What GAGARIN STUDIO LIMITED does

GAGARIN STUDIO LIMITED is a 7-person RIBA Chartered architecture practice based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, founded in 2011 and owned by partners Gayle Appleyard and Steve Gittner. The firm specializes in the creative re-use of existing buildings, heritage and conservation work, and low-energy design — including Passivhaus-certified projects — serving clients across arts and culture, residential, community, heritage, housing, and infrastructure sectors.

The practice's work spans cultural venues, community facilities, residential developments, conservation projects, and notably infrastructure design such as footbridges and the Millom Iron Line. Its technical proposition rests on deep domain expertise in retrofit and re-use, certified Passivhaus design capability, and the partner-led creative direction that has yielded multiple RIBA awards — including Project Architect of the Year for Thorney Barn and the inaugural National Infrastructure Commission Award for Design.

Revenue is generated through conventional project-based architectural fees on a mix of public, nonprofit, and private commissions. The firm has signaled expansion ambitions via international competition entries (notably Cork, Ireland) and by broadening its typology from buildings into infrastructure. Its growth is constrained by the small team size, though this is consistent with its positioning as a specialist, owner-led practice rather than a scaled commercial firm.

Name

GAGARIN STUDIO LIMITED

Legal name

GAGARIN STUDIO LIMITED

Website

https://gagarinstudio.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GAGARIN STUDIO LIMITED is a 7-person RIBA Chartered architecture practice in Halifax, West Yorkshire, specializing in creative re-use of existing buildings, heritage/conservation, and Passivhaus design for arts, residential, community, and infrastructure clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Heritage building conservation
• Sustainable architecture design
• Residential architecture projects
• Passivhaus building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Halifax, England

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services Fees: Professional architectural fees generated through tiered service packages (Gold, Silver, Bronze) providing services across RIBA work stages. Fees are set as fixed sums for each stage with payments aligned to key project milestones.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gagarin Studio is an architecture and design practice delivering full professional architectural services across all RIBA work stages (0–7), from strategic definition through post-occupancy. Core offerings include Lead Designer and contract administration, Consultation & Engagement (co-design with statutory consultees and users), Gaining Consents (planning permission and heritage consents), Sustainability & Passivhaus design, Interior Design, Landscape Design, Principal Designer (CDM/Building Regulations), and Visualisation services. Services are packaged into tiered offerings (Gold, Silver, Bronze) for projects ranging from residential conversions and new builds to large-scale heritage, community, arts, and infrastructure schemes.

Product overview

Gagarin Studio is an architecture and design practice offering a unified suite of professional design services rather than a software product platform. Their core offerings include Architecture (0-7), Lead Designer, Consultation & Engagement, Gaining Consents, Sustainability & Passivhaus, Interior Design, Landscape Design, Contract Administration, Principal Designer, and Visualisation services. These services are delivered across all RIBA work stages and span sectors including arts and culture, residential, community, heritage, housing, and infrastructure projects. The practice specializes in creative re-use of existing buildings and sustainable design, including Passivhaus certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture (0–7) Full architectural services across all RIBA stages (Stage 0 Strategic Definition through Stage 7 Use), blending creative design with technical expertise to deliver buildable, sustainable projects for residential, heritage, community, arts, housing, and infrastructure clients.
• Lead Designer Lead consultant and contract administrator services, assembling and coordinating the wider design team — including structural engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers, and quantity surveyors — across complex multi-agency projects.
• Consultation & Engagement Stakeholder engagement services including collaborative co-design processes with statutory consultees, local users, community groups, and project partners to inform project briefs and design outcomes.
• Gaining Consents Planning permission and consent acquisition services, specialising in listed buildings and complex planning conditions within sensitive settings such as AONB, SSSI, and National Parks. Engaging statutory consultees including Natural England, Historic England, and Canal & Rivers Trust.
• Sustainability & Passivhaus Sustainable design services employing fabric-first principles, renewable heating, passive cooling, and Passivhaus certification delivered through in-house certified Passivhaus designers.
• Interior Design Holistic interior architecture and design services encompassing furniture and graphic design, integrated with architecture and landscape disciplines to create cohesive interior environments.
• Landscape Design Landscape architecture services creating environments that respond to context, support communities, and reconnect people with nature, including biodiversity-focused planting strategies.
• Contract Administration Contract administration services ensuring quality control, cost management, and adherence to timelines throughout construction projects, including chairing progress meetings, monitoring quality, supporting valuations, and issuing certifications.
• Principal Designer CDM and Building Regulations Principal Designer services managing risk coordination from earliest project stages, ensuring compliance throughout construction.
• Visualisation Architectural visualisation services from conceptual sketches to illustration and advanced 3D models, used for communicating with end users, supporting decision-makers, and enabling collaborative co-design.

