Optimizing Digital Design Workflows: How Jestico and Whiles Leverages Cetopo for Seamless Site Data Integration

Introduction:

Adapting Design Workflows to Real Teams

Jestico and Whiles is an award-winning architectural practice based in London, with a portfolio spanning public buildings, residential developments, and bespoke commissions. This breadth of work demands flexibility. Every project brings unique requirements, and the practice cannot rely on rigid, one-size-fits-all processes.

For Barrie Sharp, Digital Design Manager at Jestico + Whiles, the challenge is ensuring that digital workflows meet the needs of a wide spectrum of users.

“It’s important to be able to adapt, to have options, and to provide clear workflows and simple processes for people. You always have your super users, and then those who are just trying to get their job done. You need workflows that work for both ends of that spectrum.”

This dual responsibility – supporting power users while simplifying tasks for generalists – requires carefully chosen tools. That’s where Cetopo has become integral to their process.

The Early-Stage Challenge:

Reliable Site Data at Speed

Every architect knows that early stages of design are make-or-break. Feasibility studies, concept designs, and early client presentations often hinge on rapid access to accurate site information. Yet this is precisely where many teams struggle.

Traditionally, acquiring reliable context meant stitching together multiple datasets: topography from one source, aerial imagery from another, and building footprints from yet another, each with its own licensing hurdles and update cycles. For BIM managers, this patchwork introduced both delays and risk.

Sharp sums up the bottleneck simply:

“In early stages we often don’t have access to maps we need. We need to be able to get information quickly.”

When projects stall at this critical point, design energy can dissipate. Instead of testing options, teams spend days waiting for data, or worse, making assumptions that compromise accuracy later.

Why Cetopo:

One Platform, Multiple Datasets

For Jestico and Whiles, Cetopo’s value lies in collapsing this fragmented process into a single, dependable workflow. With one login and one interface, their teams can now select a site and access terrain models, LiDAR, and building footprints in minutes.

Sharp highlights the difference:

“That’s where Cetopo has become a very good tool. The backend complexity is taken care of. Once you select your site, you have all the different data available – all done in one hit.”

For a digital design manager, this means:

• Fewer interruptions – Teams don’t lose momentum waiting for external consultants or multiple data providers.

•  Lower training overhead – Architects of all skill levels can pull the context they need without becoming GIS experts.

• Scalable workflows – Because everyone is using the same system, results are more consistent across teams.

Features That Make a Difference to Architects and BIM Managers

Cetopo’s impact isn’t just about speed – it’s also about enabling better decision-making.
Sharp points to several features that have been particularly valuable:

• Instant Previews and Cost Control – Before committing to downloads, teams can preview datasets and review costs.
  
  “Very quickly we can assess whether we go ahead,” Sharp notes.
  “This prevents wasted effort and gives project leads confidence at the earliest stage.”
  
  
• Clean User Interface – Architects don’t have time to wrestle with clunky platforms. Sharp appreciates that Cetopo keeps interaction simple:
  
  “No waiting time.”
  
  
• Template-Driven Workflows – The ability to configure templates for different project stages or outputs makes Cetopo adaptable to varying needs.
  While Sharp sees room to refine template management – such as grouping and filtering –
  he values the potential for creating turnkey solutions that teams can reuse.
  

For practices working across multiple disciplines and scales, these seemingly small features directly reduce friction and increase consistency.

Building Confidence Through Licensing and Flexibility

Adoption of new tools often falters not because of technical limitations, but because of licensing headaches. Firms worry about over-committing to annual contracts, or they get stuck paying for unused seats.

Cetopo’s flexible project-based model has been a key factor for Jestico + Whiles. Sharp explains:

“The flexibility and fairness in the licensing model is great. It builds confidence to use the service.”

This flexibility allows the practice to scale usage naturally. If the amount of projects increases, they can upgrade easily. If workloads dip, they aren’t locked into wasted spend as projects roll over. This adaptability builds trust and encourages teams to rely on the tool.

Results:

From Workflow to IT Overhead

While Jestico + Whiles is still refining its internal workflows around Cetopo, several benefits are already clear:

• No early-stage roadblocks – Projects move forward without stalling for base data.
  
  
• Reduced IT burden – Easy license management simplifies administration.
  
  “When you’re involved in license and user management, it’s just an overhead,” Sharp explains. “Removing that from IT guys is huge.”
  
  
• Consistent datasets across teams – Whether working in Rhino, SketchUp, or Revit, teams start from the same source, reducing the risk of misaligned assumptions.

The result is not just faster project starts, but greater confidence in the information underpinning design decisions.

Balancing Ambition with Reality

No platform is perfect, and Sharp is clear-eyed about Cetopo’s limitations. Models can occasionally lag behind the very latest developments in fast-changing cities like London.

For Sharp, these gaps are manageable. More importantly, he sees them as opportunities for the platform to expand – such as through the addition of standalone OS MasterMap data.

Still, the overall value remains compelling:

“It’s a great package for coordinating information sets. A single place to go to look for it. The pricing is good value as opposed to coordinating access to this information elsewhere.”

Lessons for Digital Design Leaders

Sharp’s experience offers broader insights for BIM managers, heads of digital, and practice leaders:

• • Design tools must work for both experts and generalists. If workflows only serve super users, adoption will stall.

• • Early-stage clarity beats late-stage correction. Having reliable context upfront prevents costly redesigns later.

• • Licensing fairness drives confidence. Teams are more likely to adopt and explore tools when they know they won’t be penalized for experimenting.

• • Workflow integration matters as much as raw power. A single platform that removes backend complexity can be more valuable than multiple tools that don’t connect.

For practices navigating increasingly complex digital ecosystems, these lessons are worth noting.

Final Thoughts

When asked whether he’d recommend Cetopo to peers in the industry, Sharp doesn’t hesitate:

“Absolutely – it solves a lot of problems.”

For firms balancing design ambition with the realities of deadlines, budgets, and team capacity, Cetopo represents more than just a data platform. It’s a workflow enabler: a way to ensure that the right information is there, in the right format, at the right time.

In the words of a digital design manager who knows the daily pressures of keeping projects moving: simplicity, speed, and fairness are not luxuries – they’re essentials. Cetopo helps deliver them, so architects and BIM managers can focus on what they do best: designing places that matter.