What Build Studios does

Build Studios is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1195529) and not-for-profit company limited by guarantee (Company Reg 10054109), founded in 2016 and headquartered at 203 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7FR. It operates as a hub for the built environment sector, combining affordable coworking space, education programmes, and community events to address diversity and access gaps in architecture, planning, and engineering. Its wholly owned trading subsidiary, Build Workspace Limited (Reg 13630677), runs the coworking operation and gifts all profits back to the parent charity to fund outreach work.

The organisation serves three core constituencies: built-environment startups and small businesses (currently 29 member firms including architects, planners, sustainability consultancies, and digital practices such as DASH, Gbolade Design Studio, and airc.digital); young people and students reached through school-based programmes such as the Careers Enrichment Programme (Year 7 at Oasis Academy Southbank) and the newer Healthy Homes Project (Year 6 Lambeth primaries); and under-represented groups in the sector, particularly women (via the Making Space for Women network) and BAME professionals (via the Alternative Practice community). Programmes have reached 300+ young people in 2025, up from 91 during the 2021 pandemic period.

The business model is a hybrid of trading income and grant funding. Build Workspace generates recurring membership revenue through tiered subscriptions: fixed desks at £120–£478/month (1–5 days/week), flexible desks at £38/day, boardroom hire at £30–£50/hour, and a Virtual Office product launched January 2024. Grants from the Walcot Foundation, Lambeth Council's Social Value Fund, and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (£23,558 RE:Purpose capital grant in 2024) capitalise the workspace and educational programmes. Distribution is direct, community-led, and London-only, supported by strategic partnerships with Museum of Architecture, WeAreWaterloo BID, Thornton Education Trust, and Lambeth Council.

Name

Build Studios

Legal name

Build Studios Limited

Website

https://buildstudios.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Build Studios is a UK registered charity operating Build Workspace, an affordable coworking space in London for built environment startups, alongside education programmes that have reached 300+ young people to address diversity and access gaps in the sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Co-working Space and Charitable Education Services

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Design Camps (Visual Arts, Crafts, Design Thinking) (EDAMALAH)

Keywords

• Co-working space
• Built environment
• Charitable education
• Affordable workspace
• Careers outreach

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Co-working Membership Fees: Build Workspace provides affordable co-working space for start-ups and small businesses in the built environment sector. Revenue is generated through various membership tiers including flexible desks, fixed desks, and part-time options. All profits fund Build Studios' charitable work.
2. Event Space and Meeting Room Hire: The organization generates revenue from hiring out board rooms and meeting spaces to members and external clients for events and meetings.
3. Grant Funding: Build Studios receives grant funding from Lambeth Council's Social Value Fund, Walcot Foundation, and RE:Purpose capital grants from UK government through UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
4. RE:Purpose Capital Grant: Awarded £23,558 from UK government through UK Shared Prosperity Fund, in partnership with Lambeth Council and Greater London Authority, for workspace enhancements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Build Studios operates an affordable co-working workspace through its subsidiary Build Workspace, providing flexible desks, fixed desks, virtual office, and meeting/event space for start-ups and small businesses in the built environment sector. Its charitable arm delivers educational outreach programmes (Careers Enrichment Programme, Healthy Homes Project, Alternative Practice, Making Space for Women) aimed at inspiring young people from diverse backgrounds to enter built environment careers. All workspace profits fund the charity's outreach and education work.

Product overview

Build Studios is a charity hub for the built environment offering a co-working space through its subsidiary Build Workspace, alongside educational programmes and community events. The portfolio includes Build Workspace providing flexible, fixed, and virtual office memberships; the Careers Enrichment Programme introducing young people to built environment careers; Alternative Practice community events for students and young workers; and Making Space for Women networking events. Build Studios operates as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee (Reg 10054109), while Build Workspace (Reg 13630677) is its wholly owned trading subsidiary.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Build Workspace: The workspace company that provides affordable co-working space for start-ups and small businesses in the built environment sector. All profits fund Build Studios' charitable work.

