William Saunders

What William Saunders does

William Saunders is a UK-based multi-disciplinary practice of architects, engineers, and construction professionals operating as Wm Saunders Partnership LLP from its registered headquarters in Newark, Nottinghamshire (company registration OC308323), with a regional office in Leeds serving Yorkshire and the North of England. The firm provides an integrated suite of professional services including architecture, civil and structural engineering, project management, CDM consultancy, BIM and 3D digital modelling, building surveying, Clerk of Works, NEC4-accredited supervisor services, cost consultancy, quantity surveying, interior design, and Principal Designer services. Projects span commercial, industrial, education, leisure, retail, residential, heritage, regeneration, and infrastructure sectors, with documented contract values ranging from approximately £1.2m (Birstall Footbridge) to £6.3m (Castle House, Newark) on the construction value basis, and a customer base that includes local authorities (Newark and Sherwood, Sheffield, Leeds), universities (University of Nottingham), and enterprise clients (DB Cargo UK, Waitrose, UNITED CAPS, The Car People, Priority Sites).

The firm's underlying technology stack centers on digital design integration: Building Information Modelling (BIM) and 3D digital modelling enable coordinated design delivery between architectural and engineering disciplines, while Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and CNC manufacturing are deployed for timber cassette fabrication to micro tolerances in controlled factory environments. The BlokBuild timber structural system, deployed at the Castle Hill School ReWorks project in 2023, demonstrates capability in steel-free low-carbon structural design, and the firm's modular housing delivery with Premier Modular at Leeds Meynell evidences off-site manufacturing competence. Notably, no AI/ML capability, proprietary software product, or platform architecture is documented; the technology layer is conventional professional-services digitization rather than a defensible software asset.

William Saunders earns revenue through professional service fees negotiated project-by-project on a scope and complexity basis, with no public pricing or standardized rate card. The go-to-market motion is direct enterprise field sales via competitive tendering, framework agreements (YorBuild, Bolsover Homes), repeat public-sector commissions, and developer-led speculative project partnerships. Distribution is regional and UK-domestic, with the firm pursuing projects across the East Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, West Midlands, South West, and London. Marketing relies on a professional website, limited organic social presence, and industry-event participation (notably MIPIM via Team Lincolnshire and Midlands Engine), supplemented by RIBA student mentoring and ICE East Midlands outreach, with no evidence of digital marketing scale or inbound lead generation.

Name

William Saunders

Legal name

Wm Saunders Partnership LLP

Website

https://wm-saunders.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1846

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

William Saunders is a UK multi-disciplinary architectural and engineering practice (LLP) headquartered in Newark with a regional office in Leeds, providing integrated architecture, civil and structural engineering, project management, BIM, and surveying services to local authorities, universities, and commercial clients across sectors including industrial, education, residential, retail, and heritage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural and Engineering Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Architectural Services (541310), Engineering Services (541330)

akta.pro primary industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA), Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Structural engineering consulting
• Building information modelling
• Project management consultancy
• Construction design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

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. Professional Services - Architecture: Providing comprehensive architectural services across all sectors including concept design, planning, and construction administration for commercial, residential, education, leisure, and industrial projects.
2. Civil and Structural Engineering Services: Engineering design services delivered as part of integrated project delivery or as standalone consultancy, including structural design, civil engineering, and specialist services such as NEC Supervisor.
3. Project Management and Consultancy: Project management, CDM consultancy, Clerk of Works, building surveying, and quantity surveying services provided as separate or bundled professional service engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

William Saunders is a multi-disciplinary practice that delivers architectural, civil and structural engineering, and related construction professional services (project management, CDM consultancy, BIM, building surveying, Clerk of Works, NEC supervision, cost/quantity surveying, interior design, Principal Designer) to clients across all sectors. The firm combines architecture and engineering under one roof to provide integrated, BIM-coordinated design and construction oversight for commercial, residential, education, leisure, retail, industrial and heritage projects, with specialist expertise in modular construction and sustainable timber structural systems.

