We are located in
Central Manchester
OFFICE
3 Stevenson Square,
Manchester M1 1DN
(+44) 161 521 3234
info@createitstudios.co.uk
Create It Studio Architects
Commercial Architects in Manchester
Buildings that open on time, on budget, and ready to trade.
You've got a commercial project to deliver — and a lot riding on it.
Maybe you're a developer with a site that needs to work as hard as the funding behind it. Maybe you run a business and you're fitting out premises of your own: a restaurant, a dental practice, a pharmacy, a shop, an office. Either way, the building isn't the goal. What the building lets you do is the goal.
And the worry is always the same. Will it get planning? Will it stay on budget? Will it be ready when you need it? A commercial project that slips or overspends doesn't just cost money — it delays the day you can open the doors and start trading. It shouldn't feel like a gamble. With the right architect alongside you from the start, it doesn't.
We've been doing this in Manchester since 2015
We're Create It Studio Architects. We're RIBA Chartered and ARB registered, and we've spent the last decade designing and delivering commercial buildings across Manchester and the North West.
94% of our planning applications are approved. The projects we've worked on carry more than £100m in combined GDV. Our work has been recognised at the UK Property Awards, the Grafters Awards and the British Asian Professional Awards.
But the number that matters most to you is simpler: buildings that get consented, get built, and get open. That's the job.
The commercial sectors we work in
Commercial architecture isn't one thing. A restaurant and a dental surgery share almost nothing in how they're planned, serviced and signed off. We know the difference because we've designed both — and plenty in between.
- Restaurants and hospitality — front-of-house that pulls people in and back-of-house that actually works at service. We designed, branded and fitted out the New Yorker Diner on Portland Street, and turned the Grade II listed Colwyn Chambers into a Greek café.
- Dental and healthcare practices — clinical layouts that pass inspection and feel calm to sit in. We converted a former nursery in Glossop into the six-room Kershaw St Dental Surgery, delivered the eight-room Glodwick Dental Centre, and have further clinics at Kings Rd and Palatine Rd.
- Pharmacies — retail spaces that are warm, legible and ready to scale. The West Point Pharmacy in central Manchester was redesigned around natural tones and light; The Quays Pharmacy in Salford was the start of a nationwide brand.
- Retail and offices — frontages that sell and workplaces that work. We designed the new Turkish Consulate in central Manchester with the Turkish Government, and extended Unit 1 at Trafalgar Business Park for storage while protecting its rear service bay.
- Education and community buildings — spaces that have to serve a lot of people, for a long time. We've added top-floor science labs to the Grade II listed KD Grammar School, designed a new learning pavilion with a rooftop terrace at Lady Barn School, and planned a community and youth extension for Khizra Mosque in Cheetham Hill.
If your sector isn't listed, ask us. The principles carry across, and our wider commercial work includes developments like Brighton House, a seven-storey Manchester building of 32 apartments.
What we actually do for you
We handle a commercial project end to end, so you have one practice accountable from first sketch to handover.
That means architectural services across every stage: concept design, planning permission, building regulations, technical design and tender. It means acting as Principal Designer and keeping you compliant with the CDM Regulations. And it means project management on site, so what was designed is what gets built.
You deal with one point of contact. You get a clear programme. You're never left guessing what happens next.
How we protect your budget and your opening date
Two things decide whether a commercial project succeeds: it has to land on budget, and it has to be ready to trade when you need it. We build both into the design from day one.
On cost, we design to a number rather than discovering it at the end. We apply value engineering — protecting what the building must deliver while removing the cost that adds nothing — and we're straight with you about commercial ROI and value engineering so the scheme stacks up before you commit. It starts with an honest site appraisal.
On programme, our 94% approval rate is no accident. Getting planning right first time is the single biggest thing that keeps a commercial project on track, and we treat it that way. Every week saved at consent is a week closer to opening.
How we work with you
Our process has three clear steps.
Let's Talk — a free consultation and site appraisal. We'll look at your site or your existing scheme and tell you honestly what's achievable, where the pressure points are, and whether we're the right fit. No obligation.
Let's Design — concept design, planning permission, building regulations and tender. This is where the scheme takes shape around your budget, your use and your timeline.
Let's Build — technical design, tender support, construction and project management. We stay involved so the finished building matches the one you signed off.
What we need from you to get started
Bring us whatever you have. A site address. A rough budget. An existing scheme that isn't stacking up. Planning drawings that came back over cost.
We'll come back with an honest view of what's achievable — and whether we're the right practice for it.
Let's talk about your project
The earlier we're involved, the more we can protect.
Book your free consultation
Or call us on 0161 521 3234. Office hours Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a commercial architect do?
A commercial architect designs buildings used for business — restaurants, shops, clinics, offices, pharmacies and more — and takes them through planning, building regulations and construction. We handle the whole journey from first concept to handover, so you have one practice accountable for the design, the approvals and the build.
Which commercial sectors do you work in?
Restaurants and hospitality, dental and healthcare practices, pharmacies, retail, offices, and education and community or faith buildings. We've delivered projects in each, from the New Yorker Diner and West Point Pharmacy to the Turkish Consulate and KD Grammar School. If your sector isn't on the list, ask us — the principles carry across.
Do you work with property developers or business owners?
Both. Most of our commercial work is for SME property developers and for business owners fitting out their own premises. Developers come to us for a scheme that stacks up commercially; business owners come to us for a building that's ready to trade and right for how they operate.
How do you keep a commercial project on budget?
We design to a target cost from the start rather than discovering the number at the end. We apply value engineering — protecting what the building must deliver while removing cost that adds nothing — and we're honest about commercial return before you commit. Getting planning right first time also keeps the programme, and the money, under control.
How likely is my project to get planning permission?
Nothing is guaranteed, but 94% of our planning applications are approved. We treat getting consent right first time as the single most important thing we do, because every week saved at planning is a week closer to opening and trading.
Can you act as Principal Designer and handle CDM?
Yes. We can act as Principal Designer and keep your project compliant with the CDM Regulations, alongside the design and project management. It means you have one practice responsible for design safety as well as the building itself.
Do you only work in Manchester?
We're based at Stevenson Square in central Manchester and most of our work is across Greater Manchester and the North West. We take on commercial projects further afield where it's a good fit — just tell us where your site is and we'll be straight with you.
How do we get started?
Book a free consultation or call us on 0161 521 3234. We'll arrange a site appraisal or review your existing scheme, usually within a week, and give you an honest view of what's achievable before you commit to anything.
Explore our other services
Architectural Design Services
SITE APPRAISAL
Planning Permissison
Building Regulations
Tender
Construction
Project Management
CDM REGULATIONS
Principal Designer
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