New-works
New-works is a London-based architectural practice specialising in concept design for retrofit, adaptive reuse, and Modern Methods of Construction, serving property developers, housing associations, and landowners across the UK.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What New-works does
New-works is a London-based architectural practice founded in 2024 by Tom Lewith and Doug Hodgson, succeeding their previous 14-year studio TDO. The firm focuses on concept design across retrofit, adaptive reuse, and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), including volumetric modular, panellised, and mass timber systems. Rather than operating as a full-service studio, New-works deliberately concentrates on the creative concept phase, then assembles project-specific delivery teams of specialist practices, manufacturers, and makers, exemplified by collaborations with Urban Splash, Human Nature, Eurban, SIG offsite, and Holloway Li.
The practice generates revenue through project-based architectural design fees, with notable commissions spanning commercial retrofit (Great Suffolk Yard), modular housing (FAB house at Smith's Dock), mass timber neighbourhood development (The Phoenix, 700 homes in Lewes), housing association schemes (Dove Lane for Places for People), hospitality (Belsize Park guesthouse for Mason & Fifth), and adaptive reuse (Low Line railway arches). It also operates Fieldwork, a joint venture with Augarde & Partners and AMR offering self-funded, shared-risk development services to asset-rich, cash-poor landowners.
The customer base includes property developers, housing associations, commercial tenants, and asset-rich landowners, primarily in London and the South East/South West of England. The practice is privately held, bootstrapped with no external funding, and active in industry discourse through media coverage, podcasts, and the founders' institutional roles, including Doug Hodgson's election as RIBA London Chair for 2026-2028. A free Low Line Arches Good Practice Guide extends the firm's thought leadership into published resources.
New-works firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- New-works
- Legal name
- New-works
- Website
- https://new-works.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- New-works is a London-based architectural practice specialising in concept design for retrofit, adaptive reuse, and Modern Methods of Construction, serving property developers, housing associations, and landowners across the UK.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
New-works industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Residential Building Construction (23611), Residential Remodelers (236118)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Renovation, Remodeling & Tenant Improvements (General Contracting) (IMAFAAAE)
Keywords
Where New-works is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
New-works business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architectural Design Services: Fees for architectural concept design services, typically collaborating with delivery practices for project implementation. The studio focuses on the creative concept phase while building specialist teams for delivery.
- Fieldwork - Shared Risk Development Services: Self-funded professional development services to asset-rich landowners where Fieldwork shares in risk and reward on sale, rather than charging upfront fees. Wellbeing and sustainability are foregrounded alongside commercial outcomes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based architectural services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
New-works product offering
Product offeringCore offering
New-works is a London-based architectural practice that provides specialist concept design services for retrofit, new build, and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) projects, including mass timber, volumetric modular, and panellised systems. The studio collaborates with specialist delivery practices, manufacturers, and makers assembled per project, and also operates the Fieldwork sub-brand offering shared-risk development services to asset-rich, cash-poor landowners.
Product overview
New-works is an architecture studio offering architectural design services as its core product, organized into distinct service lines: concept-focused architecture and design services (covering retrofit, new build, and MMC); the Fieldwork sub-brand for landowner advisory services; and a Good Practice Guide resource. The practice collaborates with specialist delivery teams, manufacturers, and makers specific to each project rather than providing all-services architecture. Notable completed projects include Great Suffolk Yard (retrofit commercial development), FAB house (modular housing), The Phoenix (mass timber neighbourhood), and The Low Line arches (railway arch retrofit).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Fieldwork: A collaboration of design, property and planning professionals founded to address the shortage of options available to land-owners outside the property industry. New-works provides design services, with collaborators Augarde & Partners providing strategic property and planning services. Fieldwork offers a third choice to landowners: instead of charging up-front fees, they share in the risk and reward on sale.
Products and services
- Architecture and Design Services Specialist architectural concept design services for retrofit, new build, and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) projects, including mass timber, volumetric modular, and panellised systems. Delivered for property developers, housing associations, commercial clients, and modular housing providers in the UK.
- Fieldwork (Shared-Risk Development Services) Self-funded development services for asset-rich, cash-poor landowners, including site assessment, potential use analysis, design proposals, planning submission, and market preparation. New-works provides design services while collaborators Augarde & Partners and AMR provide strategic property and planning services. Revenue is shared in the risk and reward on sale rather than via upfront fees.
Quantifiable outcome
- Great Suffolk Yard achieved BREEAM Excellent, WELL Gold certifications, and WiredScore Platinum rating.
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use New-works
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
New-works technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
New-works partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Augarde & PartnerscoreFieldwork collaboration combining New-works design expertise with Augarde & Partners strategic property services. Fieldwork offers self-funded development services to asset-rich landowners, sharing risk and reward on sale rather than charging upfront fees.
