About

Our aim is to improve people’s lives by reimagining the places in which we live and work. The studio is a collaborative team of architects, landscape and interior designers. We work at all scales, from furniture to bespoke private homes and commercial developments. We are an RIBA Chartered Practice based in London.

Environmental impact is a key consideration in our work. We take a research-based, fabric first approach to sustainability that carefully considers the embodied energy of materials and the performance of our buildings in use. Director and architect Ben Ridley is a Passivhaus designer.

Approach

We take pride in a tailored and personal approach. We listen to our clients, seek elegant answers to their questions and add unexpected value through creative design. The success of each project is driven by precise management of budget, programme and quality, resulting in a smooth and reliable process from initial concept to completion.

Our studio has a four-team structure. This allows each project to be run by a focused and energetic group, yet simultaneously benefit from the skills and experience of the wider office. Together we understand the complexities of projects in London: we relish the challenge of working with constrained sites, complex stakeholder groups, and heritage buildings.

We offer a unique Healthy Homes design service. We seek to create homes that benefit both from the improved air quality and thermal comfort of Passivhaus construction, whilst using low VOC and natural materials wherever possible to create a healthy indoor environment.

Our turn-key approach is unique. Whilst we are architect-led, our team offers specialist structural engineering, planning, landscape, interior design and construction skills. We provide a holistic design and build service that removes risk and instils confidence.

Recognition

2022	Finalist: Dezeen Awards
2022	Selected: House & Garden Top 100
2022	Commendation: AIA Design Award
2022	Finalist: AJ Small Projects Award
2021	Selected: RIBA Practice of the Month
2019	Finalist: London Construction Awards
2018	Finalist: Blueprint Awards Best Residential
2018	Finalist: BD Young Architect of the Year Award
2018	Finalist: Dezeen Awards
2017	Winner: RIBA Journal Rising Stars Cohort
2017	Finalist: BD Housing Architect of the Year Award
2017	Finalist: LFA / GLA Silvertown Competition
2016	Finalist: AJ Small Projects Award
2016	Finalist: Architizer A+ Awards
2016	Finalist: AJ Retrofit Award
2015	Finalist: NLA Don’t Move Improve Award
Press
2022	Aug: House Goals, RIBA – Highbury House
2022	Mar: DOMUS – Low Energy House
2022	Feb: Dezeen – Low Energy House
2022	Jan: The Times – Low Energy House
2021	Dec: ArchDaily – Low Energy House
2021	Nov: Wallpaper – Low Energy House
2021	Sep: Open House – Low Energy House
2021	Apr: The Telegraph – Refurbishing listed buildings
2021	Mar: Metro – Light in architecture
2021	Feb: The Architects Journal – Dartmouth Park House
2020	Apr: Grand Designs – North London House
2019	Sep: Open House – Dartmouth Park House
2019	Aug: Dezeen – North London House
2019	May: DOMUS – North London House
2018	Sep: Open House – Holland Park House
2018	Aug: RIBA Journal – North London House
2017	Jun: The Architects Journal – Silver-Smithy
2017	May: Grand Designs – Bethnal Green House
2017	Jan: Dezeen – Bethnal Green House
2016	Nov: Evening Standard – Bethnal Green House
2016	Nov: Grand Designs – Highbury House
2015	Jan: The Architects Journal – Dartmouth Park House
2014	Jun: Dezeen – Highbury House
2014	Jan: Evening Standard – Islington Flat
2013	Nov: Grand Designs – Lambeth House

Clients

“We have had the privilege of working with the team at Architecture for London on a number of projects, both commercial and residential and have been delighted with the process and the finished product” – Clerks Well Developments ltd

“AFL had the perfect balance of giving me new ideas, challenging me and respecting my wishes. From obtaining planning permission to helping me choose great contractors they were brilliant throughout. Trustworthy, solution-oriented, creative and experts in their field – they were a pleasure to work with!” – Fatos, Primrose Hill

“We are simply thrilled with the outcome. AFL fully delivered on the brief and our home feels modern, while in keeping with the period building” – Jackie & Adrian, Camden

“AFL combine bold, innovative artistic talent with strong practical considerations in their approach. Truly a fantastic team of architects” – Wecca Ltd, Westminster

“AFL played a vital role in making my development a reality, as part of a very strong design team that ultimately won our crucial approval at appeal.” – Ken Yong, Greenwich

