Working on church and army buildings for many years, Purcell developed his expertise in conservation and in 1960 was appointed Surveyor to the Fabric of Ely Cathedral.
Purcell acquired Worcester-based architect S T Walker and Duckham in 2015[2] and merged with Norfolk-based practice Reynolds Jury Architecture in 2016.
[3] Internationally, the practice established its first studio in Hong Kong in 2009 and has developed its coverage in Asia Pacific with heritage consultancy teams in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia.
[5] As of 2022, Purcell has UK studios in Bristol, Cambridge, Canterbury, Cardiff, Colchester, Leeds, London, Manchester, Norwich, Oxford and York.
Purcell works across eight sectors: cultural, education, hospitality, places of worship, public, residential, transport, and workplace and retail.