Xanthe Quayle Landscape Architects Ltd

What Xanthe Quayle Landscape Architects Ltd does

Xanthe Quayle Landscape Architects Ltd (XQLA) is an independent UK landscape architecture and urban design practice headquartered in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Founded in 1989 as Camlin Lonsdale and rebranded under its current name in 2019, the firm operates as a small studio of approximately eight staff comprising chartered landscape architects, urban designers, a consultant architect, a transport planner, and an office administrator. Its service portfolio spans visioning and masterplanning, urban and rural regeneration, sustainable research and development, environmental impact assessment (EIA), and expert witness work, with sector specialisms in public realm, heritage and culture, therapeutic healthcare environments, community, residential, and leisure/corporate landscapes. Notable proprietary work includes the 'Slow the Flow!' modular cycle lane attenuation system developed with Cyclehoop and the London Festival of Architecture.

The practice works as a sales-led consultancy securing commissions through competitive tender, invited competition, and direct appointment from local authorities, NHS trusts, private developers, and charitable organisations. It is typically embedded as landscape lead within multidisciplinary teams alongside architects (Haworth Tompkins, OMI Architects, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios), engineers (PJA, DP2), and project managers (Turner & Townsend). Project scopes range from £250K community hubs to £100M strategic mixed-use allocations, with XQLA's landscape fee share representing a low-single-digit percentage of overall project value. The firm delivers projects across the UK from London to Cumbria, evidenced by national award recognition including Civic Trust Awards, RIBA Awards, AJ Retrofit Awards, and European Healthcare Design Awards.

Revenue is generated exclusively through professional services fees billed on a per-project basis; no public pricing, retainer, or product licensing model is disclosed. There are no external shareholders, private equity backing, or parent company. Customer mix is dominated by UK public sector bodies (councils, NHS trusts, heritage charities) with a smaller private developer sleeve. The firm's economic model is therefore project-driven, dependent on competitive tender outcomes and the cyclicality of UK local authority and central government regeneration funding (Future High Streets Fund, Historic England HSHAZ, NHS capital programmes).

Name

Xanthe Quayle Landscape Architects Ltd

Legal name

Xanthe Quayle Landscape Architects Ltd

Website

https://xanthequayle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Xanthe Quayle Landscape Architects Ltd (XQLA) is an independent UK landscape architecture and urban design practice headquartered in Huddersfield, serving UK local authorities, NHS trusts, private developers, and charitable organisations across public realm, heritage, therapeutic, and regeneration commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture
• Urban design
• Public realm design
• Urban regeneration
• Heritage landscape

Headquarters

HQ city

Huddersfield

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

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Consultancy Services: Professional services revenue derived from landscape architecture commissions awarded through competitive tender, invited competition, or direct appointment. Services include visioning and masterplanning, urban and rural regeneration, sustainable R&D, EIA services, and expert witness. Projects range from public realm improvements to heritage restoration and therapeutic landscape design, billed on a per-project basis with contract values spanning £250k to £16.5M.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

XQLA is an independent landscape architecture and urban design consultancy that designs and delivers high-quality, contemporary landscapes across the UK. The practice offers visioning and landscape masterplanning, urban and rural regeneration, sustainable R&D, EIA services, and expert witness capabilities, with specialisms spanning public realm, heritage conservation, therapeutic healthcare environments, residential developments, and community spaces. Projects are won through competitive tender, invited competition, or direct appointment, with contract values ranging from £250K to £100M.

Product overview

Xanthe Quayle Landscape Architects (XQLA) is an award-winning independent landscape architecture and urban design practice offering a comprehensive suite of professional services. The practice operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Services include Visioning & Landscape Masterplanning, Urban and Rural Regeneration & Renewal, Sustainable Research & Development, and EIA services with Expert Witness capabilities. The practice delivers projects across multiple sectors including Public Realm, Regeneration, Heritage & Culture, Community, Residential, Therapeutic & Learning, Leisure & Corporate, Competitions, and Temporary installations. The firm was founded in 1989 as Camlin Lonsdale and rebranded as Xanthe Quayle Landscape Architects (XQLA) in celebration of 30 years in practice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landscape Architecture Consultancy Services
• Public Realm Design
• Urban Regeneration
• Heritage & Culture Landscape Design
• Therapeutic & Learning Environments
• Residential Landscape Design
• Community Space Design
• Leisure & Corporate Landscape Design
• Slow the Flow! Cycle Lane System