“We decided to hire and work with AFL because of their competence, reliability and team-oriented work. We will certainly work on further projects in London with AFL” – Moritz Gruppe GmbH, Berlin

Team

Ben Ridley, Amrit Marway, Matt McKenna, Becky Wootton, Matthew Moorhouse, Theo Jones, Alastair Selven, William Gottelier, Victoria Havercroft, Moa Wintzell, John Hurle, Dimitri Savitchev, Titas Grikevičius, Matt Wickham, Karolina Banasik, Nicholas Wright, Benjamin Machin, Fardad Ghaffari, Catherine Stephens

Ben RidleyDirectorBen founded Architecture for London in 2009 and has since designed a number of widely published and award-winning projects. He is a Passivhaus designer with significant technical expertise in the design of low energy buildings. He was a member of the jury for the RIBA / Grand Designs House of the Year Award 2022.

Ben studied architecture at UCL in London, where he graduated with 1st class honours and distinctions. He received several prizes for his work including the Sir Andrew Taylor Environmental Design Prize, the Ambrose Poynter prize for distinguished work and the Leverhulme Trust Bursary for expertise and originality in architecture.

Amrit MarwayAssociate DirectorAmrit is currently leading a sensitive refurbishment and basement extension to a historic detached house in Chelsea. She has considerable experience working in the outer London boroughs and has recently designed a housing-led regeneration scheme in Barking and Dagenham.

Amrit graduated from the Architectural Association and has since led a number of prestigious commissions, including the conversion of several properties in Kensington to form a chain of boutique hotels. She was also project architect for the refurbishment of three Grade I listed townhouses in Regent's Park for the Crown Estate.

Matt McKennaAssociateMatt specialises in working with listed buildings and heritage projects. He is leading an office renovation in Clerkenwell and has recently completed several published private homes. Previously he has worked on residential, healthcare and education projects including achieving consent for a mixed-use scheme for a nursery and retirement village in open countryside.

Matt has taught as an associate lecturer and Year 2 studio unit leader at the Manchester School of Architecture. He studied at the University of Nottingham with 1st class honours and distinction, where he ran a series of lectures given by acclaimed architects, writers and thinkers.

Becky WoottonAssociate, Head of SustainabilityBecky is head of sustainability at Architecture for London and also leads our construction teams. She is currently working on several low energy schemes, including a retrofit project in a conservation area in north London. This project utilises a mechanical ventilation heat recovery system, air-source heat pump, internal wood fibre insulation and high-performance glazing.

Becky studied at Nottingham University and London Metropolitan University, gaining postgraduate certificates with merit and distinction. Prior to joining Architecture for London, Becky guest tutored at Bath University and was an associate at a multi-award-winning architectural practice.

Matthew MoorhouseSenior ArchitectMatthew is currently working on a number of residential projects including a low energy retrofit in West Hampstead and the refurbishment of a warehouse apartment in Clerkenwell.

Matthew studied architecture at The University of Edinburgh and The University of Westminster. Previously, he has been the project architect for a variety of finely crafted schemes including the redevelopment of a bespoke private family office in Mayfair. He has expertise in new build houses, basement projects and low energy refurbishments.

Theo JonesAssociateTheo has a keen interest in digital fabrication, sustainable materials and human-scale space. He leads the studio's business development and runs our in-house workshop. Recently Theo designed a sustainable extension to a home in Highbury and a proposal for creative workspaces in the Royal Docks. He has worked on commercial, installation, community and private residential schemes in London for twelve years.

Theo studied architecture at The Bartlett, UCL and Oxford Brookes University. He teaches across the UK as Green Mat Workshop, was awarded the 2019 RIBA Journal drawing prize and has lectured at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Alastair Mitchell Architecture for London

Alastair SelvenSenior ArchitectAlastair has significant expertise in craft and construction, having a background as a designer-maker. He co-founded 'From the Land', a multidisciplinary design studio focusing on material, process and provenance.

Alastair studied architecture at Central Saint Martins. His previous experience encompasses a variety of scales, from a co-working scheme in the City of London to bespoke furniture for an emerging fashion house. His work is widely published, including in Elle Decoration, Wallpaper and Monocle.

William GottelierSenior ArchitectWilliam studied at London Metropolitan University and Kingston University where he is now an undergraduate tutor. His work focuses on cultural and physical preservation, informed by in-depth social and historical research.

Will has previously worked for a number of awarding winning practices in London and New York and has experience across a variety of scales and sectors. These range from complex interventions within existing buildings to new build residential developments and one-off private homes.

