The Culpin Partnership

Culpin Limited is a firm practising architecture, urban design, planning and building surveying, also acting as Planning Supervisor and Client's Agent. The practice was established by Ewart Culpin in 1918 and was continued by Clifford Culpin who retired in 1971. Fifth generation directors now run the practice. We approach design with a sustainable development philosophy.

From its inception the practice has specialised in town planning and housing. This developed into a wider range of commissions; first civic buildings and then extending to include schools, churches, shopping centres, banks, bus garages, leisure and health facilities, libraries, fire and police stations, magistrates courts, laboratories, and various other building types. We have recently been accepting domestic commissions.

Typical housing projects include: Master plan and some neighbourhood areas in the new village at Martlesham Heath; Expansion of housing at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands; Sheltered housing, frail elderly housing and housing for special needs with warden accommodation for various local authority and housing association clients; Shared ownership and housing for rent for housing associations; Rehabilitation and refurbishment of high-rise flats, some with tenants in occupation; Estate master planning, layouts and house-type development for national house builders; PFI estate layout and house-type development; Local Authority housing estate upgrading, including an estate- wide video surveillance network. Restoration and refurbishment projects include work to listed buildings and in conservation areas such as the headquarters of the Royal College of Nursing in Cavendish Square, The King's Observatory Kew, work in the Palace of Westminster and the German Ambassador's Residence in Belgrave Square. Rolling programmes of property inspection and planned maintenance were undertaken for Barclays Bank plc and London Transport Executive in various regions.

Planning expertise covers most facets of consultancy in the UK and overseas - master plans, negotiations, conservation, tourism studies - and includes advising on implementation and management. In developing countries we carried out pioneering work in low-income housing and the upgrading of urban and rural settlements.

The practice has won various awards, and has a long and successful record of involvement in competitions, often in collaboration with developers.