What’s in a Name?

At some point during our journey together, many of you in our amazing community might have wondered: What does Teulo actually mean, and where did the name even come from?

That story starts back in 2017, when our Founder, Janelle Wynard, was brainstorming names for her new architecture and design business. She knew she wanted something snappy and inspiring, but the ideas she was throwing around - Catapult, Leap, Thrive - were just not up to the job.

Then she thought of her friend, Nick Teulon. They had met randomly at a start-up event and hit it off straightaway. His energy and enthusiasm lit up the room. Jay thought: What if I just drop the ‘n’ from his name? This new word, Teulo, made her smile, because every time she said it she was reminded of someone who believed in possibility. And, with that, a business and a platform and a community were born.

When Jay told Nick he’d inspired Teulo, he laughed. Appropriate for an architectural platform, he thought, as his grandfather was Samuel Sanders Teulon, a Gothic Revival architect. Years later, Jay would find herself in London running through Victoria Tower Gardens looking for shelter from the rain. She stopped by a beautiful old fountain and realised it was the Buxton Memorial Fountain, designed by Samuel Sanders Teulon himself. She knew then that it was meant to be.

Teulo is more than just a name; it’s a story. Of friendship, inspiration, and a little bit of serendipity. And in the years since this platform was coined, that story has grown into a thriving and connected global community of architects, designers, creatives, and enthusiastic changemakers, just like its namesake.