Oliver Chapman Architects

What Oliver Chapman Architects does

Oliver Chapman Architects (trading as OCA Studio) is an employee-owned architecture practice founded in Edinburgh in 1997 by Oliver Chapman, who passed away in March 2024. The firm operates from a studio at Codebase on Edinburgh's Lady Lawson Street (relocated in 2025 after 15 years on St Mary's Street) with a team of approximately 10-15 staff including Directors, Associates, Project Architects and Architectural Assistants. Services span the full RIBA work stages, from feasibility and community engagement through to detailed design and technical delivery, with particular specialisms in heritage conservation, sustainable retrofit (Passivhaus and EnerPHit standards), community-led co-design, and ecologically-driven residential work.

The practice serves a diversified client base across Scotland — including NHS Highland, Scottish Canals, multiple housing associations (Berwickshire, Scottish Borders, East Lothian, Highland Housing Alliance), heritage trusts (Edinburgh World Heritage, Fife Historic Buildings Trust, Robert Burns Ellisland Trust), local authorities, and private residential clients, with occasional commissions in London and Nottinghamshire. Notable projects include the RIBA National Award-winning Egg Shed Visitor and Community Centre at Ardrishaig, the North Sutherland Health & Social Care Hub in Tongue, the Tron Kirk intervention on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, and the 800-year-old St Monan's Auld Kirk conservation.

OCA generates revenue through professional services fees tied to project-based commissions, acquired via direct engagement, competitive tendering for public sector work, and referrals. The practice transitioned to employee ownership in early 2023 and is run by Director Martin Lambie alongside Associates Anna McLuckie and Catriona Liggat, with Project Architect Rachel Leatherbarrow joining in 2025. The firm holds RIBA Chartered Practice, RIAS Chartered Practice, ARB registration, Passivhaus accreditation, and is a signatory of Architects Declare.

Name

Oliver Chapman Architects

Legal name

Oliver Chapman Architects Ltd

Website

https://ocastudio.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OCA Studio is an employee-owned Edinburgh architecture practice founded in 1997, specialising in heritage conservation, Passivhaus sustainable design, and community-led co-design. It serves public-sector bodies, housing associations, heritage trusts, and private residential clients across Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Heritage building conservation
• Sustainable architecture design
• Community-led architecture
• Residential renovation design

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Professional architectural services including design, planning, technical documentation, and project delivery for residential, community, healthcare, and heritage projects. Revenue generated through project-based fees for architectural services across all RIBA work stages.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Oliver Chapman Architects (OCA Studio) is an Edinburgh-based architecture practice delivering professional architectural design, planning, technical documentation, and project delivery services across all RIBA work stages. The practice specialises in heritage conservation, sustainable design (including Passivhaus and EnerPHit standards), and community-led design, serving private homeowners, community trusts, housing associations, NHS bodies, and local authorities throughout Scotland.

Product overview

OCA Studio is an architecture practice offering design and consultancy services rather than a software product company. Their service portfolio spans community buildings (healthcare hubs, heritage centres, community halls), residential projects (home renovations, extensions, conversions), heritage conservation work, and community engagement/co-design services. The practice emphasizes sustainable design, Passivhaus standards, and ecological architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design and Project Delivery Services
• Heritage Building Conservation and Restoration
• Sustainable and Passivhaus Design Services
• Community Engagement and Charrette Services
• Residential Architecture and Home Renovation Architectural services for private residential clients including renovations, extensions, dormer conversions, retrofit projects, and heritage home restorations in conservation areas and listed properties across Edinburgh and Scotland.
• Healthcare and Supported Housing Design Architectural design for healthcare and social care facilities including GP surgeries, care homes, community nurse bases, and supported housing for people with support needs, delivered for NHS trusts and housing associations.