Quantifiable outcome

• RIBA North West Award 2026 for Bank Barn Reimagined
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers14 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• DP Squared (Structural Engineers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStructural engineering collaboration on infrastructure projects including Leeds Footbridge over River Aire and Cork Footbridge and Waterside Masterplan. Collaborative exploration creating visually fascinating river crossings with structural engineers.
• Layer (Landscape Architects)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWon international competition together for Millom Iron Line project - 57-hectare coastal lagoon transformation. Layer leading landscape architecture with Gagarin providing architectural expertise for visitor destinations.
• Rootstock Landscape ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Rootstock on Cork Morrisons Island international design competition exploring landscape-led approaches to flood management.
• Miriam O'KeefeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCork native collaborator on Morrisons Island flood management competition bringing local expertise to the design team.
• RSPB HodbarrowcoreOthersKey stakeholder in Millom Iron Line project. Site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and RSPB Hodbarrow nature reserve. Project aims to enhance ecological value while creating visitor destination.
• Natural EnglandcoreOthersStatutory consultee engaged for Millom Iron Line project. Gagarin has thorough understanding of process to help obtain necessary permissions from Natural England.
• Historic EnglandcoreOthersHeritage consultee for Millom Iron Line project working on sensitive coastal heritage site with reimagined structures including camera obscura within former windmill.
• Natural EnglandcoreOthersStatutory consultee for planning consents. Gagarin specialises in working with listed buildings and navigating complex planning conditions including projects within sensitive settings.
• Canal & Rivers TrustminorOthersStatutory consultee for relevant projects. Gagarin assists clients in obtaining consents from wider stakeholders such as Canal & Rivers Trust.
• Halifax Opportunities TrustcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorking alongside trust to support revitalisation of Grade II listed Queens Road Neighbourhood Centre. Shaping vision that balances restoration with modern community needs.
• Square Chapel Centre for the ArtscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommissioned Gagarin for Orangebox Young People's Centre project funded through Myplace BIG Scheme. Square Chapel led client group with core panel of young people.
• Alison Haskins (CEO, Halifax Opportunities Trust)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCEO leading Queens Road Neighbourhood Centre revitalisation project with Gagarin providing architectural expertise.
• Clay DevelopmentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorking closely with Clay Developments to deliver Weavers Terrace - first phase of wider redevelopment delivering high-quality contemporary homes in South Pennine village.
• CITUflagshipImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerClient for Leeds Footbridge at Climate Innovation District. Gagarin designed footbridge in collaboration with DP Squared for CITU's sustainable urban development.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Cullinan Studio: Sustainability-led UK architecture practice with integrated landscape and interior capabilities. Comparable multidisciplinary model and commitment to environmental performance, though larger in scale.
• Purcell: UK-wide heritage and conservation architecture specialist. Direct competitor for listed-building and sensitive-setting work, though operating at significantly greater scale and breadth than Gagarin.

Direct peers

• Haworth Tompkins: RIBA-award-winning UK architecture practice with a strong reputation in heritage, theatre, cultural and higher-education projects. Comparable in project typology mix, RIBA award profile and creative re-use orientation.
• Buttress Architects: Manchester-based practice with a heritage-led, adaptive re-use specialism and RIBA-recognised work in the north of England. Closely comparable in regional positioning, conservation expertise and project scale.
• Featherstone Young: Small award-winning London practice with comparable focus on creative re-use, community engagement and RIBA-recognised housing projects. Closely matched in size, ethos and design-led placemaking approach.
• Tim Ronalds Architects: London practice known for sustainable, Passivhaus-aligned design and creative re-use of existing buildings. Comparable specialism in fabric-first sustainability and heritage-sensitive cultural/arts projects.
• Proctor & Matthews Architects: UK practice with recognised housing, heritage and conservation work and RIBA award pedigree. Comparable in residential and listed-building project profile and award trajectory.
• AOC Architecture: London-based practice with strong cultural, heritage and adaptive re-use credentials and RIBA-recognised delivery. Comparable in cultural-sector client mix and creative re-use specialism.
• Reed Watts Architects: Small London studio with RIBA award-winning work across cultural, heritage and community sectors. Comparable scale, RIBA profile and typology mix to Gagarin.

Regional players

• Stitch Studio: Northern England-based architecture practice working across cultural, residential and heritage projects. Comparable regional positioning and typology overlap, though less RIBA-publicised.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gagarin-studio-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 GAGARIN STUDIO LIMITED