Buttress Architects has reaffirmed its commitment to responsible and ethical practice by completing its latest B Corp recertification, achieving an impact score of 141 – a significant increase from its initial score of 81.4 in 2022.
This result places Buttress among the highest-scoring B Corp-certified architecture practices in the UK, and the leading practice headquartered outside London*, reflecting sustained progress against one of the most rigorous global standards for social and environmental performance.
Buttress is a design practice rooted in Ancoats, Manchester – an area shaped by industrial heritage, regeneration and community – with a studio in Leeds and a national reach.
In 2025, the practice became 100 per cent employee-owned, reinforcing its long-term commitment to people, planet and purpose.
The recertification reflects Buttress’ purpose-led approach, which guides how the practice designs, operates and measures success. Significant gains across B Corp’s workers (people) and environment categories reflect the transition to employee-ownership, alongside intentional changes already underway to wellbeing, equity and skills development, and clearer accountability for environmental performance – both in how the practice operates and how it delivers projects.
As a re-certified B Corp, Buttress is committed to using its work to deliver positive social and environmental impact, creating responsible and resilient places that contribute to a more just society and a positive future.
Matthew Burl, director at Buttress who led the B Corp recertification process, said:
“Architecture carries responsibility beyond individual projects. The choices we make about design, materials, procurement, safety and longevity shape social outcomes, environmental impact and public trust in the built environment.
“Our purpose has always been to take responsibility beyond individual projects. Becoming a B Corp – and then recertifying with a significantly higher score – has given us a rigorous framework to test, evidence and strengthen that commitment in practice. Coupled with employee-ownership, it helps ensure that the values we design with – equity, community and sustainability – are also how we operate as a business.
“We see B Corp not as a badge, but as a tool for accountability, continuous improvement and collective leadership within the profession. Our ambition is to help shift expectations of what responsible practice looks like, so that doing the right thing becomes the normal thing.”