A Small Studio

What A Small Studio does

A Small Studio is a London-based architecture and urban design practice specialising in site-specific, responsive projects across residential, commercial, urban, and community sectors. Founded in 2014 and headquartered at 6 Norwood High Street in South London (West Norwood), the firm operates with a deliberately small team of approximately six people, guided by an explicit ethos of quality over growth. Its core service portfolio comprises full architectural services (residential refurbishments, extensions, new-builds, and conservation work), urban design and high-street regeneration, commercial space design, and community-focused public engagement. A signature technical differentiator is its Sustainable Material Library, which demonstrates site-responsive craft and circular-economy methods, alongside distinctive detailing such as the 'Oak Woodland Wrap' threshold element applied to its award-winning Woodland Wrap project.

The firm monetises primarily through fee-based professional services delivered to three customer segments: private residential clients (long-tail, smaller commissions), local government bodies (notably Lambeth Council, Islington Council, and the Greater London Authority on programmes such as Making High Streets Work and Climate/Inclusive Growth), and academic institutions (Kingston, Greenwich, Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt universities) for teaching and research collaborations. Pricing is quote-based with multi-year contracts typical for larger commissioned programmes, while smaller public installations have been priced as low as £1,000. A small but notable branded consumer product — the trademarked 'A Small Bat Pack' charitable starter kit for bat-friendly habitats — contributes a modest retail revenue stream with 20% of proceeds donated to the Bat Conservation Trust.

The studio has cultivated a strong reputational position through repeated industry recognition, including Dezeen's Emerging Architect of the Year longlist (2020), the Architecture Foundation's New Architects 4 selection (2021), the NLA Urban Oasis Prize (2023), and shortlisting for the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2025. Distribution is primarily direct, relying on a portfolio website, professional networks, and competitive tendering for public-sector commissions. The firm has extended its footprint beyond the UK into Kenya, Colombia, Greece, and the United States through research collaborations and exhibition work, though its commercial base remains concentrated in London and South East England.

Name

A Small Studio

Legal name

A Small Studio

Website

https://asmallstudio.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

A Small Studio is a London-based architecture and urban design practice of ~6 staff, specialising in site-specific residential, commercial, urban regeneration, and community engagement projects. It serves private homeowners, local councils (Lambeth, Islington), and academic institutions, with no external funding.

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional architectural services for residential and commercial projects including full architectural services from feasibility through to site management.
2. Research and Teaching: Academic research collaborations with universities and teaching engagements at architecture schools.
3. Community Engagement Services: Public engagement and community consultation services for local authorities and urban regeneration projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

A Small Studio is a London-based architecture firm providing full architectural services across residential refurbishments, extensions and new-builds, urban design and landscape projects, commercial space design, and community-focused public engagement. The studio delivers site-specific, responsive projects with a strong emphasis on materiality, sustainability, and participatory co-design with local communities and stakeholders.

Product overview

A Small Studio is an architecture firm in London offering a portfolio of design services including residential architecture (homes, refurbishments, extensions, new-builds), urban design, commercial space design, and community engagement projects. The studio specializes in site-specific, responsive architecture with a commitment to sustainability and materiality. Key offerings include the A Small Bat Pack (a charitable consumer product for bat habitat creation), public engagement and co-design workshops, and teaching/research collaborations with universities. The studio also undertakes high-profile projects such as Venice Biennale pavilions and urban regeneration initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Homes (Residential Architecture) Residential architectural design services for private clients, including renovations, extensions, interior design and new-build homes, covering period properties and conservation-area projects across London.
• Urban Design Urban research, planning and landscape design services for local authorities and community partners, including high-street regeneration, parklets, bat highways and sustainable urban drainage projects.
• Commercial Space Design Design services for commercial and business spaces including co-working spaces, local bookshops and hospitality venues.
• Community Projects Socially inclusive, accessible community-focused architectural projects including mosaic rooms, pavilions, bird-watching observatories and public installations developed with local communities.
• Public Engagement Services Community engagement, co-design workshops, digital consultations and public participation initiatives supporting urban design and planning projects for local authorities and partners.
• A Small Bat Pack A charitable starter kit product designed to help consumers convert outdoor spaces into bat-friendly habitats, including DIY manuals for insect hotels, ponds, bat-friendly planting and compost heaps. 20% of proceeds are donated to the Bat Conservation Trust.
• Teaching and Research Academic collaborations and educational services including teaching at architecture schools, research partnerships with universities and curriculum development in landscape architecture and urbanism.

