Pozzoni opens in London
ARCHITECTURE firm Pozzoni, based in Altrincham, has expanded with the launch a new office in London.
The firm, which employs 60 staff and has seven partners, launched the office at the beginning of the month and has taken around 500 sq ft in Clerkenwell, London.
Senior partner David Hughes told TheBusinessDesk that the move meant the firm could better service its growing client base in the south.
“We needed a base to service core clients in London, particularly leisure and commercial clients. Most commercial clients up here also have an office in London so it’s important to be there,” he said.
It has taken on two full-time staff in the Clerkenwell office but plans to grow numbers quickly.
“We will build on that start over the next few months. The space we’ve got is expandable to take up to 12 staff over the next two years,” Mr Hughes said.
“Commercial has been quiet but we are positioning ourselves so that we are ready for the upturn. Our projected income is increasing again and we are optimistic about things.”
Although it is full service, the £4m turnover practice is known for its particular expertise in the care industry and specifically dementia planning, as well as health, fitness and leisure, and social housing.
Mr Hughes said around two thirds of the firm’s work is from the North West region, currently, but he expects the London office to change that dynamic.
“To keep the size of this practice we have to work outside the North West. Size is important as people are now looking for a broader resource, from sustainability to masterplanning to sector specific advice.”
Although Mr Hughes would not divulge how much the firm has invested in its London expansion, he did say that no outside investment had been sought.
Mr Hughes also hinted that Pozzoni was planning to open more offices internationally, rather than looking at more locations within the UK.
He added that work had picked up considerably since the firm had been forced to make a quarter of its workforce redundant in January – it cut 25 staff in total – and said it was now looking to recruit a project architect to its social housing team.
