What Henley Halebrown does

Henley Halebrown is a privately-held London-based architectural practice founded and led by principals Simon Henley and Gavin Hale-Brown. The firm delivers full-service architectural design across residential, educational, commercial, and civic typologies, with documented depth in council-led housing regeneration, student and primary-school facilities, and adaptive reuse / retrofit projects. Core technical capabilities include Vectorworks 2D/3D modelling and BIM processes certified to ISO 19650, with a registered ISO 14001 environmental management system and Architects Declare sustainability commitment underpinning a sustainable material palette (brickwork, dark precast concrete, timber structures) and an emphasis on embodied carbon reduction through retrofit over new-build.

The firm's go-to-market is enterprise field sales into public sector, education, and private real estate clients, with revenue generated via professional design fees (percentage of construction cost or fixed fee), project wins channeled through competitive tenders, design competitions, and framework appointments — notably the Mayor of London's Architecture + Urbanism Framework. Recurring clients include London Borough of Hackney, London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the University of Roehampton, HFS Developments, Dorrington, Thornsett, the Benyon Estate, Global Holdings, and the Hackney New School Trust. Customer-facing outputs include quantified outcomes such as The Laszlo's measured savings of 80 years of operational carbon through reuse, Edith Summerskill House doubling affordable housing from 68 to 133 homes, and Kings Crescent delivering ~500 new and 275 refurbished homes.

Commercial validation comes from a dense award record — RIBA National Awards in 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024, RIBA Stirling Prize shortlists in 2018 and 2022, AJ Retrofit Awards, Civic Trust Awards, RIBA Neave Brown Award for Housing 2022, and a Fritz Höger Award Silver (2020) — alongside thought-leadership content including Simon Henley's two books, the firm's 'Building for Society 2010-2022' monograph, the in-studio Dialogues event series, and podcast appearances. Operations are headquartered in a single Shoreditch studio at 21 Perseverance Works, 38 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DD; the firm does not publicly disclose headcount or revenue and has no external institutional investors.

Name

Henley Halebrown

Legal name

Henley Halebrown

Website

https://henleyhalebrown.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Henley Halebrown is a London-based, privately-held architectural practice delivering residential, educational, commercial, and civic projects for UK public sector bodies, housing associations, universities, and private developers, with award-winning depth in council-led housing regeneration and adaptive reuse.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Reconfiguration & Structural Alterations (HSAPAEAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Social housing design
• Estate regeneration architecture
• Adaptive reuse design
• Education facility design

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Full-service architectural practice providing design, planning, and project delivery services for residential, educational, commercial, and public sector clients. Revenue is generated through professional fees based on percentage of construction cost or fixed fee arrangements for design services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Henley Halebrown is a London-based architecture practice delivering full-service architectural design, urban masterplanning, and adaptive reuse consultancy for residential, educational, commercial, and civic projects. The firm works primarily with public sector clients, housing associations, universities, and private developers on estate regeneration, student housing, affordable housing, schools, and creative workspace projects. Services span concept design, planning, technical design, and project delivery using ISO 19650 BIM certified processes, with ISO 14001 registered environmental management practices.