Quantifiable outcome

• Civic Trust Award Regional Winner 2021 — Holland House Terrace & Cafe Space
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers14 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Turner & TownsendcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerXQLA works alongside Turner & Townsend as project managers within the Calderdale Council Major Projects team for the Brighouse Town Centre Regeneration (£16.5M). Turner & Townsend provides project management services while XQLA serves as Lead Designers.
• PJA EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating as engineers alongside Turner & Townsend on the Brighouse Town Centre Regeneration (£16.5M) to deliver highway infrastructure changes and SuDs gardens.
• Calderdale CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalderdale Council is the primary public sector client commissioning XQLA for multiple projects including Brighouse Town Centre Regeneration (£16.5M), Sowerby Bridge Public Realm, and Brighouse Accelerator (£500K).
• Haworth TompkinscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerXQLA has collaborated repeatedly with Haworth Tompkins on multiple projects including Regent's Park Open Air Theatre (£2m) and Chichester Festival Theatre (£13m, 8 hectares). Haworth Tompkins led the architectural refurbishment while XQLA delivered the landscape design.
• OMI ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerXQLA partnered with OMI Architects on Old Library, Liverpool (£4.6m HLF project) winning the AJ Retrofit Award 2022, and on Manresa House Birmingham (£6M) as winning team. OMI led architecture while XQLA delivered landscape design.
• Feilden Clegg Bradley StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerXQLA collaborated with Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios on Stanbrook Abbey, North Yorkshire — a 'once in several lifetimes' opportunity for a new Benedictine monastery. Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios led architecture while XQLA delivered landscape design.
• CyclehoopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerXQLA is working with Cyclehoop and the London Festival of Architecture to develop the 'Slow the Flow!' modular cycle lane system, with a view to trialling the product and bringing it to market.
• Working PartsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerXQLA collaborated with Working Parts (artist engagement) and Martin Higgitts Associates on Brighouse Town Centre masterplan, including appointing artists to the design team for parklets and street greening measures.
• CyclehoopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerXQLA partnered with Cyclehoop on Act-Moss-Cycle entry for the London Festival of Architecture Cycle Parking Competition 2021, shortlisted. Cyclehoop provides cycle infrastructure expertise.
• Access IncludedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerXQLA assembled a specialist team for Act-Moss-Cycle competition including Access Included for accessibility consultancy, Jane Simpson Access, Martin Higgitt Associates, and WorkingpArts.
• Steer GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerXQLA worked with Steer Group and Northumberland County Council on public realm, heritage impact, and parking review for Berwick Upon Tweed historic town.
• Peal GreenminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerXQLA worked with renowned fabricators Peal Green and engineers DP2 on the Huddersfield Vertical Planters project, shaping vertical greening elements for the town centre.
• DP2 (Engineering)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerXQLA collaborated with engineering firm DP2 on Huddersfield Vertical Planters and Old Library Liverpool (£4.6m), providing structural and technical engineering input to landscape designs.
• Barrow Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned XQLA for Duke Street High Street Heritage Action Zone (£350K) funded by Historic England's HSHAZ, and for Westmorland & Furness Public Realm Design Guide. Multiple collaborative engagements with the council.
• English Cities FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient for Burgage Square & The Emerald Ring, Wakefield Westgate (£2.1m) as part of new mixed quarter 'Merchant Gate' development.
• Network RailminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerXQLA's Stafford Station Approach design team worked closely with Stafford Borough Council, Network Rail, and contractor McPhillips Ltd to deliver the station forecourt improvements.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mott MacDonald: Global engineering, management, and development consultancy with landscape architecture and urban design capability. Competes with XQLA on integrated multidisciplinary teams for council-led regeneration and SuDS projects.
• BDP (Building Design Partnership): Major multidisciplinary design practice with a substantial landscape architecture capability covering public realm and urban regeneration. Operates at much larger scale but competes with XQLA on the same council and developer briefs in the UK.
• Arcadis: Global design, engineering, and consultancy firm with a UK landscape architecture and urban design practice. Competes with XQLA on large public realm and regeneration commissions though as part of a much broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Land Use Consultants (LUC): UK-based independent landscape architecture, planning, and urban design practice of comparable scale and remit. LUC is the closest structural analogue to XQLA — multidisciplinary, multi-sector, award-winning, with similar public sector and developer client base across regeneration, heritage, and ecological landscape design.
• Gillespie Landscape Architects: Independent UK landscape architecture practice working across public realm, regeneration, and healthcare landscapes. Comparable to XQLA in size, sector mix (councils, NHS, developers), and emphasis on award-quality design.
• Townshend Landscape Architects: Independent UK landscape architecture practice delivering urban regeneration, public realm, and masterplanning commissions. Comparable in scale, services, and reliance on UK public sector and developer clients.
• J&L Gibbons: London-based landscape architecture and urban design practice known for award-winning public realm and regeneration work. Comparable in award profile, sectoral specialism, and design-led positioning to XQLA.
• Gross Max: Edinburgh-based independent landscape architecture practice with a similarly award-winning portfolio across public realm and urban design. Comparable sector focus and studio-scale operating model to XQLA.
• Grant Associates: Independent UK landscape architecture practice specialising in public realm, parks, and ecological design. Comparable in studio-scale model, award-winning positioning, and UK public sector client base.
• LDA Design: Independent UK landscape, masterplanning, and design consultancy working across regeneration, green infrastructure, and public realm. Comparable client mix and project types though typically operating at slightly larger scale than XQLA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CamlinLonsdale
• Instagraminstagram.com/xqla_landscape_architects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/xanthe-quayle-landscape-architects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Xanthe Quayle Landscape Architects Ltd