Pilbrow and Partners

What Pilbrow and Partners does

Pilbrow and Partners is an architecture and urban design studio founded in London in 2013 by Fred Pilbrow (formerly design partner on the Francis Crick Institute at HOK and PLP). Operating as Fred Pilbrow & Partners Limited, the firm delivers full-service architecture, masterplanning, interior design, BIM/visualisation, environmental analysis, and research services across healthcare, cultural/civic, commercial workplace, residential, life sciences, and mixed-use masterplan sectors. Its 60+ person, partner-led team is structured around specialist resources in town planning, parametric modelling, digital twin technology, environmental analysis, and interactive VR visualisation, and includes an in-house model workshop and dedicated AI-driven design optimisation tools applied to form-finding and layout studies.

The firm is project-based and revenue is generated through professional fees on commissioned work, acquired primarily via competitive tendering, invited competitions, and client referrals. Named clients include UCLH (Phase 5 ENT facility), Marks & Spencer (458 Oxford Street flagship), the Francis Crick Institute, Knight Dragon (Greenwich Peninsula), Diageo/Guinness (St James' Gate, Dublin), Imperial College London (One Portal Way masterplan), EDGE Technologies (London Bridge sustainable tower), and Imperial College Healthcare Trust (St Mary's Paddington trauma hospital). International commissions extend to Cyprus (Archaeological Museum, Nicosia), Ireland (St James' Gate, Dublin), and Saudi Arabia (The Spring, Aseer).

Pilbrow and Partners monetises through individually quoted, multi-year project commissions with no public pricing tiers; contracts are secured with developers, NHS trusts, local authorities, educational institutions, and private clients. The practice positions itself on research-driven design, evidence-based sustainability (documented outcomes include 64.6% carbon reduction at Bishops Avenue Gardens and 54.8% at Kilmuir House), and heritage restoration expertise, supported by an extensive award record spanning Civic Trust, World Architecture Festival, NLA, BCO, AJ, and RIBA-aligned recognitions from 2015 through 2026.

Name

Pilbrow and Partners

Legal name

Fred Pilbrow & Partners Limited

Website

https://pilbrowandpartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Pilbrow and Partners is a London-based architecture and urban design studio (founded 2013, 60+ staff) delivering masterplanning, building design, heritage restoration, and interior design services to developers, NHS trusts, universities, and private clients across the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, and Saudi Arabia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Engineering Services (541330)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Urban planning
• Building information modeling
• Heritage restoration
• Sustainable architecture design

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Full-service architecture firm providing masterplanning, building design, heritage restoration, and interior design services across residential, commercial, civic, healthcare, science, and mixed-use sectors. Revenue generated through professional fees on commissioned projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pilbrow & Partners is an architecture and urban design studio providing commissioned professional services across masterplanning, building design, heritage restoration, interior design, BIM and visualisation, environmental analysis, and research. Projects span residential, commercial, civic, cultural, healthcare, science, education, and mixed-use developments. Revenue is generated through professional fees on commissioned projects acquired via tendering, competitions, and referrals.

Product overview

Pilbrow & Partners is an architecture and urban design studio offering a unified service portfolio centred on architectural design. The practice operates across six integrated service areas: Architecture (covering civic, cultural, heritage, masterplanning, mixed-use, residential, science, health, and workplace sectors), BIM and Visualisation (using digital twin technology and interactive VR), Environmental Analysis (sustainable and climate-resilient design), Research (combining sustainable building practices with innovative technologies), Interior Design (for residential, commercial, and hospitality), and Urban Planning (creating resilient development frameworks). Projects range from high-density mixed-use masterplans to radical workplaces, ultra low-carbon buildings, and cultural venues, including landmark projects such as UCLH Phase 5 (healthcare), The Kensington Building (retrofit workplace), EDGE London Bridge (sustainable office), One Portal Way (town centre masterplan), and Soho Theatre Walthamstow (cultural venue).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Core architecture and urban design service covering civic, cultural, heritage, hospitality, masterplanning, mixed-use, residential, science, health, and workplace sectors, delivered to developers, local authorities, NHS trusts, educational institutions, and private clients across the UK and selectively internationally.
• BIM and Visualisation Building Information Modelling and 3D visualisation service using digital twin technology and interactive virtual reality for design development, optimisation, and stakeholder communication. Delivered internally across the firm's projects and aligned with the practice's specialist resources including BIM Coordinator, BIM Manager, Head of Modelshop, and Head of Visualisation roles.
• Environmental Analysis Sustainable and climate-resilient design service assessing site conditions, energy consumption, and environmental impact to optimise natural light, ventilation, and thermal comfort across projects. Led by the firm's Head of Environmental Analysis.
• Research Research-driven architectural service combining sustainable building practices and innovative technologies to understand user needs, cultural influences, and urban planning regulations, supporting evidence-based design across the firm's commissions.
• Interior Design Interior design service for residential, commercial, and hospitality projects working from base build through to detailed layout, lighting, and material palette specifications.
• Urban Planning Urban planning service creating resilient development frameworks through in-depth site analysis and coherent visions for physical and social spaces, applied across masterplans such as One Portal Way (201,300 sqm GEA) and The Waterman (26,500 sqm GEA).

