Our First Impact Report

There's something powerful about pausing to take stock. Not just of what we've built, but of how we've built it. The decisions taken along the way, the people involved and the values that have guided us. That's exactly what our first Impact Report sets out to do. Writing this report was a good opportunity to reflect, having been part of Orms for 14 years, it’s been a chance to look openly at where we are now, how far we have come and what we are still working towards. The report includes voices from people across the practice, which felt important to us.

This is our first structured, open look at who we are as a practice, what we stand for, and the change we're working to enact — not just through our buildings, but how we operate.

At the heart of this report is our identity as an Employee Owned Trust. Being an EOT shapes everything we do as a business. Every person in the practice has a genuine stake in our collective success, our culture, and our future direction. Decisions are made with shared purpose and care, always with an eye on long-term impact rather than short-term gain. That sense of collective responsibility runs through everything you'll find in these pages.

We've long believed that how a practice operates matters as much as the work it produces. We aim to embed our values deeply into everyday practice life enhancing our commitment to architecture that is Ultrapractical and forever generous. Architecture that works hard for people, for communities, and for the planet.

Part of a bigger conversation

Architecture doesn't happen in isolation and neither does meaningful change. We've been active participants in broader industry conversations: contributing to the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard and continuing to develop our work on material passports. We believe in sharing knowledge openly, and this report reflects that spirit.

A baseline, not a finish line

This is our first Impact Report and we're proud to share it. It gives us a clear baseline from which to grow, improve, and be held accountable. We hope it offers honest insight into where we are today, and sense of where this journey takes us next.