Savills UK has announced the acquisition of Citydesigner, an independent heritage, townscape and architectural design consultancy based in Central London.
The acquisition complements Savills’ established heritage and townscape team, which sits within its UK planning division which is headed up by Henry Ryde.
“We are thrilled to have acquired this fantastic business that we have long admired with such a great reputation. Richard and his team have a proven track record of working on successful and notable projects and their arrival will enhance our 350 strong planning consultancy team, which operates across 23 locations and is the largest in the UK.”
Richard Rees, Managing Director, Savills UK
Citydesigner was founded in 1997 by architect and heritage expert Richard Coleman, becoming the first bespoke consultancy of its kind. The practice has an eight-strong team of architects, urban designers and heritage consultants.
“It gives me enormous pleasure to welcome Richard and his team to Savills. With such emphasis on delivering sustainable economic growth in the planning world, this acquisition comes at a very exciting time. Heritage planning will play a significant role in promoting the reuse of existing buildings and contributing to sustainable development, so we are looking forward to expanding our service and capability for clients across the country.”
David Jackson, Head of Planning, Savills Earth
Among its clients, many of whom have existing relationships with Savills, are major London Estates, developers, Reits, UK and international funds, insurers and public sector clients – including the Greater London Authority.
“I am very excited for our business to join the existing Savills team, adding further capability to the range of services already offered and continuing our focus on achieving the optimal planning outcomes through high quality design for challenging or sensitive heritage-related projects on behalf of our clients.”
Richard Coleman, Founder, Citydesigner