Quantifiable outcome

• UCLH Phase 5 achieved 80% energy performance improvement vs original building (Soho Theatre)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered contractor, pro-bono, academic, key client and consultant.

• Mace GroupcontractorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 November 2022Contractor partner connected through EDGE London Bridge project collaboration. Mace provided connections to electrical, MEP, and washroom subcontractors for Hackney Night Shelter renovation project, with both companies volunteering time and resources.
• Zettelerpro-bonoStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Creative communications agency that helped procure donations of furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) for Hackney Night Shelter renovation project as pro-bono support.
• Unit 7 Architecture Students, London Metropolitan UniversityacademicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Architecture students led by David Grandorge assisted with carpentry and construction of new openings for Hackney Night Shelter, transforming the space through volunteer effort.
• EDGE Technologieskey clientStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for EDGE London Bridge project - one of the UK's most sustainable tall buildings. EDGE is a pioneering real estate developer focused on sustainable office developments. The 28-storey tower targets BREEAM Outstanding and WELL Platinum certifications.
• U+Ikey clientStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner for St James' Gate brewery masterplan in Dublin - transforming the Guinness site into a mixed-use urban district while retaining industrial heritage. U+I is a property development and regeneration company.
• Ashby Capital / Janson Urbankey clientStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment manager Ashby Capital and developer Janson Urban partnered for The Kensington Building - retrofit of former Pontings department store on Kensington High Street. Project achieved BREEAM Excellent and WELL Gold certifications.
• ArupconsultantTechnology or IntegrationEngineering consultancy partner working on 458 Oxford Street M&S flagship project, developing additional material reuse strategies in post-tensioned vault ceilings to reduce environmental impact.
• The Francis Crick Institutekey clientStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient for workplace reconfiguration project - transforming the working environment of the institute's 250-strong support team. Europe's largest biomedical research facility accommodating 1,500 scientific staff.
• Imperial College Healthcare Trustkey clientStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient for St Mary's Hospital Paddington new trauma hospital project - assisting with SOC application to Department of Health and Treasury for major new facility serving west London.
• Knight Dragonkey clientStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner for The Waterman - key residential aspect of Greenwich Riverside masterplan. The project comprises 269 new homes and public amenities at the heart of a new urban district on the Greenwich Peninsula.
• U+I (Central Research Laboratory)key clientStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient for The Powerhouse project at The Old Vinyl Factory in Hayes - designing the new home for U+I's Central Research Laboratory, a co-working venture drawing on EMI works history.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Allies and Morrison: London-based architecture and urban design practice with comparable size, masterplanning expertise, and heritage/conservation credentials. Directly competes for the same developer and local authority commissions in London.
• Foster + Partners: London-based global architecture and integrated design practice. Most directly comparable UK peer of similar pedigree, scale, and sectoral reach (commercial towers, masterplans, cultural, healthcare), and a primary competitor for the same high-prestige commissions.
• David Chipperfield Architects: London-based architecture practice with comparable cultural, heritage, and civic project portfolio (museums, galleries). Direct competitor for cultural/heritage commissions like Cyprus Archaeological Museum and Soho Theatre Walthamstow.
• AHMM (Allford Hall Monaghan Morris): London-headquartered architecture practice of comparable scale, with strong portfolio in commercial workplace, mixed-use, and healthcare — directly overlapping Pilbrow's workplace (EDGE London Bridge competitor) and healthcare segments.
• WilkinsonEyre: London-based architecture practice with comparable scale and expertise in commercial workplace, transport, and cultural buildings. Competes for similar developer-led mixed-use and tall building commissions.
• Grimshaw Architects: London-founded international architecture practice with comparable transportation, masterplanning, and workplace credentials. Direct competitor on large-scale mixed-use and transport-adjacent developments similar to One Portal Way and St James' Gate.
• Bennetts Associates: London-based architecture practice with comparable size and strong portfolio in cultural, education, and commercial sectors. Directly competes for cultural, civic, and workplace commissions of similar scale.
• Heatherwick Studio: London-based design studio with comparable size and design-led, research-driven methodology. Competes for landmark cultural, civic, and commercial commissions with similar focus on craft, materiality, and human-scale experience.

Broad incumbents

• Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF): Major international architecture practice specializing in tall commercial buildings and mixed-use towers (e.g., EDGE London Bridge-type projects). Larger incumbent with overlapping commercial and sustainable design expertise.
• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): Globally significant design practice with strong tech-forward, sustainability-led positioning that mirrors Pilbrow's value proposition. Larger and broader incumbent competing for the same international mixed-use and tall building commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pilbrow-and-partners
• Instagraminstagram.com/pilbrowandpartners
• Xx.com/pilbrowandp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Pilbrow and Partners