Oberlanders
Oberlanders is a UK architectural practice founded in 1983 and headquartered in Edinburgh, operating eight studios that deliver design, masterplanning, interior, and sustainability services across 12 sectors for public and private clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersEdinburgh, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Oberlanders does
Oberlanders is a UK architectural practice founded in 1983 and headquartered in Edinburgh, operating as Oberlanders Group LLP. The firm delivers architectural design, masterplanning, interior design, visualisation, sustainability advisory, wellbeing consulting, and principal designer services across 12 sectors, including healthcare, science and technology, education, residential, government and defence, conservation, and leisure. Its workload spans both public and private clients delivered through eight UK studios located in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Ardgay, Galashiels, Bristol, London, and Oxford.
The practice generates revenue through project-based professional fees sourced from competitive tenders, invited competitions, framework agreements, and repeat client engagements. Notable long-tenured relationships include a 25-year partnership with footwear retailer Schuh alongside ongoing NHS trusts, universities, and government bodies served across science, healthcare, and education portfolios. Disclosed major commissions include the £1bn Edinburgh BioQuarter masterplan, a £40m project at Queen Mary University, and a £32m Institute of Genetics scheme, alongside recent awards in 2024 and 2025.
The firm is privately held with no external funding and operates at a scale of 11-50 employees. Its technical stack is built around standard architectural BIM tooling with BIM Level 2 verification; no proprietary AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. The practice holds RIBA chartered status and has accumulated multiple industry awards through 40+ years of continuous operation. Recent strategic activity has centred on the 2023 merger with Leslie Hutt, new studios in Bristol, London, and Oxford, and framework/affiliate positions with Alliance Leisure and the IDeA Network (via Perkins and Will).
Oberlanders firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Oberlanders
- Legal name
- Oberlanders Group LLP
- Website
- https://oberlanders.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Oberlanders is a UK architectural practice founded in 1983 and headquartered in Edinburgh, operating eight studios that deliver design, masterplanning, interior, and sustainability services across 12 sectors for public and private clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Oberlanders industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
Keywords
Where Oberlanders is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edinburgh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
Oberlanders business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architectural Design Services: Project-based professional services revenue from architectural design, masterplanning, interiors, and visualisation services across commercial, public, and residential sectors
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Oberlanders product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Oberlanders is an architectural practice delivering professional architectural services through seven integrated service areas: Architectural Design, Sustainability, Masterplanning & Placemaking, Interiors, Visualisation, Wellbeing, and Principal Designer services. These services are applied across twelve sectors including healthcare, science and technology, residential, education, workplaces, energy, civic/community/arts, leisure, retail and hospitality, government and defence, industrial and agriculture, and conservation and heritage. The practice serves public and private sector clients across the UK from studios in Edinburgh, Ardgay, Bristol, Galashiels, Glasgow, Inverness, London, and Oxford.
Product overview
Oberlanders is an architectural practice offering a comprehensive range of architectural and design services. The core offering consists of seven integrated service areas: Architectural Design, Sustainability, Masterplanning & Placemaking, Interiors, Visualisation, Wellbeing, and Principal Designer services. These services are applied across diverse sectors including Science + Technology, Healthcare, Residential, Workplaces, Energy, Education, Civic/Community + Arts, Leisure, Retail + Hospitality, Government and Defence, Industrial + Agriculture, and Conservation + Heritage. Projects range from individual buildings to large-scale masterplans, with the practice serving clients across the UK.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Tillydrone Affordable Housing achieves gold standard sustainability certification and first in Aberdeen to achieve this standard
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Oberlanders
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments12 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Oberlanders technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Oberlanders partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Perkins and Will (IDeA Network)coreCollaborative partnership through the IDeA Network for project delivery. Oberlanders was appointed by Perkins and Will to support delivery of the Deloitte Future of Work offices project in Edinburgh, playing a crucial role in site delivery and coordination. This partnership enables cross-practice collaboration on major projects.
