What Living Space Architects does

Living Space Architects is an award-winning architecture practice based in Exeter, Devon, founded around 2004-2005 by Stuart and Kirsty after they left specialist residential architecture roles in London. The firm designs sustainable new homes, conservation and heritage projects (including Grade II Listed buildings), contemporary extensions and alterations, and commercial architectural projects for homeowners, developers, local authorities, and community organisations across the South West of England (Devon, Somerset, Dorset, and Cornwall). Services span the full project lifecycle from concept and planning permission through building regulations to contractor coordination, delivered on a fee-for-service basis with project-based pricing and free initial consultations offered to prospective clients.

The practice's technical stack centres on 3D Revit BIM software for all planning and construction drawings, complemented by in-house laser scanning equipment for point-cloud measured surveys and immersive VR walkthroughs that allow clients to visualise projects pre-construction. Director Kirsty Curnow Bayley holds RIBA Conservation Architect accreditation with over 25 years of experience in historic and listed buildings, providing specialist heritage statement and conservation area expertise that is a core differentiator. The firm is privately held, founder-owned with no disclosed external investment or parent company, and operates as a small practice of approximately 10 employees.

The business model is professional services with revenue derived from architectural design fees on a project-by-project basis. The go-to-market is direct-to-client with no intermediaries, relying on the firm's website portfolio, blog, LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram presence, and earned media (awards, Exeter Living magazine features) to generate inbound enquiries. The practice has recently expanded its commercial offerings — covering affordable housing, office conversions, mixed-use developments, and sports/leisure facilities — alongside ongoing residential work, though no customer concentration, revenue figures, or funding data are publicly disclosed.

Name

Living Space Architects

Legal name

Living Space Architects

Website

https://livingspacearchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Living Space Architects is a privately-held, founder-led Exeter-based architecture practice of ~10 employees specialising in sustainable residential design, heritage conservation, and listed-building renovation for homeowners, developers, and local authorities across South West England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Architectural Reconfiguration & Structural Alterations (HSAPAEAB), Residential Green / High-Performance Home Construction (Net-Zero, Passive House) (IMAFABAH)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Heritage conservation architecture
• Sustainable home design
• Residential architecture practice
• Listed building renovation

Headquarters

HQ city

Exeter

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architectural services for residential and commercial projects including sustainable new homes, conservation and heritage projects, extensions and alterations, listed building renovation, and commercial architectural design. Revenue generated through project-based fees for design services from concept through planning permission and building regulations to contractor coordination.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Living Space Architects is an award-winning Exeter-based architecture practice designing sustainable buildings and sensitive renovations across the South West of England. Its core offerings span sustainable new homes, conservation and heritage architecture, extensions and alterations, listed building renovation, heritage consultancy, and commercial architectural design, delivered from concept through planning permission, building regulations, and contractor coordination.

Product overview

Living Space Architects is an award-winning architecture practice based in Exeter, Devon, offering a unified portfolio of architectural services rather than discrete software products. Their core service portfolio spans six interconnected offerings: Sustainable New Homes (eco-friendly new builds with technologies like air source heat pumps), Conservation & Heritage Architecture (specialist Grade II Listed building works), Extensions & Alterations (contemporary and traditional house transformations), Commercial Architectural Design (affordable housing, heritage-led projects, mixed-use developments), Heritage Consultancy (heritage statements and conservation expertise), and Listed Building Renovation. The practice operates across Devon, Somerset, Dorset, and Cornwall, serving homeowners, developers, and local authorities. Director Kirsty Curnow Bayley holds RIBA Conservation Architect accreditation with over 25 years of heritage experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sustainable New Homes Design and architecture of new sustainable family homes across the South West, incorporating eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient designs, and sustainable technologies such as air source heat pumps and high insulation standards.
• Conservation & Heritage Architecture Specialist expertise in heritage and conservation architecture, including works to Grade II Listed buildings, alterations and repairs to historic properties, and sensitive renovations that respect architectural significance.
• Extensions & Alterations Contemporary and traditional house extensions, alterations, and refurbishments including single-storey rear extensions, garage conversions, and open-plan family space transformations.
• Commercial Architectural Design Sustainable commercial design services spanning affordable housing, heritage-led projects, office conversions, mixed-use developments, and sports and leisure facilities across the South West region.
• Heritage Consultancy Expert heritage consultancy services including heritage statements, planning applications for listed buildings, and conservation area expertise, led by RIBA Conservation Architect Kirsty Curnow Bayley.
• Listed Building Renovation Renovation and adaptation services for listed properties including extensions to Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian homes, barn conversions, and longhouse refurbishments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Winners of Devon Historic Buildings Trust Award for Grade II Listed Dartmoor Long House
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Chapman Taylor ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKirsty & Stuart met while working on the Contemporary apartments Islington project at Chapman Taylor Architects in London. This appears to be a former employment connection rather than an active partnership. The project involved a £11 million development including circular penthouse apartment, townhouses and 2 and 3 bed flats.
• Bowmer & KirklandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActed as Contractor's architects for Bowmer & Kirkland on the Islington development, providing insight into collaborative team working to overcome on-site issues where margins are tight but design quality must be maintained. This was a past project relationship rather than an ongoing partnership.
• Carpenter OakminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContractors for the Barn Extension at The Granary project who work on the construction stage for many of Living Space Architects' designs. Known for Grand Designs projects and oak frame construction. This represents an ongoing working relationship for construction delivery.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• JTP: London-based practice with a strong residential and placemaking focus, including later-living and sustainable communities. Comparable in residential and sustainability positioning though operating at a larger scale.
• Cassidy + Ashton: Regional UK architectural practice with heritage, residential, and conservation work across the North of England. Comparable in size, regional orientation, and the combination of residential commissions with heritage expertise.
• Donald Insall Associates: Long-established UK specialist in heritage and conservation architecture, working on listed buildings and sensitive restoration projects. Comparable specialist niche, though more concentrated in London-based heritage work.
• Buttress Architects: Manchester-based architectural practice of comparable size with a strong heritage and conservation focus. Most directly comparable peer given the overlap in listed-building work, residential commissions, and regional UK practice scale.
• Feilden + Mawson: Norwich-headquartered practice with significant conservation and heritage portfolio alongside contemporary architecture. Comparable in size, heritage specialization, and the dual focus on residential and heritage sectors.

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: One of the world's most established architecture practices, increasingly active in sustainability-led residential and masterplanning work. Operates in the same broad market category but at vastly different scale and price point.
• Allies and Morrison: Major London-based UK architectural practice with residential, conservation, and masterplanning work. Operates in adjacent heritage and residential segments but at significantly greater scale and reach.
• EPR Architects: Mid-sized UK practice working across residential, heritage, and commercial sectors with strong conservation credentials. Overlaps with Living Space on heritage and residential briefs but operates at broader scale.
• Purcell: One of the UK's largest heritage architecture specialists, working across listed buildings, conservation, and heritage-led regeneration. Larger than Living Space but operates in the same heritage architecture niche with overlapping client bases.
• Stride Treglown: Large Bristol-headquartered UK practice with heritage, residential, and conservation capabilities, and a strong South West presence. Larger scale and broader portfolio, but directly competes for regional residential and heritage briefs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/livingspacearchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/living-space-architects-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/livingspacearchitects

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 Living Space Architects