ARCHITECTS would prefer to work from York than any other city in Yorkshire.

Armed with that market research, a top firm of Selby architects will be moving to the ancient capital.

DWA Architects, the practice which was finalist in the Growth Business of the Year category of the 2004 Evening Press Business Awards, commissioned the study as it outgrew its office in Delacy House in Park Street, Selby. Its 55 staff need double Delacy House's 5,000sq ft.

David Ward, founder and managing director, decided to move 40 people, including the practice's architect and planning consultancy, to a new office - but which was best city in terms of good access, quality of life, working environment, architectural significance, cost of housing and economic "buzz"?

He asked Acute Marketing of York to find out the views of architects in five Yorkshire cities - Hull, Leeds, Selby, Sheffield and York.

A phone interview with both trainee and qualified architects across the region showed that on a scale of one to ten for each attribute, York had the highest total, scoring nine for architectural significance and four eights for access, quality of life, working environment and economy.

But even though it was worst for housing cost - scoring a mere six - its total of 47 was four points above Leeds, its nearest rival. Sheffield scored 42, Hull 39 and Selby trailed at 37.

Now Mr Ward is negotiating for a new as-yet unnamed premises in York where DWA will become the biggest architectural firm in the city once the move takes place in February.

He intends to keep the Selby office with 15 staff, including structural engineers and quantity surveyors, as well as the firm's office in Warrington, but plans to take on five more architects in York over the coming year.

He said: "Our commitments to our employees and our clients are very important. We want to grow and we need more room.

"If we are going to get better then we want to be in the best place to attract the best talent in the market. The research showed that York has this in spades."

In 2004 DWA undertook a number of high-profile projects, including the £41 million redevelopment of York's Barbican site, the 16,000sq ft Community House in Selby for the town's voluntary services, fitting out the new 55,000sq ft Passport Office in Liverpool and the design of a number of apartments in and around London.

Updated: 11:19 Friday, January 14, 2005