Does the practice have a clear succession plan, which passes on ownership and protects the values and legacy of those who built and contributed to the practice? For example, is the practice an Employee Owned Trust (EOT)?

Front-runner

Purcell

We are proud to be an EOT, and continually strive to be the best team of heritage and conservation experts we can be – for people, for the planet and for the future. Purcell was founded 75 years ago on an instinct to save heritage buildings before they were lost in the post-war rush to rebuild Britain. Today we are the largest architecture practice specialising in heritage and conservation. We use our EOT as a collective voice within the practice to shape and direct the future of our practice. Trustees are made up of representatives from each region we work within, meeting periodically to review our KPIs against our collective ambition, and hold the board to account. The Purcell Voice is the forum through which all employee owners can have their say in shaping the organisation.

Runner-up

Architype

Architype started as a co-operative in 1984, and changed to a limited company in 2003, with the directors retaining the ethos and ethics of a shared collective. In 2015, we embarked on a journey to employee ownership, when the founding director stepped down. The succession plan created three directors with 70 per cent of shares and 30 per cent allocated to an employee benefit trust. The next phase will see the release of 21 per cent of shares to enable an employee ownership trust to become the majority shareholder. The current shareholding directors and the trust are also in discussions to set out a roadmap for ownership beyond that 51 per cent.

This process has meant that the ethos of Architype remains at the heart of how the practice operates and will continue to do so for many years to come. This reflects our values of being a creative, ecological, progressive community.

Ones to watch

Buckley Gray Yeoman

In 2020, Buckley Gray Yeoman became an EOT, enabling a succession plan for our two founding directors. At the same time, two new management positions were created: managing director and operations director, to assist in the transition. 

Employee forums have since been created, covering topics from EDI and sustainability, to community engagement, and design awareness, giving employees engagement in the direction of the culture of the practice. We also have an employee voted representative who joins board of trustees meetings.

White Arkitekter

The practice is an entirely employee owned company. We have strong values that permeate our business and our actions, which are continuously reviewed and nurtured through the hours we dedicate to our ‘culture journey’. Together, we own and vote on the development of the company, share in the profits, and choose to reinvest into the company allowing funds for internal research networks ‘White Arkitekter Research Lab’ with grants available to support innovation in our work and help our clients achieve more sustainable outcomes.

Miltiadou Cook Mitzman Architects

Our ethos is inspired by the Japanese concept of Ikigai‚ finding purpose through enjoyable, meaningful work. We prioritise mentoring and equipping our staff with professional skills and judgment, emphasising sustainability and regenerative design. Unlike the rigid succession plans of our past experiences which often resulted in incompatible team dynamics, our approach fosters harmony and collaboration. We have a simple stepped approach to support staff wanting to grow into the role of a partner.

We view our legacy as transcending the mere structure of our practice. Recognising our role within the broader profession, we invest in all staff, not just potential partners. This philosophy extends to our project methodology, promoting ongoing learning and growth. We take pride in staff members who, having worked only with us, feel empowered to establish their own practices. This approach ensures a vibrant, supportive work environment that benefits both individual careers and the architectural community.

Tate+Co

We are working hard to create a new generation of leaders that will, in the long term, take over the practice and take the company into the future. In addition to the regular architectural and CPD training, we also train our team in wider business skills. Examples of recent business-related courses, which the whole team have attended, include business development training, presentation training and individual 1:1 business coaching.

We are also implementing a structured company-wide profit share scheme, which necessitates regular, all-team financial updates. We are still in consultation with the team and our legal and financial advisors as to what the final structure of the company should be in the long term so this is work in progress at the moment.

The conclusion of this process maybethat we should become an EOT but this is, as mentioned, part of the work in progress and ongoing discussions.