What Acre Design does

Acre Design is a privately held residential architectural design studio headquartered in North Shields, UK, founded in 2014 and operating as Acre Design Ltd. The firm provides a complete concept-to-completion service for homeowners undertaking house extensions, loft conversions, refurbishments, and self-build projects across Newcastle, Northumberland, and North Tyneside. Its core deliverable spans an initial Needs and Options Review, planning application management (including conservation area and listed building expertise), 3D internal visualisations, technical drawings for building control, contractor tendering, and on-site coordination through to handover.

The practice uses Autodesk Revit-based BIM and 3D visualisation software to produce detailed internal imagery, virtual walkthroughs, and build-ready technical documentation for both client clarity and contractor pricing. Service delivery is managed by a small team of six, including founder Alistair Crerar, Senior Designer Matthew, Senior Architectural Designer Robbie Evans, Designer Marc, and Office Manager Laura, with each project coordinated end-to-end by the office. Acre Design holds LABC Registered Partner status and won the LABC Building Excellence Award 2022.

The revenue model is professional services fees charged per project, with a free 'Ask the Expert' consultation as the lead-generation mechanism and a paid Needs and Options Review stage as the first monetised step. The go-to-market is sales-led and direct-to-consumer, relying on the firm's website, organic content marketing (blog, portfolio, guides), local Google reviews, and social media (Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook) to attract inbound enquiries. The firm is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and operates exclusively within the North East England region.

Name

Acre Design

Legal name

Acre Design Ltd

Website

https://acredesign.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Acre Design is a North Shields-based residential architectural design studio that delivers concept-to-completion services, including extensions, loft conversions, refurbishments, and self-builds, for homeowners across Newcastle, Northumberland, and North Tyneside.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

North Shields

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Acre Design provides a complete concept-to-completion architectural design service for residential home extensions, refurbishments, and loft conversions. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for design, planning applications, technical drawings, and project management. They offer staged services including Needs and Options Review, concept design, planning submission, building control drawings, and full project support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Acre Design is a residential architectural design studio that provides a complete concept-to-completion service for home extensions, loft conversions, refurbishments, and self-build projects across Newcastle, Northumberland, and North Tyneside. The offering includes a structured Needs and Options Review, planning application preparation, 3D internal visualisations, technical drawings, and contractor coordination. Services are delivered by a small in-house team with revenue generated through professional design fees.

Product overview

Acre Design is an award-winning residential architectural design studio offering a complete concept-to-completion service for home transformations. The core offering centers on house extension design (rear, side, and double-storey extensions), loft conversions, refurbishments, and self-build projects. The service portfolio is structured around their Needs and Options Review initial consultation, followed by planning application management, 3D internal visualisations, technical drawings, and contractor coordination. The company uses advanced 3D design software (Revit) to create detailed visualisations and build-ready technical drawings, providing a fully managed service from early design advice through to construction documentation and on-site support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• House Extension Design Architectural design services for residential house extensions including rear, side, and double-storey extensions, managed from concept through to completion for homeowners in Newcastle, Northumberland, and North Tyneside.
• Loft Conversion Design Architectural design services for converting unused loft spaces into bedrooms, home offices, or hobby rooms with skylights and roof windows, for residential homeowners.
• Refurbishment Design Complete redesign and refurbishment services for residential properties, transforming existing homes to improve functionality and aesthetics, for homeowners.
• Self-Build Design Architectural design services for bespoke self-build homes, from initial concept through to planning and construction documentation, for self-build homeowners.
• Needs and Options Review Initial paid design review stage presenting clients with multiple layout options, budget considerations, and design choices, delivered with a detailed PDF and explainer video before committing to a final design direction.
• Planning Application Service Preparation and submission of planning applications to local authorities on behalf of homeowners, with expertise in conservation areas and listed buildings.
• Technical Drawings and Building Control Packages Comprehensive technical drawings and specifications produced for building control approval and contractor pricing, ensuring build-ready documentation for residential projects.
• 3D Internal Visualisations Detailed 3D internal images and virtual walkthroughs that allow clients to experience their space before construction, showing natural light, proportions, finishes, and how the layout works for everyday living.
• Contractor Coordination and Tender Management On-site support and contractor coordination services, including tender management and contract administration through to final handover for residential build projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000+ completed residential projects across Newcastle, Northumberland, and North Tyneside
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Pollard Thomas Edwards: A UK architectural practice focused on housing, regeneration, and residential-led design — overlaps Acre's residential client base but operates at a much larger, often public-sector project scale.
• Foster + Partners: A large global architecture practice with a UK office and broader portfolio of large-scale cultural, commercial, and residential projects — comparable at the industry-services level but operating far above Acre Design's scale and niche.
• Allies and Morrison: A long-established UK architecture practice with strong residential, heritage, and conservation expertise — overlaps Acre's segment at the heritage/architectural services level but covers a much broader and higher-value project mix.
• Glenn Howells Architects: A UK architectural practice with residential, masterplanning, and hospitality work — comparable industry adjacency and BIM-led delivery, though operating at materially larger project scale.

Direct peers

• Haworth Tompkins: A UK architectural practice with significant residential, heritage, and conservation work alongside theatre and cultural projects — closely overlaps Acre's residential/regeneration methodology and conservation expertise.
• Resi: A UK-based, tech-enabled residential architectural design firm that specialises in home extensions, loft conversions, and refurbishments — directly comparable to Acre Design's core service line and customer segment.
• PRP Architects: A UK architectural practice with deep specialism in residential design, including large-scale housing for housing associations — similar residential focus to Acre Design but oriented to volume/regeneration clients rather than private homeowners.

Others

• Yeoman Rainguard: A UK rainwater systems specialist that Acre Design formally partners with to integrate guttering and downpipes into residential extension designs — adjacent supplier rather than competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acredesign

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Acre Design