SPICE DESIGN

What SPICE DESIGN does

Spice Design is a London-based architectural practice founded in October 2022 by Karen Cook and Jean Le Lay. The firm is headquartered at 22 Bishopsgate, Level 4, EC2N 4BQ, the same City of London tower on which founding partner Karen Cook was lead designer during her prior tenure as a founding partner at PLP Architecture. The practice operates as a private company with a small core team of seven and positions itself around senior-led delivery on complex commercial and cultural commissions.

The firm's service offering spans commercial offices, cultural facilities, master planning, retail, sports and entertainment venues, and transport infrastructure. It supports these services with industry-standard digital tooling including BIM, 3D modelling, and visualisation/rendering pipelines. Its project portfolio covers the UK and Continental Europe, with active work in London, Prague, Paris, and additional engagements in Dubai, Ottawa, and Qatar. Marquee clients include Angelo Gordon, Lipton Rogers, CA IMMO, Hines, Mubadala, Qatar Airways, Unilever, AXA, Bouygues Immobilier, Nexity, Rosewood Hotels, Peninsula Hotels, Centre Pompidou, Mariinsky, La Seine Musicale, and Pembroke. The firm works alongside tier-one engineering consultancies including ARUP, Buro Happold, KPF, WSP, and AKT II.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees tied to individual commissions rather than recurring or retainer contracts. The firm has secured thought-leadership visibility through the NLA London Tall Buildings Survey 2023, the CPA Tall Buildings seminar 2023, a 2021 Guardian feature, and CTBUH 2019 recognition, and has entered an academic research collaboration with École Polytechnique (XSEA 02). Business model is essentially fee-for-service architectural design with geographic reach delivered from a small London hub, reliant on the personal reputations and networks of its two founding principals.

Name

SPICE DESIGN

Legal name

Spice Design

Website

https://spice.design

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Spice Design is a London-based architectural practice founded in October 2022 by Karen Cook and Jean Le Lay, delivering senior-led design for commercial towers, cultural facilities, and master-planning projects for institutional clients across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Commercial office architecture
• Master planning design
• Sustainable building design
• Cultural venue architecture

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, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architectural services for commercial offices, culture, master planning, retail, sports and entertainment, and transport projects. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for design, coordination of multidisciplinary teams, and delivery of architectural projects worldwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Spice Design is a London-based architectural practice delivering architectural design services for commercial offices, cultural facilities, master planning, retail, sports and entertainment venues, and transport infrastructure. The firm specializes in adaptive reuse and refurbishment of listed buildings, sustainable design grounded in eco-culture principles, and public realm enhancement. The practice coordinates multidisciplinary teams of local experts worldwide and develops projects from concept through delivery using hand sketches, computer modeling, BIM, and physical mock-ups.

