VIV-Z · Architect & Architecture Practice Websites
An architecture practice website that wins residential commissions and commercial briefs — built free, live preview in 24 hours, with RIBA/ARB credentials, project portfolio, planning approval case studies, and client booking included as standard.
Free
to build
24h
avg preview time
100+
sites delivered
★★★★★
5-star reviews
The real problem
Most architecture websites are designed to impress other architects, not to convert residential clients or commercial developers who are comparing practices they found in a Google search. A visually striking portfolio that doesn't show planning outcomes, project timelines, or a straightforward way to start a conversation is a missed commission every time a visitor leaves without making contact.
Many architect websites don't display an ARB registration number, despite it being a legal requirement for use of the title. Prospective clients — particularly residential homeowners who've never worked with an architect before — will look for RIBA Chartered status and ARB registration as the basic signal that they're dealing with a registered professional. If those credentials aren't visible and verifiable above the fold, you're losing enquiries to practices that make trust easy.
Unnamed, undated renders with no planning context don't answer the questions a commissioning client actually has: Has this architect navigated the same local planning authority? What kind of projects do they take? How long did this take? What was the outcome? A portfolio structured around case studies — with build type, planning status, local authority, and client result — converts far better than an aesthetic gallery, because it answers the anxiety behind every architecture commission.
Residential clients in particular are uncertain about the process of working with an architect — fees, RIBA work stages, how long planning takes, what they'll get for their money. A website that doesn't provide a clear, low-friction way to start a conversation (book a call, complete a brief form, get a fee indication) loses those clients to whichever architect makes it easiest to begin. Most architecture websites still rely on a generic 'contact us' email form as their only conversion mechanism.
VIV-Z addresses all three — with a built-in CRM that captures every enquiry and follows up automatically, so no prospective commission goes cold.
What's included
Your ARB registration number, RIBA Chartered status, and any specialist accreditations are displayed in a trust block visible above the fold on mobile — where most local architecture searches land. Every credential is embedded in structured data, making your registration details verifiable by search engines and readable by AI assistants recommending architects in your area.
Named case studies — not anonymous renders — with build type, planning authority, approval status, and client outcome for each project. Residential clients anxious about planning risk see a track record, not just aesthetics. Commercial clients see sector experience and project scale. Each portfolio entry is structured for both human readers and search engines.
Prospective clients who find your site at 9pm and can't easily start a conversation rarely follow up. VIV-Z builds a consultation booking flow connected to a CRM that confirms appointments, sends reminders, and follows up with enquiries that didn't complete a booking — so no lead goes cold while you're on site.
'Architect near me', 'residential architect [town]', 'architect for house extension [area]' — the searches that generate residential commissions. Your site targets them with LocalBusiness schema scoped to your practice location, service area pages, and Google Business Profile integration. Not generic SEO — location-specific optimisation for the planning authorities and areas you actually work in.
Separate pages for each commission type you take — residential extensions, new builds, loft conversions, commercial fit-outs, listed building consent — each targeting the specific search that client would make. A homeowner searching 'architect for loft conversion' lands on your loft conversion page with directly relevant case studies, not your homepage.
LocalBusiness, ProfessionalService, and ArchitecturalService schema types embedded in your site tell AI assistants your ARB number, RIBA status, project specialisms, service area, and contact details. When someone asks an AI to recommend a chartered architect for a residential project in your area, this structured data layer is what determines whether your practice appears in the answer.
Every architecture website also connects to email marketing tools — so you can run targeted campaigns to developers, housing associations, or past clients without adding to your admin overhead.
Local search dominance
Residential architecture is fundamentally a local business. Homeowners want an architect who knows their local planning authority, has worked in conservation areas nearby, and can attend a site visit without a two-hour journey. The searches that generate residential commissions are overwhelmingly location-specific — and they're won by whichever practice appears first in the local map pack and organic results.
VIV-Z builds AI-powered enquiry handling into every architect website — so when a homeowner submits a brief at 10pm, they receive an immediate acknowledgement, a pre-qualification questionnaire, and a consultation booking link, before you've even opened your email the next morning.
