What Smith and Wallwork does

Smith and Wallwork Limited is a privately held civil and structural engineering design practice headquartered at 50 St Andrew's Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Founded in 2013 and registered as Smith and Wallwork Limited (company number 07987561), the firm employs approximately 16 engineering professionals delivering design services for buildings and structures ranging from small, intricate new-build and refurbishment works to large-scale masterplans. Its client base is concentrated in UK higher education — particularly Cambridge and Oxford colleges (Magdalene, Clare, Trinity Hall, Emmanuel, Balliol, Jesus, University of Peterborough) — alongside secondary schools, the V&A Museum, Cambridge Science Park, and Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

The practice's core technical capabilities sit in sustainable building engineering, with specialisations in Passivhaus design (air tightness, roof and facade, foundations), flood risk assessment, sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), drainage design, and embodied carbon analysis. A differentiating capability is its annual carbon reporting programme, which has produced six consecutive reports (2020-2025) tracking structural material tonnage, kg/m2 and kgCO2e/m2 metrics on client projects. The firm is an Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Approved Employer, operates an approved training scheme, and contributed engineering to the RIBA Stirling Prize-winning New Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge. Two published books — Rock Paper Scissors (2018) and Numbers, Sketches, Evidence (2023) — codify the firm's approach.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional service fees negotiated directly per engagement. Distribution is sales-led via direct client relationships and referrals, with a content-driven marketing presence centred on the project portfolio, carbon reports, books, and LinkedIn/Instagram profiles. The firm is owner-operated, with named principals Simon Smith and Tristan Wallwork on the team, and shows no evidence of external investment, private equity backing, or parent-company ownership. The market is the United Kingdom, with occasional international project work, and the company is operationally headquartered from a single Cambridge city-centre office.

Name

Smith and Wallwork

Legal name

Smith and Wallwork Limited

Website

https://smithandwallwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Smith and Wallwork Limited is a privately held Cambridge-based civil and structural engineering design practice, founded in 2013, serving Cambridge and Oxford colleges, secondary schools, museums, and commercial developers with sustainable and Passivhaus building engineering services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consultancy Services: Professional engineering services for civil and structural design on construction projects. Services include new builds, refurbishments, extensions, and masterplanning. Revenue generated through project-based fees for design and engineering services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Smith and Wallwork provides civil and structural engineering design services for buildings and structures, ranging from small intricate projects to large-scale masterplans across new builds, refurbishments, and extensions. The firm specialises in sustainable building engineering, including Passivhaus design, flood risk assessment, SuDS design, drainage systems, and embodied carbon analysis, supported by an annual carbon reporting programme. It works primarily for higher education institutions, schools, cultural venues, and commercial developers in the UK, with occasional international projects.

Product overview

Smith and Wallwork is a civil and structural engineering design practice offering a portfolio of services including structural engineering design for buildings and masterplans, Passivhaus engineering, and annual carbon reporting. The company also publishes books documenting their engineering approach (Rock Paper Scissors in 2018 and Numbers, Sketches, Evidence in 2023), alongside annual carbon reports tracking material usage and carbon emissions on construction projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil and Structural Engineering Design Services
• Passivhaus Engineering Services
• Annual Carbon Reports
• Smith and Wallwork: Rock Paper Scissors (Book One)
• Smith and Wallwork: Numbers, Sketches, Evidence (Book Two)

Quantifiable outcome

• RIBA Stirling Prize achievement for New Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge

Named customers12 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

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Webb Yates Engineers: Multi-disciplinary structural and civil engineering consultancy with a strong design-led, sustainability-oriented culture. Comparable boutique scale and similar mix of cultural, education and residential commissions.
• AKT II: London-based structural and civil engineering consultancy of comparable boutique scale, working on award-winning cultural and academic projects. Closely comparable in service mix, project type (cultural, higher education) and design-led, sustainability-aware positioning.
• Price & Myers: UK structural and civil engineering consultancy with a strong heritage in heritage and cultural-sector buildings, similar to Smith and Wallwork's college portfolio. Comparable boutique scale and direct engagement with architects and institutions.
• Momentum Structural Engineers: UK structural engineering consultancy specialising in low-energy and Passivhaus-standard buildings. The most directly comparable peer in Passivhaus engineering specialisation and small-scale sustainability-focused practice.
• Expedition Engineering: London structural and civil engineering practice focused on sustainable, low-carbon design. Directly comparable in emphasis on engineering thought leadership, low-carbon expertise and complex building structures.
• Structure Workshop: London-based structural engineering consultancy working on arts, education and cultural projects with a craft-led, design-focused approach. Highly comparable niche positioning and project types to Smith and Wallwork.

Others

• Allies and Morrison: Major UK architectural practice with strong higher-education and masterplanning portfolio, frequently collaborating with structural engineers on college projects. Comparable as a downstream client-partner and Oxbridge-sector peer practice.

Broad incumbents

• WSP: Global professional services firm with extensive UK structural and civil engineering capabilities across education and cultural sectors. A large incumbent that competes for the same institutional commissions Smith and Wallwork targets.
• Arup: Global engineering consultancy with major UK presence offering structural, civil and sustainability services across higher education and cultural projects. Overlaps significantly with Smith and Wallwork's service lines but at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Buro Happold: International engineering consultancy with strong sustainability credentials and UK higher-education portfolio. Competes for similar institutional clients but at significantly larger scale and broader service offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smith-and-wallwork
• Instagraminstagram.com/smithandwallwork
• Facebookfacebook.com/smithandwallwork

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Smith and Wallwork