Products and services

• Build Workspace Co-working Memberships Affordable co-working workspace for start-ups and small businesses in the built environment sector, offered through a wholly owned subsidiary under flexible desk, fixed desk (full or part-time), and guest pass packages. All profits fund Build Studios' charitable outreach and education programmes.
• Board Room Hire Meeting room seating 8-10 people (COVID-capacity 4), available at £30/hour for members and £50/hour for non-members, with free allocation for fixed desk members. Offers meeting refreshments at £25 per booking.
• Event Space Hire Hire of the Build Studios venue for external events, with catering, audio visual technology, and event planning support provided.
• Careers Enrichment Programme Educational programme introducing young people (Year 7 students at Oasis Academy Southbank) to the built environment and showcasing a wide range of career opportunities through practical tasks and inspirational talks from industry professionals.
• Healthy Homes Project Educational workshops for Year 6 students in Lambeth exploring how homes protect us, materials science, heat and energy concepts, and net zero homes, delivered in partnership with Lambeth Council's Social Value Fund.
• Alternative Practice A community and event series for students and young workers exploring alternative practice within the built environment, challenging traditional boundaries of the sector through workshops and panel discussions.
• Making Space for Women Networking group for women in the built environment, co-founded by WeAreWaterloo BID and Build Studios, providing informal networking opportunities and a forum for debate on diversity and inclusion in the sector.
• Virtual Office Virtual office service providing a professional office address and mailbox for remote workers, available from January 2024. Must be combined with a flexible desk membership; one month's notice required.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ young people reached and supported in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WeAreWaterloo BIDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeAreWaterloo BID is a Business Improvement District that co-founded Making Space for Women networking events with Build Studios and Build Workspace. They collaborate on events including the Alternative Practice series and community engagement initiatives in the Waterloo area.
• Museum of ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum of Architecture partners with Build Studios to produce educational content for schools programmes, including careers enrichment materials and School for Creative Thinkers curriculum. They co-host events and workshops at Build Studios.
• Build PartnershipscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuild Partnerships collaboration enhances business support services available to Build Studios members through free workshops, networking activities, and discounted business development services. Includes monthly Lunchtime Learning series and Opening Doors events.
• Thornton Education TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThornton Education Trust runs the Inspire Future Generations Awards and partners with Build Studios on Alternative Practice - a community of students and young workers exploring alternative practice in the built environment. Build Studios' Phoebe Morgan works there as intern.
• Architecture SocialminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture Social partners with Build Studios to deliver free CV and portfolio reviews for professionals in the built environment sector, run by founder Stephen Drew.
• Baker Street Quarter PartnershipminorOthersPenny Alexander, chief executive of Baker Street Quarter Partnership, joined Build Studios' board as a director, bringing 20 years of BID industry experience.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Impact Hub London: Impact Hub is a global network of impact-focused coworking and innovation hubs. Impact Hub London shares Build Studios' mission of combining workspace with community impact programming, offering comparable target segments and event-driven engagement models.
• Second Home: Second Home operates curated, design-led coworking spaces in London and beyond, with a strong cultural and creative ecosystem focus. Its sector-curated community model and event programming closely mirror Build Studios' curated built environment community.
• Makerversity: Makerversity is a London-based makerspace and creative enterprise community providing workspace, prototyping tools, and education. Its blend of physical workspace, education, and community programming is structurally similar to Build Studios' dual focus on workspace and careers outreach.
• The Trampery: The Trampery operates a network of social-enterprise coworking spaces across London aimed at supporting purpose-driven start-ups and underserved founders. Both organizations combine affordable workspace with programs that target underrepresented communities, making it the closest model peer to Build Studios.
• Huckletree: Huckletree operates UK coworking spaces with a focus on startups in creative and impact-driven sectors. Its community-curated approach and event programming align closely with Build Studios' member experience and event-led model.
• Runway East: Runway East is a UK startup-focused coworking operator providing flexible and fixed desks across London. Its target audience of early-stage companies and product packaging (desk + community + events) matches Build Studios' core member offering.
• Somerset House Studios: Somerset House Studios provides affordable studio space for artists and creative practitioners alongside a public programming and exhibitions program. The model of subsidizing creative practitioners in a landmark cultural building parallels Build Studios' subsidizing built environment start-ups and charities.
• Shared Studios: Shared Studios operates a global network of community-driven spaces and creative programming hubs. Its mission of connecting communities through physical and digital experiences parallels Build Studios' community-building ethos.

Broad incumbents

• The Office Group (TOG): TOG is a major UK flexible workspace operator with multiple London buildings. As a scaled incumbent offering coworking and meeting rooms, it represents the primary commercial competitive benchmark for Build Workspace's pricing and product mix.
• WeWork: WeWork is the largest global coworking operator with multiple London locations. While serving a broader, less curated audience, it is the principal commercial benchmark for centralized coworking pricing and member experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/buildstudios
• Instagraminstagram.com/buildstudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/build-studios

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Build Studios