Quantifiable outcome

• RIBA National Award 2021 for The Egg Shed project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wildland Ltd for NHS HighlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCA Studio is working with Wildland Ltd for NHS Highland on the North Sutherland Health & Social Care Hub in Tongue - a significant healthcare project combining a 15-bed care home, GP service, and community nurse base.
• Scottish CanalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Scottish Canals delivering multiple projects including The Egg Shed Visitor Centre (Ardrishaig), Lock 16 Canalside Community Hub (Falkirk), Caledonian Canal Camping Pods, and Kelpies Visitor Facilities.
• Edinburgh World Heritage TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with Edinburgh World Heritage Trust on internal adjustments to the Tron Kirk on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, creating new exhibition space with supporting retail area for this historic Category A-listed building.
• Fife Historic Buildings TrustcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with Fife Historic Buildings Trust on St Monan's Auld Kirk conservation project, working alongside Munro Allison conservation architects.
• Berwickshire Housing AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Todlaw Supported Housing in Duns - 14 semi-detached houses and shared services facility for people with support needs, working with Scottish Borders Council, NHS, and Community Integrated Care.
• Scottish Borders Housing AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Rose Court affordable housing development in Galashiels - 10 new homes arranged in a crescent on the edge of the Langlee estate.
• East Lothian Housing AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on The Courier residential conversion project - converting derelict former maltings into 14 affordable low energy modern apartments in Haddington, working with Whiteadder Developments.
• Highland Housing AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Scotland's Housing Expo in Inverness - rural housing prototypes designed with affordable housing budget and energy efficiency focus.
• Space to Grow MoffatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with local charity Space to Grow Moffat to convert former free church into creative workspaces for community use.
• Robert Burns Ellisland TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppointed by the Trust to undertake architectural options appraisal for conservation and future use of Ellisland Farm - Category A-listed farmstead built by poet Robert Burns in Dumfries and Galloway.
• Coulter Community TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloping restoration proposals for Coulter Library - a historic building at the heart of the village.
• Laggan Church PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigh-level feasibility study exploring potential future uses for Category B-listed Laggan Church.
• Livingston Free ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloping future vision for the church supporting increased worship capacity, improved community facilities, and safer outdoor amenity.
• Astley Ainslie Community TrustcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLeading a team to help develop spatial framework, feasibility study and business plan for community ownership of the Astley Ainslie Hospital site in Edinburgh. Team includes Athena Solutions, HarrisonStevens, Michael Collins Architect, and others.
• Coalfields Regeneration TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed team for Kincardine charrette - community design events organised by Coalfields Regeneration Trust with support from Fife Council. Team includes Kevin Murray Associates, Wave Particle, HarrisonStevens, and others.
• Dunfermline Heritage PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed DesignDunfermline2018 - series of public events for Dunfermline Heritage Partnership funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund and Scottish Government.
• Sapienza University of RomeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnna McLuckie and Oliver Chapman participated in seminar with Architecture department at Sapienza University of Rome. The Egg Shed project formed part of a unit investigating 3D design and technology.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 7N Architects: Edinburgh-based architectural practice with portfolio across education, community, residential, and heritage projects in Scotland. Comparable firm scale and multi-sector, public sector-tilted brief.
• Stallan-Brand: Glasgow-based architecture and design practice working across residential, cultural, and adaptive reuse projects in Scotland. Comparable firm profile with overlapping heritage/conservation and contemporary intervention work.
• Anderson Bell + Christie: Long-established Scottish architectural practice with multi-sector expertise including heritage, residential, and community projects. Comparable firm size and regional focus make it a natural comparable for OCA.
• Page\Park Architects: Glasgow-based architecture practice of comparable size with deep heritage, community, and conservation portfolio across Scotland. Direct overlap with OCA in community-led design, listed building work, and sustainable design ethos.
• Reiach and Hall Architects: Edinburgh-based architectural practice with strong portfolio across cultural, civic, educational, and healthcare sectors in Scotland. Comparable scale and multi-sector brief closely aligned with OCA's project mix.
• Collective Architecture: Glasgow-based architecture practice with strong portfolio in residential, community, and education sectors. Similar scale and explicit focus on socially purposeful architecture closely mirrors OCA's positioning.
• Simpson & Brown: Edinburgh-based heritage architecture specialists with deep expertise in conservation of historic and listed buildings. The closest direct peer to OCA in terms of heritage conservation specialism within Scotland.

Broad incumbents

• Haworth Tompkins: Award-winning UK architectural practice with strong heritage, theatre, and cultural building portfolio. Comparable ethos around conservation-driven contemporary design, though operating at larger scale.
• John McAslan + Partners: Larger UK architectural practice with significant heritage and cultural sector portfolio including Edinburgh projects. Comparable specialism in conservation and adaptive reuse but at materially greater scale and geographic reach.
• Purcell: UK-wide heritage architecture practice with extensive listed building and conservation portfolio. Comparable to OCA in heritage specialism but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ocastudio.co.uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ocastudio-co-uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/ocastudio.co.uk
• Pinterestpinterest.com/oca_studio
• Xx.com/ocarchitects_

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oliver Chapman Architects