What A U D Architects does

A U D Architects is a RIBA Chartered architectural practice founded in 2003 by Andrew Ball, headquartered at 16b Victoria Road, Hale, Altrincham, Cheshire. The firm provides bespoke architectural design, planning, and refurbishment services across four verticals: residential (extensions, loft conversions, new builds, renovations), commercial (doctor's surgeries, pharmacies, nursing homes, retail), education (schools, feasibility studies), and sport/leisure (sports centres, community centres, restaurants, bars). Its underlying technology stack is described as standard industry software and methodologies, with no proprietary platforms, AI capabilities, or digital products.

The business model is professional services: quote-based engagements ranging from feasibility studies and planning advice through to full project management, covering planning applications, building regulations approval, and on-site construction oversight. The firm operates from a single office, serves clients across the North of England, and is privately held with no disclosed funding, parent company, or institutional investors. Client acquisition is driven by organic social media, a content blog, community sponsorships, referrals, and word of mouth, supplemented by participation in the RIBA/Shelter 'Architect in the House' scheme. The company employs 1–10 staff and has a 2013 Pharmacy Business of the Year Award (for the Abbey Pharmacy refurbishment) as its most notable third-party validation.

Name

A U D Architects

Legal name

AUD Architects

Website

https://aud-architects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AUD Architects is a RIBA Chartered, founder-led architectural practice in Hale, Cheshire, providing bespoke design, planning, and refurbishment services for residential, commercial, education, and sport/leisure clients across the North of England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Residential architecture
• Commercial architecture
• Building planning services
• Construction project management

Headquarters

HQ city

Altrincham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AUD Architects provides bespoke architectural design, planning, and refurbishment services for residential and commercial projects across the North of England. The firm offers services ranging from feasibility studies and planning advice to full-service project management, covering house extensions, new builds, educational facilities, healthcare and retail premises, and sport/leisure venues. It operates as an RIBA Chartered Practice delivering innovative, practical design solutions from initial concept through construction completion.

Product overview

A U D Architects is a RIBA Chartered architectural practice offering bespoke architectural services across the North of England. The firm provides a unified service portfolio comprising four core service areas: Residential, Commercial, Education, and Sport & Leisure architectural design. Supporting these core offerings are three service modules covering planning applications, building regulations approval, and construction/project management. Services are tailored to client needs and can range from feasibility studies and planning advice through to full-service delivery from initial concept to project completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Architectural Services Bespoke residential architectural services including housing developments, prestigious new build one-off houses, and small to large scale contemporary and traditional house extensions. Targeted at homeowners undertaking extensions, loft conversions, new builds, and renovations across the North of England.
• Commercial Architectural Services Commercial architectural services covering doctor's surgeries, pharmacies, nursing homes, and retail facilities. Designed to maximise return on investment for commercial property clients in the healthcare and retail sectors.
• Education Sector Architectural Services Educational facility design services including feasibility studies, planning submissions, detailed design, and project management for schools ranging from grant maintained to private sector. Targeted at schools seeking modern, functional learning environments.
• Sport and Leisure Architectural Services Sport and leisure facility design services covering sports and community centres, restaurants, and bars. Designed to deliver high-quality sports and community facilities that inspire users.

Quantifiable outcome

• Abbey Pharmacy project described as 'exemplary community healthcare' by award judge
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013AUD Architects is an RIBA Chartered Practice. As a chartered practice, they meet prescribed quality standards, provide Professional Indemnity insurance, and have architect employees with 7 years training. They support Architect in the House initiative brought by RIBA and Shelter.
• Shelter (Housing Charity)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2013AUD Architects supports Architect in the House 2013 scheme, a joint initiative by RIBA and Shelter to connect homeowners with chartered architects while raising funds for homeless families.
• Anderson Retail ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUD Architects worked with Anderson Retail Consulting on the Abbey Pharmacy refurbishment project that won Pharmacy Business of the Year Award 2013.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• AHR Architects: Large multi-disciplinary UK architectural practice with offices across the country, delivering residential, education, healthcare, and commercial projects at scale. Competes for the same North of England briefs as AUD but at a much larger size and broader capability set.
• SimpsonHaugh: Manchester- and London-headquartered RIBA chartered practice with a major residential, commercial, and tall-buildings portfolio. A larger incumbent competitor for North of England residential and commercial commissions.
• JTP (John Thompson & Partners): London-based RIBA chartered practice specialising in housing, masterplanning, and community-led design. Overlaps with AUD on residential extensions, new-build housing, and community/sport-leisure briefs but operates at greater scale nationally.
• Levitt Bernstein: London-based RIBA chartered practice with strong residential, healthcare, and education sector credentials. Comparable chartered-practice positioning to AUD with overlapping education and commercial healthcare verticals, though at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Buttress Architects: RIBA chartered architectural practice headquartered in Manchester, serving the North of England with residential, heritage, and commercial projects. Comparable in scale, regional focus, and chartered-practice positioning to AUD Architects.
• Jefferson Sheard: Northern England architectural practice (Sheffield) focused on residential, education, healthcare, and commercial sectors. Comparable regional chartered firm with similar vertical mix to AUD Architects.
• Cassidy + Ashton: Lancashire-headquartered multi-disciplinary practice offering architecture, planning, and project management across the North of England. Closely comparable to AUD's integrated design-plus-project-management model and regional scope.
• Pozzoni Architecture: Cheshire-based architectural practice with a long-standing residential and commercial portfolio. Direct geographic competitor to AUD Architects in the Cheshire/Greater Manchester market with overlapping service offerings.
• Corstorphine + Wright: UK chartered architectural practice with offices across England delivering residential, education, healthcare, and commercial schemes. Comparable mid-sized chartered-practice profile with multi-sector exposure similar to AUD.
• 5plus Architects: Manchester-based architectural practice delivering residential, commercial, and education projects across the North West. Similar regional chartered-practice profile and project typology mix to AUD Architects.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AUDarchitects
• Facebookfacebook.com/AUDarchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aud-architects
• Pinterestpinterest.com/audarchitects

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 A U D Architects