- Alliance LeisurecoreOberlanders appointed as supply partner to the UK Leisure Framework managed by Alliance Leisure. This framework appointment marks a new chapter in leisure design and enables access to public sector leisure projects across the UK through a established procurement framework.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Oberlanders competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Austin-Smith:Lord: UK architecture practice with strong heritage, conservation, and public-sector portfolio including healthcare and education. Closely comparable in scale, sector mix, and direct competition for UK public tender opportunities, particularly in Scotland and the North of England.
- Sheppard Robson: UK architectural practice with healthcare, education, science, and workplace portfolios. Comparable sector mix and competing for similar large-scale public and private commissions including healthcare and research facilities.
- Purcell Architecture: UK heritage and conservation-focused architectural practice with strong public-sector client base. Closely comparable to Oberlanders' conservation/heritage and education portfolios and competing for similar heritage-sensitive public commissions.
- Reiach and Hall Architects: Edinburgh-based architectural practice comparable in size and sector coverage (education, healthcare, cultural, residential). Direct competitor in the Scottish market with similar public-sector orientation and award-winning portfolio.
- Allies and Morrison: London-based mid-sized architectural practice with comparable mixed-sector portfolio spanning residential, education, cultural, and workplace. Direct competitor for UK mid-scale commercial and public commissions, with similar BIM and sustainability credentials.
- Haworth Tompkins: UK practice specialising in theatre, cultural, education, and heritage sectors with comparable project-based fee model. Direct competitor for cultural and heritage commissions, particularly in England, with similar sustainability and BIM capabilities.
- Page\Park Architects: Scottish-based architectural practice of comparable size serving heritage, conservation, education, and community sectors. Directly comparable regional competitor with similar portfolio breadth and public-sector orientation, competing for the same Edinburgh and Glasgow public commissions.
Broad incumbents
- Foster + Partners: Global architectural practice with UK heritage, cultural, and science portfolios. Overlaps with Oberlanders' heritage, conservation, and high-profile research facility work but at much larger scale; competes for landmark commissions rather than routine sector work.
- BDP (Building Design Partnership): Major UK architectural and engineering practice operating across healthcare, education, science, residential, and workplace. Overlaps materially with Oberlanders' healthcare and science portfolios but at significantly larger scale, competing for the largest NHS and university framework commissions.
Others
- Perkins and Will: Global architectural practice and Oberlanders' partner through the IDeA Network. Relevant as a strategic collaborator (Oberlanders delivered the Deloitte Future of Work offices on Perkins and Will's behalf) and as a peer in the UK science/healthcare market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Oberlanders social profiles
Digital presenceOberlanders compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Oberlanders financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Oberlanders leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Oberlanders funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Oberlanders 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 Oberlanders
What does Oberlanders do?
Oberlanders is an architectural practice delivering professional architectural services through seven integrated service areas: Architectural Design, Sustainability, Masterplanning & Placemaking, Interiors, Visualisation, Wellbeing, and Principal Designer services. These services are applied across twelve sectors including healthcare, science and technology, residential, education, workplaces, energy, civic/community/arts, leisure, retail and hospitality, government and defence, industrial and agriculture, and conservation and heritage. The practice serves public and private sector clients across the UK from studios in Edinburgh, Ardgay, Bristol, Galashiels, Glasgow, Inverness, London, and Oxford.
Is Oberlanders a public or private company?
Oberlanders is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Oberlanders founded?
Oberlanders was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Oberlanders based?
Oberlanders is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Oberlanders make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Design Services.
Who are Oberlanders's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Austin-Smith:Lord, Sheppard Robson, Purcell Architecture, Reiach and Hall Architects, Allies and Morrison, Haworth Tompkins and Page\Park Architects. Broad incumbents are Foster + Partners and BDP (Building Design Partnership). Perkins and Will is listed as an others.
Does Oberlanders have an API?
No public API is recorded for Oberlanders.
What industry is Oberlanders in?
Oberlanders's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services. Its NAICS code is 541310 and its SIC code is 8700.