Victoria HavercroftArchitectVictoria is currently leading the sensitive refurbishment of a property in the Grade II listed Hallfield Estate in Westminster. She graduated from The Architectural Association in 2017 and has since gained considerable experience running extension and refurbishment projects in London. She has worked on several large-scale housing and mixed-use developments for the London boroughs.

Victoria is a keen maker with a particular interest in wood and metal fabrication. She recently gained experience as an Assistant Conservator working on the restoration of the Houses of Parliament.

Moa WintzellSwedish Architect SAR/MSAMoa graduated from the Glasgow School of Art with a highly commended thesis in sustainability, and she continues her interest in sustainable architecture at AFL. Her recent work includes a Japanese house in Highgate and a competition for an extension to a garden city.

Moa previously studied at KTH in Stockholm, where she combined an enthusiasm for both digital tools and hand drawing. Her previous work in practice has included larger residential refurbishment schemes and several European competitions.

John HurleStructural EngineerJohn is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (CEng MICE) and a Project Management Professional with the Project Management Institute (PMP).

John studied engineering at Bristol University and Leibniz Universität Hannover in Germany. He has guest lectured at UCL and Imperial College. His previous experience includes private homes, art installations and the restoration of listed structures. John has received a number of awards for his work, including a Structures Award from the Institution of Structural Engineers.

Dimitri SavitchevArchitectural DesignerDimitri graduated with honours from the French National School of Architecture in Clermont-Ferrand.

Prior to joining Architecture for London, Dimitri worked for several award-winning practices in London. He has experience in various scales and project types, ranging from a new build rural home in Scotland to a floating church for the Diocese of London.

Titas GrikevičiusProject ArchitectTitas is currently working on several residential projects, including a Grade II listed house in Tower Hamlets. He has significant experience working on private homes and mixed-use commercial buildings.

He studied at Strathclyde University in Glasgow and Studio Krucker Bates at TU Munich, graduating with distinction in 2016. Titas was selected for the RSA Annual Exhibition 2020. He has also judged the GIA Design Awards and won several international competitions.

Matt WickhamSenior Architect, Passivhaus DesignerMatt is an architect and certified Passivhaus Designer. He has diverse experience, having previously worked as a site foreman for a construction company. This gives him a unique perspective on producing well designed and constructed buildings.

He is highly knowledgeable in the design and delivery of low energy homes and is keen to help clients achieve Passivhaus or EnerPhit status for their projects.

Karolina BanasikArchitectural DesignerKarolina studied at London Metropolitan University, gaining her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees with distinction and receiving the best dissertation award. Her academic work revolved around low energy architecture and reusing existing buildings in sensitive contexts.

Karolina is head of Healthy Homes at Architecture for London. She is a certified Building Biology Consultant IBN with specialist knowledge of healthy, sustainable living and working environments.

Nicholas WrightArchitectural DesignerNicholas studied architecture at NMU in South Africa and RIBA North West in London. Prior to joining the studio, he worked on several widely published and award-winning projects in London. His work focusses on designing carefully crafted homes and unlocking the potential of challenging urban sites.

Nicholas is currently working on a new build low-energy house in Islington and the renovation and extension of a Grade II listed building in Clerkenwell.

Benjamin MachinArchitectBenjamin studied at the University of Liverpool and the University of Westminster and is now a design tutor at Loughborough University. His work considers wellbeing, ecology and locality.

Benjamin has worked for over 10 years within critically acclaimed practices in London and Liverpool, leading teams across a range of project sizes.

Fardad GhaffariStructural EngineerFardad is a chartered structural engineer with 15 years of experience in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. He has worked on a wide range of design-led projects in all major sectors including residential extensions, commercial buidlings and basements.

Fardad studied civil engineering at UCL and Tehran Azad University. He teaches at UCL and has been an instructor for Drawing at Work and the Engineering Club for seven years. He is passionate about learning and is currently studying for a masters in Mathematical Finance at the University of London.

Catherine StephensPlanning ConsultantCatherine is an experienced town planning consultant and a chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). She regularly provides advice on residential and commercial projects, working closely with the architectural team.

Catherine is familiar with the challenges of contentious urban projects and is adept at managing the planning process from project inception to planning application. She is able to negotiate and find solutions to overcome potential hurdles with local authority officers.

About

Approach

Recognition

Press

Clients

Team