“architect near me”
The highest-volume residential architecture search in the UK
“residential architect [your town]”
Location-specific search from homeowners ready to commission
“architect for house extension”
Intent-specific search from homeowners at the decision stage
“listed building architect [county]”
Heritage specialist search with very high commission value
“RIBA architect [city]”
Trust-qualified search from clients who know what to look for
“architect for loft conversion”
High-volume residential project type with strong conversion rate
Every type of architecture practice
Whether you're a sole practitioner handling residential extensions, a specialist heritage consultant, or a commercial practice targeting developer-led projects — your website needs to reflect exactly the commissions you want more of.
Residential architects
Extensions, new builds, loft conversions, and full house renovations — with planning approval case studies, local authority track record, and an initial consultation booking flow designed to convert homeowners who are comparing practices.
Commercial architects
Office fit-outs, retail units, mixed-use developments, and industrial projects — with sector-specific project pages and a professional services positioning that attracts commercial clients, developers, and main contractors.
Listed building specialists
Conservation area expertise, heritage consent case studies, and working-with-older-buildings credibility — with content that filters in the right clients and pre-qualifies them on the complexity and timeline of listed building projects.
Sole practitioner architects
A website that competes with larger practices on professionalism, showcasing your personal design philosophy, full project history, and direct-to-architect contact — without the overhead of an agency-built site.
Interior architects
Spatial design, FF&E specification, and interior architecture projects — with a portfolio structure that distinguishes interior architecture from interior design and positions your practice for commercial and high-end residential commissions.
Landscape architects
Public realm, residential gardens, masterplanning, and environmental projects — with CMLI credential display, project case studies from planning through construction phase, and a service page structure that ranks for 'landscape architect [location]' searches.
The process
Fill in a short form — your practice specialisms (residential, commercial, listed buildings, new builds), your ARB number and RIBA status, the areas you work in, and any existing branding or project imagery. Five minutes. No commitment, no upfront fee.
Our team builds your complete site: a credentials-forward homepage with ARB and RIBA status displayed above the fold, project case study pages for each commission type you take, a consultation booking flow, local SEO targeting your practice area and planning authorities, and structured data markup for AI and search visibility.
Within 24 hours you receive a live preview link. Check the portfolio structure, test the consultation booking on mobile, review the local SEO targeting. Request changes — you owe nothing until you are completely satisfied with the result.
Subscribe to hosting and your website goes live with your domain connected, booking forms active, and CRM capturing every enquiry automatically. Cancel anytime — no long-term contracts, no agency retainer.
Why not an agency website?
Architecture web design agencies produce visually impressive portfolios — but few include the technical SEO layer that makes a site rank for 'architect near me' searches in your area, the schema markup that surfaces your practice in AI search results, or the booking system that converts late-evening site visits into booked consultations. The result is a site that impresses peers at practice reviews but generates little organic enquiry. Combined with the VIV-Z booking system, every brief submitted outside office hours gets an immediate response and automated follow-up — not an unanswered contact form.
FREE
to design and build your architecture practice website
Then pay hosting to keep it live
Hosting · SSL · domain · CRM · booking · exclusive enquiries
No card required until you love it
FAQ
An effective architect's website needs to answer three questions before a prospective client picks up the phone: what have you built, are you properly qualified to design mine, and how do I start a conversation with you? That means a project portfolio front and centre — not a gallery of unnamed renders, but named case studies showing planning approval status, build type (new build, extension, listed building conversion, commercial fit-out), approximate scale, and client outcome. Credentials need to be visible: your ARB registration number is a legal requirement to practice in the UK as an architect, and RIBA Chartered membership is the trust signal that distinguishes you from unregistered designers. Beyond credentials and portfolio, the most valuable addition to an architecture website is a clear consultation booking flow — residential clients in particular are often intimidated by the fee structure and process of working with an architect; removing the friction with a straightforward initial call booking converts significantly more enquiries into paying commissions. VIV-Z builds all of this as standard, including structured data markup that makes your credentials and project types machine-readable by search engines and AI assistants.
