About

Established in 1973 as part of the community architecture movement PBWC Architects is now one of the South West’s largest practices. We listen and respond to our client's ambitions and understand the needs of the people who use the places we design.

Employee Owned

In 2019 we became a 100% employee-owned practice, reinforcing our collective approach to success and ensuring that collaboration is at the centre of everything we do. Everybody in the practice has a say in what we do and how we work.

Our Studio

In 2013 we designed and built our own studio overlooking St Ives in Cornwall, a hub of creativity that encourages collaboration and innovation. Wherever we work in the world we are inspired by its people and places, their physical and environmental context as well their history and potential futures.

Design Process

We explore the unique potential of every client’s brief, site and budget to ensure that the best ideas emerge. We engage clients, stakeholders and local communities in a process of sketching, model making, drawing and discussion to deliver great buildings and places that people celebrate and enjoy.

Social Value

We believe in a socially informed architecture that fosters a democratic, diversified and holistic design process which commits to engagement and understands the needs and ambitions of local communities and stakeholders.

We build consensus through participation and support clients and communities to design and build places that have a positive and lasting impact on their own lives and those of future generations.

Sustainability

Environmentally responsive design is at the core of our practice and we constantly seek to limit potentially negative impacts across all aspects of our work. Whilst we continue to reduce our operational carbon footprint we also recognise that our greatest opportunity for minimising climate change is through integrating sustainability into our projects.

As signatories of the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge we have developed voluntary performance targets for operational energy use, water use and embodied carbon. The performance targets set out a challenging but achievable trajectory to realise the significant reductions necessary by 2030 in order to have a realistic prospect of achieving net zero carbon for the whole UK building stock by 2050.


Our Approach

Designing for a sustainable future
Balancing the needs of our clients with that of our planet
Fostering community-led projects and initiatives
Responding to place, context and setting
Adding social value
Understanding our shared heritage
Transitioning to a zero carbon economy
Facing the challenges of a changing climate
Working in close dialogue with users, communities and stakeholders
Crafting beautiful places
Embracing the pace of technological change
Our Team
Our Team

Our team provides the studio’s creative energy, working together as a group of individuals who share the aspiration to design and deliver environmentally and socially responsible architecture.

Clients
  • AT & T
  • Bedruthan Steps Hotel
  • Bodmin Town Council
  • Bovis Retirement Homes
  • Britanic Industries
  • Callywith College
  • Civic Trust Regeneration Unit
  • Commonwealth Foundation
  • Cornwall College
  • Cornwall Council
  • Cornwall Development Company
  • Cornwall Sustainable Building Trust
  • Cornwallis Care Services
  • Cornwallis Care Services
  • Corporation Of Trinity House
  • Council of the Isles Of Scilly
  • CPR Regeneration Ltd
  • Davstone Holdings Ltd
  • Devon and Cornwall Housing
  • Duchy College
  • Duchy of Cornwall
  • Eden Project
  • Exeter University
  • Falmouth School Of Art
  • Falmouth Town Council
  • Falmouth University
  • Frogmore
  • Global Telecom
  • Godolphin Cross CoCA
  • Grenadier Estates
  • Gulf Properties Ltd
  • Haskoning UK Ltd
  • Hayle Town Council
  • HM Coastguard
  • Imerys
  • Interserve Project Services Ltd
  • Isles of Scilly Council
  • Isles of Scilly Environmental Trust
  • Kerrier Groundwork Trust
  • KPMG Global
  • Lands End Ltd
  • Launceston College MAT
  • Leadbitter Construction Ltd
  • Livewest
  • Lostwithiel Borough Council
  • Marina Developments Ltd
  • Midland Bank
  • Mounts Bay School
  • National Lottery
  • National Trust
  • North Devon College
  • Old Bakery Studios
  • Orascom
  • Pendennis Shipyard
  • Penwith District Council
  • Penwith Housing Association
  • Penzance Harbour
  • Porthia
  • Restormel Borough Council
  • RNLI – Royal National Lifeboat Institution
  • Rosemellyn Surgery
  • Rosemullion Homes
  • Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
  • Royal Institution of Cornwall
  • Somerset County Council
  • St Michaels Hotel
  • SWRDA
  • Tamar Bridge
  • Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee
  • Tregenna Hotel Resort
  • Truro & Penwith College
  • Truro City Council
  • Wey Valley School
  • Weymouth College
  • Whitefrairs City Estates
About Us
Awards
  • Michelmores Property Awards, 2021 Project of the Year (under £5m)
  • Cornish Buildings Group, 2021 Best Conservation of an Historic Building in the CMWHS
  • LABC Building Excellence Awards, 2019 Highly Commended - Best Large Commercial Project
  • Michelmores Property Awards 2019 Project of the Year (over £5m)
  • Cornwall Sustainability Awards, 2018 Best Contribution to the Built Environment

Latest opportunities

Careers at PBWC