
• Race to Zero CampaigncoreOthersUN-backed global campaign. CREATE is a proud supporter, committing to keeping global warming to 1.5°C through carbon reduction pledges.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• JTP (John Thompson & Partners): UK multidisciplinary practice covering architecture, masterplanning, and placemaking with strong housing association and public sector focus. Highly comparable to CREATE's integrated architecture + planning + community engagement model and sustainability positioning.
• Feilden+Mawson: Multidisciplinary UK practice covering architecture, interior design, and heritage across education, residential, and cultural sectors. Comparable to CREATE's multi-studio structure, education/residential mix, and integrated architecture + interior design service model.
• Pollard Thomas Edwards (PTE): UK residential and regeneration architecture practice with strong housing association and urban planning credentials. Closely comparable to CREATE in target client base (housing associations, local authorities), residential-led project mix, and London headquarters with regional delivery.
• Levitt Bernstein: UK architecture and urban design practice with strong housing association, SEND/specialist education, and sustainability credentials. Closely comparable to CREATE in residential and SEND education focus, sustainability leadership, and planning-led delivery model.
• Mikhail Riches: Award-winning London architecture practice specializing in sustainable residential design, housing, and Passivhaus-standard projects. Directly comparable to CREATE's residential, sustainability, and housing association focus with a similarly sized team and awards profile.
• Haworth Tompkins: Independent UK architecture practice with strong performing arts, cultural, and residential portfolios. Comparable to CREATE in independent ownership structure, awards profile, and London-headquartered mid-sized practice positioning.
• Karakusevic Carson Architects: London-based architecture practice specializing in public sector housing, masterplanning, and regeneration for councils and housing associations. Closely comparable to CREATE's housing association and residential masterplanning focus, with strong planning and placemaking integration.

Broad incumbents

• Purcell Architecture: Established UK heritage and conservation architecture practice with strong education, civic, and cultural portfolios. Comparable to CREATE's heritage building expertise and education sector presence, though operating at larger scale and with deeper heritage specialization.
• Allies and Morrison: One of the UK's largest architecture practices with a strong residential, masterplanning, and public sector portfolio. Comparable to CREATE in serving housing associations, developers, and planning-led work, but at materially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Emerging players

• Bureau de Change Architects: Independent London architecture practice known for design-led residential, cultural, and commercial projects. Comparable to CREATE in independent ownership and sustainability focus, though with greater emphasis on high-profile cultural rather than housing association work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/create_design_architecture
• Xx.com/CreatedesignLtd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/create-design-architecture

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Create Design & Architecture