What JCA does

JCA (John Cooper Architecture) is a London-based international architectural practice founded in 2009 by John Cooper and Hrafnhildur Ólafsdóttir, specialising exclusively in the design of healthcare, research, and academic buildings. The firm delivers six integrated service lines — Architecture Services, Design, Masterplanning, Strategic Advice, Health Planning, and Consultation — covering the full lifecycle from strategic advisory and feasibility through to detailed design delivery. The practice operates as lead consultant or joint venture partner on complex hospital and research facility projects, with a domain methodology grounded in salutogenic (health-promoting) design principles, patient-centered navigation, daylight integration, modular construction planning (MMC) using an 8.4m grid, and therapeutic environment design.

The firm's project portfolio includes landmark commissions such as the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital in Johannesburg (the first purpose-built tertiary/quaternary paediatric hospital in Southern Africa, won through international competition), the Velindre Cancer Centre in Wales (33,000m2 greenfield hospital), the Royal Marsden Hospital new building in Chelsea, the St Mary's Hospital redevelopment (£240M+), the University of Iceland Faculty of Health Sciences (£65M), the Hôpital De La Tour Meyrin expansion in Geneva, and the Khalid Al Hasan Cancer Centre for Palestine. Geographic reach spans the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Iceland, Australia, Switzerland, and Palestine. Cumulative project value across the founders' careers exceeds £1.2 billion.

JCA generates revenue through professional services fees on individual projects, secured via international design competitions, NHS public sector procurement frameworks, and direct commissions from universities, private healthcare providers, and national healthcare authorities. Pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed. The firm holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and was awarded the SAIA Award of Merit (2018) for the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital, with John Cooper receiving the Susan Francis Design Champion Award (2024). The practice is privately held by its founding directors with no external institutional investment, operates with 11-50 employees from its London headquarters at 231 Vauxhall Bridge Road, and pursues thought-leadership positioning through John Cooper's role as Programme Director of the European Healthcare Design Congress.

Name

JCA

Legal name

John Cooper Architecture

Website

https://johncooperarchitecture.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

JCA is a London-based architectural practice founded in 2009, specialising exclusively in healthcare, research, and academic building design for NHS trusts, universities, national healthcare authorities, and private healthcare providers across the UK and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Full architectural services from strategic advice and master plans to complete architectural service for healthcare, research, and academic buildings. Revenue generated through professional fees for design, planning, and project delivery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

JCA is an architectural practice that designs healthcare, research, and academic buildings, delivering full-service architecture from concept and masterplanning through to construction-stage design. Its work is anchored in salutogenic and patient-centered design principles, and the firm combines architectural design with health-planning and strategic advisory services for hospitals, universities, and research institutions.

Product overview

JCA is a London-based architectural practice offering a comprehensive suite of services centered on healthcare, research, and academic building design. Their core offering consists of six interconnected service areas: Architecture Services (full architectural delivery), Design (humanist design approach), Masterplanning (development strategies), Strategic Advice (project advisory), Health Planning (clinical briefing), and Consultation (stakeholder engagement). The practice works as lead consultant or in joint venture, providing services from strategic advice and master plans through to full architectural delivery on complex healthcare projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Healthcare Architecture Services Full architectural design services for hospitals and clinical facilities, from concept through to construction-stage design, using salutogenic and patient-centered design principles. Delivered for NHS trusts, national health authorities, and private healthcare providers.
• Research Facility Architecture Architectural design of medical research, laboratory, and translational research buildings for universities, research institutes, and clinical-research programs.
• Academic Building Design Architectural design of academic, teaching, and learning spaces for universities and higher-education institutions, including buildings that integrate clinical, teaching, and research functions.
• Masterplanning Strategic masterplanning services for healthcare, academic, and research campuses, including site analysis, phased development strategies, and alignment with long-term institutional capital plans.
• Strategic Advisory and Health Planning Strategic advisory and health-planning consultancy that helps healthcare clients define clinical service models, operational workflows, and facility requirements prior to and during architectural design.
• Reframing Healthcare Manifesto A published manifesto articulating JCA's position on healthcare design, used to engage clients, policymakers, and the broader sector in conversation about the future of healthcare environments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects with combined value exceeding £1.2 billion delivered by the team
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 core and minor.

• SETE SA (Aris Serbetis)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Hôpital De La Tour Meyrin project in Geneva. JCA worked with SETE SA and De Planta Architectes for the extension to the Swiss private hospital, providing strategic advice, design development, and interior design strategy.
• De Planta ArchitectescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal architect collaboration on Hôpital De La Tour Meyrin project in Geneva, working with JCA on detailed design and interior design strategy in collaboration with the client and lead architect.
• Dar al OmrancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJordanian consultancy partnership for the Khalid Al Hasan Cancer Centre international competition win in 2016. Joint collaboration for Palestine's national cancer hospital.
• TBLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on University of Iceland Department of Health Sciences project. JCA in collaboration with TBL and Verkís won the design competition for the new facility.
• VerkíscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering consultancy partnership on University of Iceland project, working alongside TBL and JCA on the health sciences facility design competition win.
• Gilling DodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal architect collaboration on West Cumberland Hospital project, working with North Cumbria University Hospital NHS Trust and Laing O'Rourke.
• Sheppard Robson InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational architecture partnership for Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital commission, won together in international competition. JCA led the design team through briefing and schematic design stages.
• Gapp ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth African architecture firm partnership on Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital project, forming the complete design team with Sheppard Robson International.
• FCBS (Foster + Partners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssisted FCBS in winning the commission to develop an estates strategy for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, then worked up detailed proposals for St Mary's Hospital redevelopment.
• Stanton WilliamscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Stanton Williams on Royal Marsden Hospital design competition. JCA won the invited design competition and is working with Stanton Williams on the major new building for the Chelsea campus.
• NHSI/E (NHS Improvement/England)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince July 2021, JCA has collaborated with NHSI/E managing the second stage of the Cavell Centre programme, working with 6 pioneer projects to develop outline briefs for integrated care centers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 JCA