What Citizens Design Bureau does

Citizens Design Bureau is a London-based architecture and interior design practice founded in 2013 by Katy Marks. It specialises in cultural, civic, and community-led projects across the UK, with a portfolio spanning heritage buildings, public-sector housing, museums, theatres, and creative-industry hubs. Notable completed projects include the £6m Manchester Jewish Museum renovation, the £4.1m Talent House creative hub (opened by the Mayor of London in 2022), and a Passivhaus infill-housing programme for Hackney Council that is being replicated across multiple sites. The practice has received BD Public Building Architect of the Year 2022, RIBA National Awards in 2023 and 2026, and a 2026 RIBA Stirling Prize shortlisting for BEAM Hertford, indicating concentrated recognition in the civic and cultural-public-architecture segment.

The firm's core offering is architectural design services — from feasibility and conservation through to delivery — delivered by a small studio of approximately 7 staff. Its competitive approach emphasises community-engaged design processes, expertise in listed-building and Passivhaus standards, and a portfolio-led method of winning competitive tenders from public bodies, cultural institutions, and select private clients such as the Royal Court Theatre and Hotel Cafe Royal. There is no disclosed technology platform or proprietary software; the product is bespoke architectural services priced via standard UK fee structures (typically a percentage of construction value).

The business model is project-fee based, with revenue tied to a small number of mid-sized civic and cultural commissions per year. Go-to-market is reputation-driven: awards and prior project references feed into competitive public-sector tenders and private commissions. Customer segments are roughly balanced across local-government housing, cultural/heritage non-profits, and selective private commercial work, though the absolute number of active clients is small, exposing the firm to commissioning-cycle volatility typical of UK small-practice economics.

Name

Citizens Design Bureau

Legal name

Citizens Design Bureau

Website

https://citizensdesignbureau.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Citizens Design Bureau is a London-based architecture and interior design practice founded in 2013 by Katy Marks, delivering cultural, civic, and community-led projects for UK public bodies, cultural institutions, and selective private clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Interior Design Services (541410), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Interior Fit-Out (Multi-Family & High-End) (IMAFANAE), Residential Affordable Housing Development & Construction (IMAFABAI), Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Cultural building design
• Heritage conservation architecture
• Community-led housing design
• Sustainable architecture practice

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. Architectural and design services: Citizens Design Bureau acts as architects, design-team leaders, and contract administrators on projects. They also serve as interior designers, community-engagement facilitators, and new-enterprise strategists in collaboration with larger consultant teams. Revenue is earned through professional fees for architectural and design services on a per-project basis, ranging from public-sector cultural commissions to community-led housing projects. Services span from concept through to contract administration across all RIBA stages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Citizens Design Bureau is an architecture and design practice acting as architects, design-team leaders, and contract administrators for cultural, civic, and residential projects. They offer full architectural services from RIBA Stage 0 to 7, including interior design, community engagement facilitation, and new-enterprise strategy. Their work spans complex conservation of listed buildings, museums, performing arts centres, cultural and community venues, and community-led social housing, with an emphasis on sustainability, Passivhaus standards, and circular economy approaches.