Product overview

Henley Halebrown is a London-based architecture practice offering design services across multiple building typologies. Their portfolio encompasses educational facilities (student residences, primary schools), housing (council estate regeneration, affordable homes, private residential), commercial workspaces (adaptive reuse, new-build offices), and civic/cultural buildings. Key named projects include Chadwick Hall, Kings Crescent, De Beauvoir Block, The Laszlo, and Barge Crescent. The practice also publishes books on architectural topics and hosts the Dialogues talk series at their studio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chadwick Hall Three student residence buildings for the University of Roehampton situated in the grounds of Grade II* listed Downshire House, shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize 2018 and nominated for the EU Mies Award 2019. The project demonstrates the practice's ability to deliver contemporary student housing within a heritage campus context.
• Kings Crescent Estate Regeneration Council-led estate regeneration scheme for the London Borough of Hackney combining new build housing with transformation of existing buildings, delivered in collaboration with Karakusevic Carson Architects and MUF Architecture/Art. The project includes nearly 500 new homes and refurbishment of 275 existing homes with an embedded community consultation methodology.
• De Beauvoir Block Adaptive reuse project for The Benyon Estate reshaping a terrace of industrial buildings to form a central yard with a new roofscape of timber structures wrapped in EPDM rubber, creating studios and a café. Recognised with AJ Retrofit Office of the Year 2018, Civic Trust Award 2019, Blueprint Award, and BCO Award.
• The Laszlo Remodelled five-storey former Batavia Mills building (c.1900) for Dorrington creating flexible creative workspaces through adaptive reuse. The project saves an estimated 80 years of operational carbon emissions versus new construction and won the AJ Retrofit Award in the Workplace £5-10 million category in 2022.
• Barge Crescent Five-storey office building for Global Holdings within the Southwark Conservation Area that integrates the existing frame and foundations to minimise environmental impact. The completed project was showcased through an NLA building tour in 2024–2025.
• Redefining Brutalism (book) Published book by Simon Henley (RIBA Publications, 2017) challenging the popular notion of Brutalism as a style and exploring it as a living and evolving entity. The book consolidates practice research on post-war architecture and was featured in AJ Book round-up and Building Design reviews.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Laszlo adaptive reuse saves 80 years of operational carbon emissions compared to new construction
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Karakusevic Carson ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration on major housing regeneration projects including Kings Crescent Estate (with Muf Architecture/Art), achieving RIBA National Award and Mayor's Prize. This collaboration represents a core part of the practice's social housing portfolio.
• Muf Architecture/ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership on Kings Crescent Estate regeneration, combining new housing with landscape architecture and community engagement. Award-winning project shortlisted for multiple prestigious awards.
• Stephen Taylor ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected by Hackney Council together with Henley Halebrown to provide 170 new homes on four sites in the De Beauvoir Estate infill development.
• Volunteer It Yourself (VIY)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVIY involves young people in repair and improvement of community facilities. Henley Halebrown partners to engage youth interested in built environment careers through hands-on building tasks. First collaboration: green room refurbishment for Clean Break theatre company.
• RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSimon Henley serves as RIBA Awards Group Chair. Practice regularly submits projects for RIBA awards and the practice's work has been featured in RIBA publications and events.
• New London Architecture (NLA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHenley Halebrown contributes to NLA research including 'Public Housing: a London Renaissance'. Three projects included in NLA's 'Housing Londoners: Innovation in Delivery and Design' report.
• Stanhope (for HFS Developments)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJoint venture between Hammersmith & Fulham Council and Stanhope for Edith Summerskill House development. Henley Halebrown design doubles affordable housing capacity.
• Mayor of London's Architecture + Urbanism FrameworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppointed by Mayor of London to Architecture + Urbanism Framework providing access to public sector projects across London boroughs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: Globally recognized UK architecture incumbent with far broader scope and scale, but overlaps with Henley Halebrown on high-profile public commissions and adaptive reuse. Serves as a benchmark for top-tier UK practice positioning but operates across vastly more sectors and geographies.

Direct peers

• Mikhail Riches: Award-winning London practice focused on sustainable housing and council-led schemes, including Stirling Prize-winning Goldsmith Street. Comparable on housing typology, sustainability credentials, and RIBA recognition profile.
• Feilden Fowles: RIBA Stirling Prize-winning UK practice with strong profile in education and cultural buildings. Comparable on award recognition, RIBA National Award profile, and design-led approach to public-facing buildings.
• Allies and Morrison: Major London practice with deep public-sector housing, education, and urban regeneration portfolio. Comparable on architectural quality, RIBA recognition, and London borough client relationships.
• Haworth Tompkins: Award-winning London practice with overlapping portfolios in housing, education (theatres and schools), and adaptive reuse. Comparable in scale, RIBA-recognized profile, and emphasis on social value-led design.
• Maccreanor Lavington: London-based practice with deep expertise in housing, estate regeneration, and public sector projects. Comparable on urban housing typologies, council-led work, and social value-led design approach.
• Levitt Bernstein: London practice with strong focus on council housing, estate regeneration, and public sector architecture. Highly comparable in client base, project typologies, and design-led housing approach.
• Pollard Thomas Edwards: Long-established London housing specialist with extensive council-led estate regeneration and affordable housing work. Comparable on public-sector housing focus, scale, and London borough client base.
• Proctor & Matthews: UK practice specializing in housing, education, and mixed-use regeneration projects. Comparable on public-sector client mix, mixed-use typologies (e.g., Hackney New Primary), and award-winning housing portfolio.
• Karakusevic Carson Architects: London-based housing specialist known for council-led estate regeneration. Direct collaborator with Henley Halebrown on Kings Crescent Estate and shares the same public-sector housing client base and regeneration typology focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/henleyhalebrown
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/henley-halebrown
• Instagraminstagram.com/henleyhalebrown

Compliance2 records

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 Henley Halebrown