Product overview

SPICE DESIGN is an architectural design firm offering comprehensive architectural services for diverse building typologies and contexts. Their service portfolio encompasses commercial offices, cultural facilities, master planning, retail environments, sports and entertainment venues, and transport infrastructure. The firm specializes in adaptive reuse of listed buildings, sustainable design with emphasis on ESG principles, and public realm enhancements. Their methodology integrates hand sketches, computer modeling, physical modeling, and mock-ups to develop architectural solutions that address site constraints, client requirements, and environmental considerations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Office Architectural Design Architectural design services for new-build office developments, workplace design, and headquarters for commercial real estate clients, including large-scale projects such as 22 Bishopsgate.
• Cultural and Institutional Architecture Specialized architectural design for museums, theaters, concert halls, and public cultural institutions, including engagements with Centre Pompidou, Mariinsky, and La Seine Musicale.
• Master Planning and Urban Development Large-scale urban planning, mixed-use developments, tall buildings, and master planning services addressing complex regulatory environments and public realm integration.
• Listed Building Refurbishment and Adaptive Reuse Architectural design for the refurbishment of heritage and listed buildings, including offices, social amenity spaces, and interiors with ESG focus.
• Retail, Sports, Entertainment, and Transport Architecture Architectural design services spanning retail environments, sports and entertainment venues, and transport infrastructure projects for enterprise clients.
• Hospitality Architectural Design Distinctive architectural design for luxury hotel chains and hospitality venues, including projects for Rosewood Hotels and Peninsula Hotels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered landmark projects including 22 Bishopsgate, London's tallest office building
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers22 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• ARUPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering consultancy providing structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering services. ARUP works with Spice on complex building projects requiring multidisciplinary engineering expertise.
• Buro HappoldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering consultancy providing innovative engineering solutions for built environment projects. Collaborates with Spice on sustainable and complex architectural projects.
• KPFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal architecture and design practice specializing in tall buildings and urban environments. Works with Spice on projects requiring architectural expertise at scale.
• WSPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering and professional services firm providing consulting, engineering, and strategic advisory services for built environment projects.
• AKT IIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStructural engineering and facade engineering consultancy. Provides engineering expertise for complex architectural projects.
• Thornton Tomasetti ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering firm providing structural engineering and specialty services for buildings of all types and scales.
• Shigeru BanflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPritzker Prize-winning architect known for innovative work with sustainable materials and humanitarian architecture. Collaborates with Spice on select projects.
• Adamson AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural firm providing design and technical documentation services for complex building projects.
• DP9coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTown planning and architecture consultancy specializing in complex urban development projects and planning applications.
• StufishcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntertainment architecture specialist providing design for performance venues, stadia, and large-scale entertainment facilities.
• Speirs and MajorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLighting design consultancy providing architectural lighting solutions for buildings and urban environments.
• RFRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering consultancy specializing in facade engineering and building envelope solutions.
• Eckersley-O'CallaghancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStructural and facade engineering practice known for innovative glass and facade solutions.
• Jouin-MankucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture and interior design firm known for high-end cultural and hospitality projects.
• Eric Kuhne Civic ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban design and civic arts practice focused on creating engaging public spaces and urban environments.
• Deutsche BahncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman railway company engaged in transport infrastructure projects. Collaborates with Spice on transport-related architectural projects.
• Emmer PfenningercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm specializing in complex building envelopes and facade design.
• WET DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater feature design firm known for innovative fountain and water installations in architectural settings.
• WEST 8coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban design and landscape architecture firm known for large-scale public realm and landscape projects.
• SRAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering consultancy providing structural and environmental engineering services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heatherwick Studio: London-based design and architecture studio with cultural, commercial, and public realm projects. Comparable in city base, size, and emphasis on design-led, sustainability-aware work for high-profile clients.
• Allies and Morrison: London-based architecture practice with strength in commercial, cultural, and master planning projects. Comparable in size, typology mix, and London enterprise client base, and a direct competitor for similar briefs.
• Make Architects: London-headquartered architectural practice known for tall commercial buildings and large-scale mixed-use developments. Comparable to Spice in target market (commercial real estate developers), London base, and emphasis on landmark office towers.
• David Chipperfield Architects: London-based practice renowned for cultural institutions, public buildings, and high-end commercial work. Comparable to Spice in cultural sector focus (e.g., Centre Pompidou) and in targeting prestigious international commissions.
• PLP Architecture: London-based architecture practice co-founded by Karen Cook before she launched Spice. PLP specializes in tall commercial office buildings, including 22 Bishopsgate, making it the most directly comparable peer in terms of typology, client base, and design philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: Iconic London-based global architecture practice operating across commercial, cultural, and transport sectors. While much larger and broader in scope, Foster + Partners competes for the same enterprise, cultural institution, and tall-building commissions that Spice targets.
• Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners: London-headquartered practice with a portfolio spanning commercial, cultural, and transport buildings. Competes for similar enterprise and institutional clients and shares London-centric delivery capability.
• Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): Global architecture and engineering firm with deep expertise in tall commercial buildings and large-scale master planning. Directly comparable to Spice in commercial high-rise and urban development segments.
• Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF): Global architecture practice specializing in tall buildings and urban environments, and a listed Spice collaborator. Competes for the same commercial tower and large-scale development commissions that anchor Spice's pipeline.
• Zaha Hadid Architects: London-based global architecture firm with a strong cultural and commercial portfolio. Overlaps with Spice in targeting prestigious cultural institutions, commercial developers, and high-design international projects.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/spice.design
• Xtwitter.com/SPICE.DESIGN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spice-design-limited

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 SPICE DESIGN