Product overview

Citizens Design Bureau is an architecture and interior design practice founded by Katy Marks in 2013, offering services as architects, design-team leaders, contract administrators, interior designers, community-engagement facilitators, and new-enterprise strategists. The practice specializes in cultural buildings, performing arts centres, community venues, listed building conservation, and social housing. Their project portfolio spans museums (Manchester Jewish Museum, V&A Museum Gilbert Galleries), theatres (Jacksons Lane, BEAM Hertford, Royal Court Theatre, Ambassadors Theatre), creative hubs (Talent House), community spaces (Studio 3 Arts Centre), housing (Hackney Passivhaus, Brighton Housing, Barking Housing), and heritage projects. The firm emphasizes sustainable, ecologically-minded design with collaborative community engagement processes, and offers strategic advisory on briefs and viability studies for community enterprises.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture and Design Services Full-service architecture and interior design services spanning all RIBA stages (0 to 7), including design-team leadership, contract administration, and project oversight for cultural, civic, and residential projects. Services include complex conservation of listed buildings, museums, performing arts centres, cultural and community venues, and community-led housing.
• Community Engagement Facilitation Collaborative community engagement services delivered as a distinct role within larger consultant teams. Includes immersive workshops, full-scale mock-ups, design sessions, and inclusive design processes that involve end-users in shaping buildings and spaces.
• New-Enterprise Strategy Strategic advisory services including developing financial models for community and retail spaces within housing masterplans, running viability studies for community enterprises, brief development, and hosting collaborative design sessions.
• Sustainability and Ecological Design Holistic sustainability consulting spanning Passivhaus housing standards, net zero carbon design, circular economy approaches (re-use of display cases, repurposing Victorian elements), use of low-carbon materials (straw bale, UK felled timber, lime, clay), and post-occupancy analysis to validate building performance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% carbon reduction achieved at Manchester Jewish Museum despite doubling the building footprint with a new extension (post-occupancy confirmed)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bennetts AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBennetts Associates were the lead architects for the BEAM Hertford project, with Citizens Design Bureau winning an invited competition to design the interiors. This is a collaborative architect-to-architect relationship on a major cultural project.
• Haworth Tompkins ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHaworth Tompkins was the practice where founder Katy Marks worked as project architect on the Stirling Prize-winning Everyman Theatre. CDB designed interiors, furniture, finishes, and signage for the Everyman Theatre. The two firms are also collaborating on Barking housing projects.
• VastintminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVastint led the Sugarhouse Island Masterplan in Stratford. Citizens Design Bureau was commissioned as the architect for the Talent House project within that masterplan, with Waugh Thistleton Architects designing the external shell and stair cores.
• Waugh Thistleton ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWaugh Thistleton Architects designed the external shell and stair cores for Talent House in Stratford, while Citizens Design Bureau designed the interior and overall architecture of the building.
• Lyndon GoodeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating architects on the Royal Court Theatre bar and kitchen remodelling project, working alongside Citizens Design Bureau.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Morris + Company: London-based practice working across cultural, residential, and heritage sectors with an explicit community-led and sustainability-driven ethos. Direct peer for CDB's combined cultural/community/housing profile.
• Feilden Fowles: Award-winning UK practice recognised for cultural, civic, and education architecture (e.g., Yorkshire Sculpture Park). Comparable to CDB in scale, awards trajectory (Stirling-level recognition), and focus on civic cultural buildings.
• Levitt Bernstein: London practice with strong portfolios in affordable housing, public-sector architecture, and community-led design. Highly comparable to CDB's Hackney and Newham council housing work and adaptive-reuse expertise.
• Proctor & Matthews: London practice specialising in residential, community-led housing, and masterplanning — including Passivhaus and low-energy standards. Direct peer for the community housing, social-housing, and sustainable design niche CDB occupies.
• Mikhail Riches: Award-winning London practice recognised for Passivhaus-standard council housing and sustainability-led residential design. Direct peer to CDB's Hackney Council 100% social housing Passivhaus terrace and overlapping ethos on social-value-driven sustainable architecture.
• Donald Insall Associates: Architects specialising in the conservation and adaptive reuse of historic and listed buildings across the UK. Highly comparable to CDB's listed-building conservation work at Manchester Jewish Museum, Jacksons Lane Theatre, and St Peter's Church.
• Haworth Tompkins: London-based architecture practice specialising in theatres, cultural buildings, and conservation — the firm where founder Katy Marks worked on the Stirling Prize-winning Everyman Theatre and with which CDB collaborates on Barking housing. Direct peer in the cultural and heritage architecture space.
• Bennetts Associates: London-based architecture practice working across cultural, commercial, and transport sectors. Partnered with CDB on BEAM Hertford (CDB interiors) and overlapping in client roster (theatres, museums) and climate-led design approach.
• Waugh Thistleton: London practice at the forefront of sustainable, low-carbon, timber-led construction including residential and civic projects. Direct peer for CDB's Passivhaus and low-carbon materials work; the two firms collaborated on Talent House.

Broad incumbents

• Purcell: Large UK architecture practice with a flagship heritage and conservation division alongside commercial, education, and residential work. A broader incumbent than CDB but directly comparable on listed-building conservation commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/citizensdesignbureau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/citizens-design-bureau-ltd

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 Citizens Design Bureau