- AMR (AMR Consult)coreFieldwork collaboration combining New-works design expertise with AMR's planning services. Fieldwork provides comprehensive services including site assessment, potential use analysis, design proposals, planning submission and market preparation.
- Human NaturecoreCollaboration on The Phoenix project - a 700-home net regenerative neighbourhood in Lewes. New-works developed the MMC strategy alongside Human Nature and Eurban, working on mass timber construction methodology.
- Mason & FifthminorCollaboration on Belsize Park guesthouse project - 56-bed boutique accommodation involving adaptive reuse of 19th century building and new extension.
- Holloway LiminorCollaborated with New-works on Belsize Park guesthouse for Mason & Fifth.
- Better BanksidecoreCommissioning partner for Low Line arches - railway arch retrofit projects. Better Bankside is part of The Low Line partnership steering adaptive reuse of Victorian railway viaducts.
- The Low Line PartnerscorePartnership including Team London Bridge, Blue Bermondsey, Southwark Council, and The Arch Company, steering adaptive reuse of railway viaduct arches through Bankside, London Bridge and Bermondsey.
- Rich Ardagh StudiominorDesigned wayfinding signage and strategy for Great Suffolk Yard project, creating signage using metal stencil plates and traditional signwriting techniques.
- Richard Ardagh StudiominorDesigned New-works logotype and branding, creating a modular letterform system reflecting the practice's focus on specialism and collaboration.
- ZEDfactoryminorCollaborated with Bill Dunster through concept design process on Coach House retrofit aiming for Passive House standards.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
New-works competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Haworth Tompkins: London-based practice with strong specialism in retrofit, adaptive reuse, and heritage-sensitive architecture, directly comparable to New-works' retrofit-first approach demonstrated by projects like Great Suffolk Yard and Low Line arches.
- Waugh Thistleton Architects: London-based practice specialising in mass timber and MMC construction, with comparable focus on sustainability, low-carbon design, and prefabricated building systems similar to New-works' MMC and retrofit specialism.
- HTA Design LLP: UK-wide practice specialising in housing, retrofit, and placemaking with a focus on MMC and sustainable residential design, comparable to New-works' housing and MMC specialism across developments like The Phoenix and Dove Lane.
- Karakusevic Carson Architects: London-based practice specialising in high-quality, sustainable housing and public realm design, comparable to New-works' residential, retrofit, and MMC-focused work with housing associations and developers.
- dRMM Architects: London-based practice recognised for pioneering mass timber, MMC, and sustainable architecture, with comparable expertise in engineered timber construction and innovative residential developments like New-works' The Phoenix project.
- Pollard Thomas Edwards: London-based practice with strong reputation in residential design, regeneration, and housing association work, comparable to New-works' residential-led portfolio and developer and housing association client base.
- Proctor & Matthews Architects: London-based residential architecture practice with expertise in housing, retrofit, and sustainable design, comparable to New-works' focus on residential developments, MMC, and regeneration projects.
- Mikhail Riches Architects: London-based sustainable architecture practice with deep expertise in low-energy residential and social housing, comparable to New-works' focus on sustainable housing design, retrofit, and MMC delivery.
Broad incumbents
- Foster + Partners: Global architecture and integrated design practice headquartered in London with a portfolio spanning commercial, residential, and infrastructure projects. Overlaps with New-works on commercial workplace design but operates at vastly greater scale and competes for high-profile enterprise clients.
- Allies and Morrison: Established London-based architectural practice with broad portfolio across residential, commercial, education, and public sectors. Comparable to New-works on commercial workspace and residential developments but operates as a much larger, full-service firm.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
New-works social profiles
Digital presenceNew-works compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
New-works financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
New-works leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
New-works funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
New-works M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about New-works
What does New-works do?
New-works is a London-based architectural practice that provides specialist concept design services for retrofit, new build, and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) projects, including mass timber, volumetric modular, and panellised systems. The studio collaborates with specialist delivery practices, manufacturers, and makers assembled per project, and also operates the Fieldwork sub-brand offering shared-risk development services to asset-rich, cash-poor landowners.
Is New-works a public or private company?
New-works is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was New-works founded?
New-works was founded in 2024. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is New-works based?
New-works is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does New-works make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Architectural Design Services are the primary driver. The others are fieldwork - Shared Risk Development Services.
Who are New-works's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Haworth Tompkins, Waugh Thistleton Architects, HTA Design LLP, Karakusevic Carson Architects, dRMM Architects, Pollard Thomas Edwards, Proctor & Matthews Architects and Mikhail Riches Architects. Broad incumbents are Foster + Partners and Allies and Morrison.
Does New-works have an API?
No public API is recorded for New-works.
What industry is New-works in?
New-works's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFABAE, Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders, with a secondary code of IMAFAAAE, Renovation, Remodeling & Tenant Improvements (General Contracting). Its NAICS code is 23611 and its SIC code is 8711.