Lathams

What Lathams does

Lathams is a UK-based architecture and urban design practice (legal entity: Derek Latham & Co Limited) founded circa 1988 and operating as an Employee Ownership Trust. The firm employs 11-50 people (15 named individuals across the team) and maintains three offices in Nottingham (headquarters), Derby, and London. Its core proposition is evidence-based contextual design delivered through small multi-disciplinary teams combining architecture, planning, urban design, conservation, regeneration, interior design, and landscape design capabilities.

The practice's service portfolio spans six integrated disciplines: Architecture, Urbanism, Interior Design, Planning, Heritage and Conservation, and Landscape Design. These are delivered across full project stages from site analysis and feasibility through planning applications, listed building consent, technical design, tendering, and construction administration. The technical specialisation centres on securing planning permission in sensitive contexts (green belt, conservation areas, Paragraph 80 exceptional circumstances) and on the creative re-use and conservation of historic buildings, including Grade II and II* listed structures. Project values range from £170,000 to £35 million, covering bespoke residential, heritage restoration, urban regeneration, and educational facility work.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees tied to construction value and project scope, with clients distributed across local authorities (Derby City Council, Birmingham City Council, Sheffield City Council, Derbyshire Dales District Council), educational institutions (University of Nottingham), charitable trusts (Wirksworth Heritage Centre Trust, Wicksteed Charitable Trust, Canal and River Trust), private developers, and private residential clients. Go-to-market is primarily through competitive tendering, direct appointments, and reputation-driven referrals built over 35+ years of operation. The firm has no disclosed funding, no external investors, and no subsidiaries.

Name

Lathams

Legal name

Derek Latham & Co Limited

Website

https://lathams.uk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lathams is a UK Employee Ownership Trust operating as an architecture and urban design practice across Nottingham, Derby, and London. It delivers evidence-based contextual design, heritage conservation, and planning services to public-sector, private, and charitable clients across England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture & Urban Design Services

NAICS

Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236115), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

SIC

Operative Builders (1531)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Luxury / High-End Home Construction (IMAFABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Housing Development, Construction & Rehabilitation Programs (BPAIANAB)

Keywords

• Architecture services
• Urban design
• Heritage conservation
• Planning consultancy
• Landscape design

Headquarters

HQ city

Derby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Project-based professional services revenue from architecture, urban design, planning, conservation, and interior design services. Revenue is generated through one-time project fees for design, planning, and construction phase services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Lathams is an architecture and urban design practice that designs new buildings, masterplans, and public realm projects, and delivers specialist conservation, planning, interior design and landscape design services. The firm is structured around integrated disciplines (Architecture, Urbanism, Interiors, Planning, Heritage & Conservation, Landscape) delivered in small multi-disciplinary teams, with particular emphasis on securing planning consent in sensitive contexts and the creative re-use of historic, underused or under-performing assets. Projects are delivered on a project-fee basis for private clients, local authorities, educational institutions, and charitable trusts across England.

Product overview

Lathams is a multidisciplinary architecture and urban design practice offering integrated design services. The core offering comprises Architecture Services, Urbanism Services, Interior Design Services, Planning Services, Heritage and Conservation Services, and Landscape Design Services. These disciplines work together in small multi-disciplinary teams to provide a fully integrated design process, specialising in evidence-based contextual design, planning consent in sensitive contexts, and sustainable re-use of historic and underperforming buildings. The practice serves clients across residential, commercial, cultural, and community sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-service architectural design covering all project stages from site analysis and feasibility studies, through concept design, planning applications, listed building consent, technical design, building regulations approval, tendering, construction administration and project handover, for residential, commercial, community and heritage clients.
• Urbanism Services Urban design and planning services including creation of policy, strategy and urban design guidance, masterplans for urban and rural areas, townscape and visual assessments, heritage assessments, and design guides/codes for Local Authority areas or specific sites.
• Interior Design Services Bespoke interior design services for residential, conservation and commercial projects, delivered alongside the architecture team to provide holistic design solutions from concept development through technical and joinery design, graphics and styling.
• Planning Services Specialist planning services including securing planning permission for projects in sensitive contexts, pre-application submissions, and navigation of complex planning processes for clients in green belt, conservation areas and other sensitive locations.
• Heritage and Conservation Services Historic environment consulting with specialist heritage skills covering listed building consent, conservation area consent, heritage impact assessments, and the creative re-use and restoration of historic buildings, led by AABC-accredited Conservation Architect expertise.
• Landscape Design Services Landscape architecture integrated with architecture and urban design projects, including biodiversity enhancements, sustainable drainage features, and public realm improvements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Learning Space project nominated for Architect's Journal Award 2019 for Project of the Year (under £250k)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Purcell Architecture: UK heritage architecture practice specialising in listed buildings, conservation, and adaptive reuse. Closely comparable to Lathams in heritage-led commissions, sensitive context expertise, and public/cultural sector clients.
• Feilden Fowles: RIBA-award winning architecture practice with strong contextual design ethos and heritage/cultural commissions. Similar scale and reputation-driven GTM in the UK architecture market.
• Allies and Morrison: Established London architecture and urbanism practice working across sensitive sites, heritage, and masterplanning. Comparable in multi-disciplinary approach and contextual design ethos, though larger in scale.
• Donald Insall Associates: Specialist conservation architecture practice with deep heritage credentials and Historic England working relationships. Closely comparable niche and client base to Lathams' heritage/conservation work.
• Buttress Architects: Manchester-based heritage and conservation architecture practice with awards track record. Comparable in regional heritage focus and listed building expertise.
• JTP (John Thompson & Partners): Architecture and urbanism practice with strong masterplanning and contextual design credentials. Comparable multi-disciplinary model and similar public/private client mix.
• Proctor & Matthews Architects: Birmingham-based architecture and urbanism practice with conservation expertise and contextual design ethos. Comparable in regional UK focus and sensitive context specialism.
• Cullinan Studio: RIBA-award winning practice with heritage, sustainability, and contextual design focus. Comparable in evidence-based design approach and conservation-led ethos.
• Levitt Bernstein: Architecture and urban design practice with heritage, housing, and public realm expertise. Comparable in multi-disciplinary team structure and public sector client base.
• Haworth Tompkins: Award-winning architecture practice with theatre, heritage, and cultural sector expertise. Comparable scale and contextual design approach, with similar sensitive site specialism.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/lathams.uk
• Xx.com/lathamstweet

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

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

Frequently asked questions about Lathams