Stitch was founded in 2012 by HTAs former head of urban design and masterplanning Sally Lewis. The move, which will see its four-strong team join Broadway Malyans London office in Waterloo, aims to strengthen and expand both practices capabilities in the design and delivery of homes across the UK.It follows previous acquisitions in 2022 when Broadway Malyan acquired architecture practice DC3 and its sister company, workplace design specialist Will + Partners as part of its strategic growth plans.Stitch is known for its work on urban sites, mainly around London, and its housing schemes such as phases of mixed the Acton Gardens development, the Marlowe Road Estate regeneration and several sites within the Old Kent Road Opportunity Area in Southwark.AdvertisementLewis said the deal would allow her practice to grow and benefit from working within a much larger team.She told the AJ: The landscape for small practices has become very difficult to navigate in recent years and being a business owner no longer holds the glamour that it did 10 years ago.We compete against large practices at every turn, and constantly need to convince an increasingly risk-averse industry that we can do the job.Joining forces with a larger organisation seems an obvious way forward and I have no doubt that this move will elevate Stitch into a new position of strength.Lewis also hopes the move will help bolster and grow its London Neighbourhood Scholarship a charity set up by Stitch offering career support to local young people studying architecture so as to promote a more diverse and equitable future industry.AdvertisementBroadway Malyan chief executive Ian Apsley told the AJ: Adding Stitch gives us that expertise in estate regeneration and community-led housing, especially in and around London, which is somewhere we have been looking to strengthen.Asked whether he thought the move would change perceptions and improve the quality of Broadway Malyans own design, he responded: [All] architects strive for continual improvement, dont they? I see the input of fresh voices as beneficial.Broadway Malyan was set up in 1958 and has grown from its roots in the south-east of England to be a 340-strong with studios across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.Its latest accounts, for the year ending 30 April 2024, show the group earned 40.3 million, an increase of 7.3 per cent on the 37.6 million turnover posted in 2023. Source:Broadway MalyanBroadway Malyan's proposed Jersey terminalWhat does the deal mean to you?Ian Apsley, chief executive, Broadway MalyanBroadway Malyan's Ian ApsleyHow long had you been looking to add a specialist residential practice to your books?This came originally from our business strategy launched in 2022, which looked at how we might gain knowledge and expertise in certain areas more quickly than growing a team from scratch. The first project that was part of this was the Will + Partners deal in late 2022 to add workplace strategy capability to the group.Broadening our UK housing expertise was one of the other themes. Broadway Malyan was founded as a housing practice and were still strong in the sector in the UK, especially with housing-focused masterplanning. It seemed a logical step to look at a practice that complements what we already do in terms of mix of tenures and geography.Is this part of a larger acquisition drive?We will look at opportunities if they are the right strategic fit and, most importantly, if the synergy with the people is strong.What will be the main benefits for Broadway Malyan from this deal? Has a driver of this move been to change perceptions and improve the quality of your own design output?Adding Stitch gives us that expertise in estate regeneration and community-led housing, especially in and around London, which is somewhere we have been looking to strengthen. And all architects strive for continual improvement, dont they? I see the input of fresh voices as beneficial.How do you think the link-up will be perceived by the industry?Positively I hope. Ultimately were all aiming to deliver good projects that provide high-quality homes and give our clients a great experience. The combined strengths of Broadway Malyan and Stitch will help achieve this. And I think were a bit different in our approach to others in the wider industry.Sally and her team will carry on working under the Stitch brand with our support.How do you expect the arrival of Stitch to be viewed by clients?Weve had really positive feedback from both our and Stitchs current clients and are already in conversation with others about potential projects.Are you interested in hearing from other practices that might want to join your fold?Im always happy to chat if they think they have something specific they can add to our offer. But were not looking to acquire for the sake of it. Were aiming for organic growth and Stitch will be an important part of that.We may well see more mergers as it is a tough environment for smaller practices. I would counsel caution though. There needs to be genuine synergy. Its not easy for larger practices either in the current climate so theyre not just a lifeline.Sally Lewis, founder, StitchStitch's Sally LewisYouve headed your own practice for nearly 13 years. At any time during that period had you ever thought about joining up with another practice?Over the years I have considered many routes to build the practice and share the burden and rewards of leading a team. Most successful partnerships evolve from relationships established at university or in early career jobs and I didnt have this opportunity, so joining another practice has always been on my radar.When was the first seed planted for this move?A friend introduced me to Ian Apsley.How long did it take for you to make up your mind to go for it?We hit it off at the first meeting last summer and all interactions since then have been positive and full of goodwill from both sides. I was clear from the start that I wanted to keep the Stitch brand and protect my team, and this was fully supported.Did you ask anybody for advice during the process?I was quite confident that I was doing the right thing, but I did run it past a trusted architect friend in the early stages of the process and he was very encouraging and supportive.What do you think you can achieve together that you cant do alone?The landscape for small practices has become very difficult to navigate in recent years and being a business owner no longer holds the glamour that it did 10 years ago. We compete against large practices at every turn and constantly need to convince an increasingly risk-averse industry that we can do the job. Joining forces with a larger organisation seems an obvious way forward and I have no doubt that this move will elevate Stitch into a new position of strength.It is also a great move for me personally as I will be constantly in the company of incredibly talented and impressive architects and leaders in the Broadway Malyan global team. The London Neighbourhood Scholarship will benefit hugely from the move as Broadway Malyan will provide the support we need to grow and expand our efforts.What do you think you can give to Broadway Malyan?I hope we can offer a new point of view to complement their great work, particularly with our track record in estate regeneration and community-led housing and our ethos of joined-up design and partnership working. We also bring our commitment to local social value through The London Neighbourhood Scholarship.Do you think there are any misconceptions about the notion of being bought by a larger commercial practice?There may be but I think there will be an inevitable shift in how these things will be perceived because its been a tough few years and we all need to be more resilient and adaptable. Ego-led practice is hopefully a thing of the past.Ego-led practice is hopefully a thing of the pastAre there any successful examples of similar deals that you are keen to emulate?It's been great to see how Will + Partners has maintained and enhanced its brand since joining Broadway Malyan, convincing me that Broadway Malyan is a collective of talent rather than a melting pot for growth. Broadway Malyan is the only practice I know that has successfully pulled this off so I have no fear that we will be gobbled up!How will it affect your team and staff numbers?There will be no change other than the opportunity for us to grow and benefit from working within a much larger team.Do you think the nature of practice is changing?Yes. Prevailing uncertainty and risk in the industry means more caution, and poorly procured public sector work means more wasted resource. But architects specialise in innovation and will find ways to overcome these challenges. I hope that we will be seeing more practices joining forces and embracing a culture of partnership working over the coming years.What advice would you give to anybody else in a smaller practice who was considering making a similar move?I'd advise them to have the conversations and keep an open mind. Protect and share what is important to their practice. Be agile not fragile.How will you judge whether it has been a success?Its already looking like success as we are starting to get enquiries for the type and scale of projects that would have been impossible without being part of the Broadway Malyan family. Watch this space! Source:KFHMarston Way by Stitch Architects. Photo: KFH