What Harris Irwin Architects does

Harris Irwin Architects (legally Harris Irwin Associates Limited, Company Number 05332633) is a UK specialist architectural practice focused on the design and delivery of residential, extra care, and dementia care homes. Re-established by Mike Irwin in 2012 in Richmond, North Yorkshire, the practice began operations under the Harris Irwin Architects brand in 2014 and has since completed over 50 major residential care projects for a roster of leading UK care home operators including Barchester Healthcare, Cinnamon Care Collection, Avery Healthcare, Hamberley Developments, Quantum Care, Exemplar Health Care, and Torsion Care. The practice also takes on selected projects in the leisure, equestrian, education, and housing sectors.

The core service offering spans the full architectural lifecycle — site assessment, feasibility, design development, planning submissions, and construction oversight — with interior design provided as an integrated add-on. Underlying technology centers on Building Information Modelling delivered through Revit, paired with fabric-first sustainable design methodologies (thermal performance, airtightness, passive solar gain, natural daylight) and an ISO 9001:2015 quality management system. The team of approximately 30+ staff includes architects, technologists, interior and graphic designers, supported by a Northumbria University degree apprenticeship pipeline that feeds RIBA Part 2 and Part 3 qualifications.

The business model is project-based professional services: fees are negotiated per engagement and tied to scope and complexity of each care home development. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales driven by long-term relationships and reputation within the later-living sector rather than broad marketing, with industry awards (Healthcare Design Awards, Knight Frank Luxury Care Home Guide) and professional referrals serving as the primary demand-generation channels. The practice opened a second office in Kingston upon Thames in 2025 to extend southern UK reach and recruited Clare Cameron as lead director for that location.

Name

Harris Irwin Architects

Legal name

Harris Irwin Associates Limited

Website

https://harrisirwin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harris Irwin Architects is a UK specialist architectural practice that designs and delivers residential, extra care, and dementia care homes for major care home operators, using BIM/Revit and sustainable design methods. It also serves leisure, equestrian, education, and housing sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

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)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG), Accessibility & Universal Design Consulting (HSABAJAB)

Keywords

• Care home architecture
• Dementia design services
• Extra care housing
• Later living design
• Residential care facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrogate

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Full-service architectural practice providing design and delivery of residential, extra care and dementia care homes. Revenue is generated through professional fees for architectural services from initial concept through to project completion.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Harris Irwin Architects is a UK-based architectural practice that designs and delivers residential, extra care, and dementia care homes for care home operators and developers. Services span site assessment, design development, planning submissions, and construction oversight. The practice also offers interior design for care environments and extends expertise to leisure, equestrian, education, and housing sectors.

Product overview

Harris Irwin Architects operates as a specialist architectural practice delivering a unified service focused on the design and delivery of residential, extra care, and dementia care homes. Their portfolio includes completed care home projects across the UK (Outram Fields, Esmere Gardens, Iverley View, Waterhouse Manor, Saxon Manor, Melwood Grange, Highfield, Moorhill Road, Burwood Grange, Heathland House, Bramshott Grange, York, Adanac Park) as well as a notable leisure project (Dales Bike Centre). The practice also offers interior design services as an add-on capability and extends its expertise to equestrian, education, and housing sectors. All services are underpinned by ISO 9001:2015 quality management accreditation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Care Home Architectural Design Services Full-service architectural design for residential, extra care, and dementia care homes, including site assessment, design development, planning submissions, and construction oversight. Targeted at major UK care home operators and developers.
• Interior Design Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 major residential care projects completed since inception in 2014
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northumbria UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership for degree apprenticeship program. Five apprentices (Alex, Bethany, Ebonnee, Rachel and Simon) are enrolled in Northumbria University's ARB-accredited Architect Degree Apprenticeship, a four-year part-time course including RIBA Part 2 and Part 3 qualifications. The practice works closely with the university to support apprentices in developing critical thinking, communication, and design expertise.
• Exemplar Health CareminorOthersProject partnership for care home development in Stroud, working alongside WSP, Stantec, AMENITY TREES LIMITED, HCTCC, and JC Consulting for this 38-bed care home for adults with complex needs.
• Dementia ForwardminorOthersCharitable partnership supporting dementia awareness and research. Harris Irwin staff completed a 19-mile trek raising £1,563 for the leading dementia charity for North Yorkshire, which provides support, advice and information to those affected by dementia.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Corstorphine & Wright: UK architectural practice with significant care home, healthcare and later-living work, including award-winning schemes for national care operators. Direct peer given overlapping care sector client base and design service offering.
• Pozzoni Architecture: UK-based architectural practice with a strong healthcare, extra-care and supported-living portfolio, working with major operators and developers. Comparable in services, client type, and design-led care specialism.
• PRP Architects (now part of Arcadis): One of the UK's most established healthcare and care home architectural practices, with a long track record of residential, extra-care and dementia care home design for major operators. Closest direct comparator to Harris Irwin in terms of care sector specialism and UK client base.
• Austin-Smith:Lord: UK architectural practice with a long-standing care home and later-living design portfolio, frequently featured in Healthcare Design Awards. Direct peer based on sector specialism, operator client base, and project scale.
• LSI Architects: UK architectural practice with healthcare, residential and care home experience, frequently shortlisted alongside Harris Irwin in Healthcare Design Awards. Direct peer in care sector design and UK client base.
• CDA Architects: UK architectural practice with a dedicated care home and later-living portfolio delivering dementia, nursing and residential care schemes for national operators. Comparable niche focus, client type, and project scale to Harris Irwin.

Broad incumbents

• AHR (formerly Aedas UK): Large UK-headquartered architecture and building services practice with a healthcare and residential portfolio that includes care home work for major operators. Broader incumbent — overlapping capability but not specialist-only.
• IBI Group / IBI Nightingale: International architecture and design firm with a dedicated healthcare practice that has delivered care home, hospital and senior living projects globally. Broader incumbent with overlap in care home and healthcare design.
• David Morley Architects: Established UK architectural practice with healthcare, residential and care sector projects. A broader incumbent with overlapping care home capability but a wider portfolio across sectors.

Others

• Stanton Williams: UK architectural practice with significant healthcare and residential care work, including dementia and later-living projects. Adjacent comparator given overlap in healthcare design quality and award recognition, but operating across broader sectors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harris-irwin-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/harrisirwinarchitects
• Xx.com/harrisirwinarch
• Facebookfacebook.com/harrisirwinarchitects

Compliance1 record

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 Harris Irwin Architects