A UK-founded, independent engineering and sustainability consultancy that began in Newcastle in 1976 and now has more than 1,300 people, with UK offices from Newcastle to London.
Cundall describes itself as a global, independent, multi-disciplinary consultancy delivering sustainable engineering and design solutions across the built environment. Its work is wide: building services, structures, sustainability, and specialist design. Projects it names include One Hyde Park, the AELTC Indoor Tennis Centre, work for the London 2012 Olympics and the Palm House at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. An early project was Wansbeck Hospital, part of a ten-year Department of Health research programme.
It was set up in 1976 by founding partners including Geoffrey Cundall, who wanted a firm that was "less hierarchical than other practices" and felt that the construction industry was too chaotic. It started in Newcastle and Edinburgh and later opened in London. The firm's shared purpose, in its words, is to "engineer a better, more sustainable world". It talks of excellence, integrity and sustainability, runs a "single bottom line" and a "One Cundall" approach, and has set a Zero Carbon Design 2030 commitment and science-based targets for 2050. An early managing partner, David Dryden, described the purpose as "providing people with opportunity in the business".
The UK offices named on the firm's history page are Newcastle, Edinburgh, London, Birmingham, Manchester and Belfast, with Dublin also listed in Europe. In late 2025 the Newcastle headquarters moved into Bank House. The firm has 29 offices worldwide across the UK and Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, and more than 1,300 professionals. Growth has been organic, with new offices opened by existing staff, rather than by buying other firms.
On culture, the firm says organic growth has kept a strong shared culture and close links between offices, and encourages staff to help shape how it is run. Carole O'Neil became managing partner in 2022 and is the first non-technical person in the role, and Tomás Neeson is chairman. In the firm's words they want to "champion a culture of collaboration that fosters creativity and innovation". Ownership is described only as independent, and we have not said more.
A firm like this employs mechanical, electrical and structural engineers, sustainability and energy consultants, acoustic and lighting specialists, digital designers and project managers, together with finance and people teams. If you are drawn to the idea of making buildings use less energy and work better for those inside them, the combination of engineering and sustainability work here matches that interest.
Website: www.cundall.com
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