Residential architecture enquiries come predominantly from local search ('architect near me', 'residential architect [town]', 'extension architect [area]', 'architect for house extension') and from intent-specific searches tied to project type ('listed building architect', 'new build architect UK', 'architect for loft conversion', 'commercial architect [city]'). Local search visibility is won through a combination of accurate LocalBusiness schema with your practice's address, service area, and ARB/RIBA credentials, a verified and complete Google Business Profile, and location-specific service pages targeting the areas you serve. Project-type traffic comes from dedicated pages for each commission type you take: extensions, new builds, renovations, listed building consent, commercial projects, interior architecture. VIV-Z builds both: technical local SEO that surfaces your practice in map pack results for 'architect near me' searches, and individual project-type pages targeting the specific work your most profitable clients are searching for.
Displaying your ARB (Architects Registration Board) registration number is a professional obligation under the Architects Act 1997 — only ARB-registered individuals may use the title 'architect' in the UK, and making your registration number findable gives prospective clients a direct means to verify your status. RIBA Chartered membership is distinct from ARB registration but equally significant to many clients: it signals commitment to continuing professional development, adherence to the RIBA Code of Professional Conduct, and access to the RIBA's professional indemnity insurance scheme. Beyond compliance, both credentials serve a conversion function on your website. A prospective client comparing two practices — one that prominently displays ARB number and RIBA Chartered status with a link to verify, one that doesn't — will lean toward the one that demonstrates accountability. VIV-Z displays your full credentials in a trust block visible above the fold on mobile, where most local architecture searches land, with schema markup that makes your registration details machine-readable for search engines and AI systems.
A web design agency specialising in professional services typically charges £2,000–£8,000 for an architecture practice website — without the structured portfolio functionality, schema markup, or local SEO work that would actually generate enquiries from the right type of client. Template-based platforms like Squarespace run £150–£300 per year but require you to build and maintain the site yourself; they rarely include project case study structures, professional accreditation display, or structured data. Hiring a freelance designer typically lands in the £800–£3,000 range for a site that looks professional but lacks the technical SEO foundation to rank for 'architect near me' searches in your area. VIV-Z takes a different approach: we build your complete architecture practice website at no upfront cost, including project portfolio, credentials display, consultation booking, and local SEO. You see a live preview within 24 hours and pay for hosting only if you are completely satisfied with the result. No build fee, no agency retainer.
AI assistants — Google's AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, ChatGPT, Perplexity — are increasingly being used to find professionals for residential and commercial projects. When someone asks an AI to recommend a residential architect in a specific area, or a RIBA-chartered practice for a listed building project, the AI draws on structured data embedded in architecture websites: your practice type, service area, project specialisms, professional accreditations, and contact details. A Google Business Profile alone is no longer sufficient — the machine-readable schema layer embedded in your own website determines whether your practice surfaces in AI-generated recommendations. Every VIV-Z architecture website ships with LocalBusiness schema configured for professional architecture services, including ARB registration data, RIBA membership status, project service types (residential, commercial, listed buildings, extensions), geographic coordinates, and areaServed markup. This structured data layer makes your practice visible in AI search alongside traditional search results.
Where you have the data, yes — and it can be a meaningful differentiator. Residential clients commissioning extensions or new builds are often uncertain about planning risk, particularly in conservation areas, National Parks, or with listed buildings. An architect who can point to a demonstrable track record — 'X% planning approval rate across Y residential applications in [local authority]' — is addressing a primary anxiety at the exact moment the client is making their decision. It doesn't need to be a formal statistic; a project case study section that includes planning outcome ('full planning permission granted', 'listed building consent approved', 'permitted development confirmed') builds the same evidence base. VIV-Z structures your portfolio so each project entry includes planning status, local planning authority, build type, and client outcome — in a format that reads naturally for site visitors and is structured in schema markup for search engine and AI visibility.
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