Product overview

William Saunders is a multi-disciplinary practice of architects, engineers and related construction disciplines providing comprehensive professional services to clients across all sectors. The company operates as a unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Services include Architecture, Civil and Structural Engineering, Project Management, CDM Consultancy, BIM (Building Information Modelling), Building Surveying, Clerk of Works, NEC Supervisor, Cost Consultancy, Quantity Surveying, Interior Design, and Principal Designer services. The company serves sectors including Industrial, Commercial, Education, Leisure, Heritage and Community, Residential, Retail, and Regeneration and Infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Architectural design services delivered across residential, commercial, industrial, education, leisure, retail and heritage projects, from concept and planning through construction administration.
• Civil and Structural Engineering Civil and structural engineering design services for buildings, infrastructure and specialised structures, including structural design, civil engineering and NEC Supervisor duties.
• Project Management Project management services overseeing construction projects from concept through completion.
• CDM Consultancy Construction Design and Management (CDM) consultancy services ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations.
• Building Information Modelling (BIM) BIM services using advanced 3D digital modelling techniques to coordinate structural and architectural models for construction projects.
• Building Surveying Building surveying services including condition surveys and assessment reports.
• Clerk of Works Clerk of Works services for quality control and construction oversight on site.
• NEC Supervisor (NEC4 Accredited) NEC4 Accredited Supervisor services for construction projects using the NEC contract framework.
• Cost Consultancy Cost consultancy services for project budgeting and financial management across construction projects.
• Quantity Surveying Quantity surveying services for construction cost estimation and contract administration.
• Interior Design Interior design services for commercial and residential spaces.
• Principal Designer Principal Designer services ensuring compliance with Building Regulations and the Building Safety Act.

Quantifiable outcome

• Castle House achieved BREEAM Excellent accreditation with expected energy savings of £500,000 per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BlokBuildcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2023Collaboration on Castle Hill School ReWorks Project using Blokbuild timber structural system. Innovative timber structural system enabled meeting complex constraints and supported low carbon build without steel, achieving sustainable construction goals.
• Turner & TownsendminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 21 September 2021Working with Turner & Townsend on Sheffield City Council housing development in Birley, providing civil and structural engineering design services.
• Network SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2019Partnership with Network Space on Ashroyd Business Park development in Barnsley. William Saunders providing Structural and Civil Engineering Services for five new industrial units. Development delivered speculatively in partnership with Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council.
• GF TomlinsonminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 18 September 2019Principal contractor for Ashroyd Business Park development, with William Saunders providing engineering services.
• United LivingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2019Principal contractor for UK's largest fully modular council housing development at Leeds Meynell. Partnership with United Living, Premier Modular, and William Saunders Architects enabled accelerated delivery through YorBuild framework. 28 homes to be constructed in under 9 months.
• Premier ModularcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2019Off-site manufacturer producing modular housing units for Leeds Meynell project. Manufacturing facility in Brandesburton, East Yorkshire. Partnership enabled construction of entire modules off-site with brickwork cladding and finishing touches added before transportation.
• Priority SitescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Priority Sites on speculative commercial and industrial developments including Exchange Court Corby (£1.95m) and Victoria Business Park Biddulph (£2.1m). Multiple schemes completed helping create approximately 240 jobs.
• Team Lincolnshire / Midlands EngineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipation in Team Lincolnshire exhibiting as part of Midlands Engine at MIPIM 2017, the global property and real estate show in Cannes.
• YorBuild FrameworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeeds Meynell development procured under YorBuild framework, enabling accelerated delivery through partnership approach between United Living, Premier Modular, William Saunders Architects and Leeds City Council.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Curtins: UK structural and civil engineering consultancy with regional offices and a comparable mid-market positioning, delivering integrated design services to public-sector, education, commercial and residential clients across England.
• Bond Bryan Architects: Northern-based multi-disciplinary architecture and engineering firm offering integrated design, BIM and project management across education, residential, commercial and heritage sectors. Highly comparable on geography, sector mix and integrated service model.
• Pick Everard: UK mid-sized multi-disciplinary practice combining architecture, structural engineering, project management and surveying, with a similar headcount and East Midlands/Midlands client base. Directly comparable in scale, service mix and public-sector exposure to William Saunders.
• Cundall: UK-headquartered multi-disciplinary engineering and sustainability consultancy with offices across the UK and internationally, providing structural and civil engineering, BIM and sustainable design services to similar public and private sector clients.
• Waterman Group: UK-based engineering and environmental consultancy providing structural and civil engineering, building services and project management across commercial, residential, education and infrastructure sectors, with overlapping service lines to William Saunders.

Broad incumbents

• Building Design Partnership (BDP): Larger UK-headquartered international multi-disciplinary practice of architects, engineers and designers delivering integrated design across the same sectors as William Saunders. Operates at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Mott MacDonald: Global engineering, management and development consultancy with deep UK presence in infrastructure, buildings, transport and environmental sectors. Overlaps with William Saunders on building engineering, project management and BIM-led delivery but at far greater scale.
• AHR: UK-headquartered international architecture and building consultancy (formerly Aedas) providing architecture, engineering and design services across commercial, education, residential and leisure sectors. A scaled-up competitor with overlapping service offering.
• Arup: Global engineering and design consultancy with major UK practice delivering structural engineering, architecture, BIM and sustainability services across buildings, infrastructure and cities. Highly relevant broader incumbent with overlapping technical capabilities.
• WSP: Global professional services consultancy providing engineering, design and project management across property, transport, environment and energy. Competes for the same public and private sector mandates as William Saunders but with vastly larger resourcing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wmsaundersLLP

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 William Saunders