Incremental Architecture: From company to co‑operative for colleagues and community

Five years ago, Incremental Architecture was set up as a limited company. But it was never Charlie Palmer and Sam Carew’s intention to stay that way. “It was the easiest way to get started but it didn’t fit with our longer‑term goals,” said Charlie. 

“We wanted to become a business where people felt they were part of it – where they would have a tangible impact on its future and a say in how it works.”

Fuelled by their desire for shared ownership, fairness and a commitment to community and planet – they gravitated towards the co‑operative business model. 

“A lot of architectural practices say they’re community‑minded but when you look closely, the community isn’t always at the core,” said Sam. “We didn’t want a model where power still sat with a small group.”

For help in converting their company to a worker co‑operative, they turned to the Business Support for Co-ops programme, delivered by Co‑operatives UK in partnership with The Co‑operative Bank. This gave them access to specialist support from Co‑operatives UK’s Advice Team to get the governance right.

“Dane Pollard from Co‑operatives UK was brilliant. He explained everything clearly and made the process feel manageable. I can’t imagine doing it without that support,” said Sam. 

“He really helped us translate our values into governance, while keeping things as simple as possible.”

Charlie and Sam were also awarded peer mentoring support through the programme, from Transition by Design, a worker co‑operative architecture practice in Oxford. 

“The peer mentoring part of the support was fantastic. We got to understand the systems Transition by Design have in place and how they are applying their governance documents on a practical level. 

“We also saw how they onboard less senior members of staff and it’s something we’ve been very conscious of from our beginning – wanting to create a workplace that’s as fair and supportive as possible.” 

In June 2025, on their fifth birthday, Incremental Architecture registered as a co‑op. Co‑operative UK’s Advice Team assisted with drafting their rules, provided governance advice and dealt with the FCA as registrar on their behalf.

Being a co-operative has helped Charlie and Sam communicate who they are externally. “Since registering as a co-op, it’s been much easier to explain our values to potential clients. We’ve had projects come to us specifically because we’re a co-op,“ Charlie said. 

Many of those clients are community land trusts, co‑operatives and community led organisations who recognise democratic ownership and long‑term thinking as strengths.

The practice is guided by two core missions: enabling community‑led change to buildings and places, and making choices to support living within planetary boundaries.

The co‑operative model supports their pioneering way of working. “We’re not designers who come in and leave. We’re facilitators and long‑term partners,” Sam said. That approach helps communities feel ownership over their buildings and spaces, making them more likely to be cared for and adapted gradually.

Incremental Architecture also works on low‑impact housing, including homes developed under the Welsh government’s One Planet Development policy. That work ranges from individual self‑build homes to emerging plans for much larger developments using natural materials.

“We support people from the very beginning – from design and energy calculations through to long-term environmental performance,“ said Sam. 

Alongside these innovative projects, Incremental Architecture have begun building a network of co‑operatives in their sector – which all stemmed from their peer mentoring session.

“Individually we’re smaller practices,” said Charlie, “but together we collaborate, take on bigger projects, share expertise, pool resources and have a bigger impact.“

Incremental are currently offering four free Initiator Design Sessions for community land trusts, co‑operatives and community groups working on early‑stage housing, retrofit or reuse projects. Find out more here. 

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