Quantifiable outcome

• 552 rosemary plants distributed at Car Free Day, offsetting up to 552 kilos of carbon equivalent to 1650 miles of petrol fuel
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.

• Architecture FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected by the Architecture Foundation as part of their 'New Architects 4' series in 2021, recognizing the studio as emerging architectural talent.
• Wajukuu Art Collective (Nairobi)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKenyan community arts collective from Mukuru informal settlement, collaborating on Shared Grounds British Pavilion for Venice Biennale 2025. Bringing expertise in rubble reuse, auto-construction and land stability.
• Constance Smith (University of Manchester)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisual anthropologist from The University of Manchester, co-curating Venice Biennale 2025 project exploring materiality and temporality of urban landscapes.
• James MuriukiflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKenyan artist and curator focused on material transformation of cities, co-leading workshops and producing audio-visual installations for Venice Biennale 2025.
• Station to Station BIDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness Improvement District for West Norwood & Tulse Hill, ongoing collaboration on high street regeneration projects including ChooSE27 and The Power of Norwood High Street.
• Lambeth CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLondon Borough of Lambeth, commissioning various urban design and community engagement projects including ChooSE27, Re-imagining Hannen Road, and Making High Streets Work.
• Bat Conservation Trust (BCT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with urban ecologist Jo Ferguson from BCT to develop Bat's Highway project and A Small Bat Pack charitable product. 20% of Bat Pack sales contributed to BCT.
• Greater London Authority (GLA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGLA funded 'Making High Streets Work' scheme challenging local communities to promote vibrant local economies, resulting in ChooSE27 platform.
• Kingston UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeaching and research partnership including Landscape Interface Studio (LIS), Interreg IVC waterway projects, and teaching across architecture and landscape programmes.
• University of GreenwichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration on Re-imagining Hannen Road with Landscape Architecture School, and Centre for Spatial and Digital Ecologies project.
• Heriot-Watt UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on resilience and landslide risk management in informal settlements in Colombia through Global Challenges Research Fund projects.
• University of EdinburghcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewton Fund research partnership on Medellín Urban Innovation (MUI) and resilience projects in informal settlements.
• Islington CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned Car Free Day installation as part of PARK(ING) DAY celebration, won the competition with carbon-offsetting concept.
• Nonsense DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Car Free Day installation project under the name Small/Nonsense.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Architecture for London: Small London practice focused on sustainable, detail-driven residential and small commercial projects. Comparable in size, sustainability/materiality ethos, and London residential client mix.
• Assemble: London-based, community-led architecture and design collective known for participatory projects (e.g. Granby Four Streets, Turner Prize). Directly comparable to A Small Studio's co-design methodology, community engagement focus, and small-team ethos with public-sector and cultural clients.
• Jan Kattein Architects: Small London practice specialising in community engagement, public realm, and co-design-led urban projects. Highly comparable on size, methodology, and council/BID-style client base.
• Proctor & Matthews: Award-winning UK practice with comparable scale and a portfolio spanning residential, community, and regeneration projects. Similar RIBA-chartered credentials and a comparable mix of public-and-private client work.
• AOC Architecture: London practice specialising in community-engaged architecture, education, and public-realm projects. Comparable operating model: small studio, participatory co-design methodology, and a similar mix of public-sector and cultural clients.
• Pitman Tozer: London-based practice focused on housing, community architecture, and neighbourhood regeneration with strong public-sector credentials. Comparable mix of council-led briefs, residential work, and a value-driven design ethos.
• Mae Architects: London practice with a strong sustainability and community-engagement orientation, working on residential, education, and neighbourhood regeneration projects. Comparable in scale, values-led positioning, and London-based public-and-private client mix.

Broad incumbents

• Haworth Tompkins: Established London practice with comparable material/craft focus and a portfolio spanning residential, cultural, and community projects. Larger and more established than A Small Studio but overlapping on values and project typologies.
• Studio Egret West: London architecture and urban design practice with a portfolio spanning mixed-use, residential, and public-realm projects. Comparable urban-design and masterplanning capability, though operating at a larger scale.
• LDA Design: UK-wide urban design, landscape, and masterplanning consultancy with a substantial public-sector client base. Comparable on urban design, landscape, and regeneration services, though materially larger and broader in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/a_small_studio_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/a-small-studio-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 A Small Studio