NWD ARCHITECTS LTD

What NWD ARCHITECTS LTD does

NWD Architects Ltd is a privately held, chartered RIBA architectural practice founded in 1979 and headquartered in Kelsall, Cheshire, United Kingdom. The firm employs approximately 10 people - architects, architectural technologists, interior designers and CAD technicians - and delivers architectural design services from brief development through planning, technical design, tender, site supervision and Principal Designer/CDM services. Its core offerings span residential (new build, extensions, barn conversions, heritage restoration), retail (chain roll-out programmes), commercial, education, community and rural estate projects, plus a dedicated Passivhaus / EnerPHit low-energy design capability backed by a Certified Passivhaus Designer and PHPP software expertise. The practice is ARB-registered (reg no: 089720E), RIBA Chartered, a member of the Passivhaus Trust, the Chartered Society of Designers and the Association for Project Safety (APS).

The business model is project-based professional services: fees are quoted per project with no public pricing, and billings span multi-year contracts (typically 2-5 years). Revenue is concentrated in long-tenured enterprise retail accounts (Pets at Home 400+ stores over 20+ years, Laura Ashley 40+ years, Hobbycraft), a growing veterinary vertical (Vets4Pets, VetPartners since 2021, Linnaeus Group), and a steadier residential/community pipeline. The core technology stack is industry-standard CAD and Revit with PHPP energy modelling. Go-to-market is sales-led direct engagement, primarily in North West England and North Wales, sourced through repeat business, referrals, the firm website, and active content marketing around Passivhaus, Permitted Development and conservation-area work. Owners include Managing Directors David Tilley and Harvey Davenport, Technical Director Matt Davenport and Director-Architects Heather Done and Siobahn Wilcox, with no disclosed external investment, parent company or funding rounds; the practice is independently operated.

Name

NWD ARCHITECTS LTD

Legal name

NWD Architects Ltd

Website

https://nwdarchitects.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NWD Architects Ltd is a 45-year-old, RIBA-chartered UK architectural practice based in Kelsall, Cheshire. It delivers architectural design, Passivhaus/low-energy and Principal Designer services across residential, retail (Pets at Home, Laura Ashley, Hobbycraft), veterinary, education and community sectors in North West England and North Wales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Passivhaus low energy design
• Retail store architecture
• Principal designer CDM
• Veterinary surgery design

Headquarters

HQ city

Kelsall

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architectural services including design, planning applications, technical design, building regulations compliance, tender services, site supervision, and project management. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for residential, commercial, retail, education, and community projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NWD Architects Ltd is a chartered RIBA architectural practice providing professional design, technical and project delivery services across residential, retail, commercial, education, community, and rural estate projects. Services span brief development, conceptual and technical design, planning applications, building regulations, tender documentation, site supervision, and project management, supplemented by specialist Passivhaus/EnerPHit low-energy design, interior design, and in-house Principal Designer (CDM) services. The practice serves both private clients (homeowners, rural estates) and enterprise clients (retail chains, housing associations, veterinary groups, schools) primarily in North West England and North Wales.

Product overview

NWD Architects Ltd is a chartered RIBA architectural practice offering a comprehensive design service covering all stages of construction projects. The company operates a unified service model providing architectural design, Passivhaus/low energy design, interior design, site supervision, and Principal Designer services as an integrated offering. Their portfolio spans residential (new builds, extensions, barn conversions), retail (Pets at Home, Vets4Pets, Hobbycraft, Laura Ashley), commercial, education, community, and rural estates projects. The practice also delivers veterinary surgery design for groups including Vets4Pets, The Linnaeus Group, and VetPartners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Shortlisted for 2018 LABC North West Building Excellence Awards for Kingsmead extra care facility and Shavington affordable housing

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• VetPartnerscoreOthers · 1 January 2021NWD Architects has been providing design and redesign services to VetPartners since early 2021. VetPartners is a veterinary group established in 2015 comprising the UK's most respected small animal, equine, mixed and farm practices. NWD is delivering several redesign projects while ensuring each practice retains its uniqueness in its local community.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sheppard Robson: Established UK architectural practice delivering commercial, residential, education, and retail projects. Overlaps with NWD on multi-sector delivery and retail design experience, but at much larger scale.
• AHR: Large UK-wide architectural and building consultancy with significant retail, education, healthcare, and commercial work. Overlaps with NWD on multi-sector delivery and retail chain roll-out programmes, but at meaningfully larger scale.
• Broadway Malyan: International architectural practice with a strong UK retail, commercial, and residential portfolio. Comparable to NWD on retail-chain design work and commercial interiors, though significantly larger and more international.

Direct peers

• Pozzoni Architecture: North West England-based architectural practice working across residential, retail, commercial, and community projects. Similar size, geographic base, and multi-sector service model to NWD.
• 3DReid: UK commercial architecture practice delivering retail, leisure, residential, and mixed-use projects. Directly comparable to NWD's retail-chain design work for brands like Pets at Home and Laura Ashley.
• Jestico + Whiles: London-headquartered architectural practice with strong retail, hospitality, education, and residential portfolios. Comparable in its multi-sector offer and retail design depth, though larger in scale.
• Ellis Williams Architects: UK mid-sized practice headquartered in the North West delivering architecture across education, residential, healthcare, and commercial sectors. Comparable to NWD in scale, regional focus, and project typology mix.
• D5 Architects: UK architectural practice of similar size delivering residential, education, commercial, and community projects. Comparable mid-sized, multi-sector professional services model.
• Bond Bryan Architects: Mid-sized UK regional architectural practice with strong education, residential, and commercial portfolios. Comparable in scale, sector diversification, and reliance on long-term public and private sector clients.
• Cassidy + Ashton: Cheshire-based multi-disciplinary architectural practice of comparable size offering architecture, masterplanning, and interior design across residential, commercial, retail, education, and healthcare. Highly comparable given shared North West geography, RIBA chartered status, and similar sector spread.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nwd_architects
• Facebookfacebook.com/nwdarchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nwd-architects-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/nwd_architects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 NWD ARCHITECTS LTD