Sustainable design choices and eco-friendly home improvements are crucial in combating the effects of climate change in the UK. How can you make your home an eco-home? As the UK faces the mounting challenges posed by the climate emergency, it is evident that urgent action must be taken to mitigate its effects. Homes, of any […]
London’s architectural landscape is a blend of the historic and the contemporary, and there’s no better time to explore this than during the Open House Festival. This year, as part of the festival, we are thrilled to announce that two of our completed residential projects, along with a retail project, will be open for public […]
We are currently facing the dual dilemmas of a climate emergency and widespread species extinction. Our existing homes in the UK consume vast amounts of energy in the form of fossil fuels. How can homeowners begin to address these issues? This article provides sustainable house refurbishment ideas. The UK has committed to achieving net-zero emissions […]
The Brutalism of the Barbican furthered our foundational obsession with concrete in the 20th century. Far beyond its pole position as the most consumed synthetic product in the world, and despite the catastrophic carbon cost of its production, concrete’s cultural identity in Britain today exceeds any economic or functional virtues to reach a dominant aesthetic […]
Thoughtful design can unlock the benefits of open plan and broken plan living, but are there any drawbacks? An open plan design allows for the merging of communal areas within a home. Free from partitions, this aids in free-flowing movement and an increase in space. Open plan living started in 1930s America at the beginning […]
We are proud to be included in House & Garden’s ‘Top 100 Interior Designers and Architects for 2023′, in addition to 2002. We are in some great company, with lots of talented designers and architects featured this year. “Ben Ridley (an architect and Passivhaus designer) and his team specialise in low-energy buildings. The firm’s projects […]
House extensions in London are often built on, or very close to, a neighbour’s boundary. This article offers advice about how to negotiate the process. We’d always recommend speaking to your neighbour as early as possible. Ideally this should happen once sketch plans have been produced, but before any application for consents has been submitted. […]
Architecture for London is seeking project architects with a passion for good design that touches lightly on the earth. We are a studio dedicated to the creation of sustainable buildings and places. Environmental impact is a key consideration in our work. We take a research-based, fabric first approach to sustainability that carefully considers the embodied […]
We have an opportunity for an administration manager to join our team in London. We are a central London based contractor with an architect-led design and build service. We work alongside Architecture for London, an award-winning architecture practice dedicated to the creation of inspirational and sustainable architecture and interiors. We are looking for an administrator […]
From rafts and trenches to piles and ground screws, this article delves into house extension foundations. We’ll explore both traditional and modern approaches to foundation design. When embarking on a new house extension, it’s crucial to design the correct foundations from the outset. Rectifying any issues later can be costly, disruptive, and time-consuming. It’s essential […]
Architecture for London has completed a number of bespoke homes in the Borough of Camden. Our architects create beautiful and crafted properties with a considered design approach. Client involvement at each…
A single storey extension is a great way to add valuable space, but careful planning, designing and budgeting are essential to ensure a successful project. Under Permitted Development Rights (PD), homeowners can add a single storey extension to their home without applying for planning permission, as long as it adheres to a list of conditions. […]
Architecture for London has completed a number of projects in Islington. We have expertise in working with listed buildings and heritage projects, and our architects understand the particular planning and…
Architecture for London has completed a number of bespoke private homes in Westminster. At Albion Street in Bayswater we are extending and renovating a Grade 2 listed Georgian house. A three floor rear addition in brick and oak provides a new guest bedroom, kitchen and first floor home office. The high specification fit…
Though Francis Bacon is scarcely known for the furniture and rug designs he made as a young man, this part of his past gives us significant insight into his self and work. Against the trappings of Bacon’s celebrity in the latter half of the 20th century, all the tales of gambling, drink and rough sex, his violence and his iconoclasm, a somewhat lesser-recalled history is one of his inter-war period, when he worked for a time as an interior designer.
What is a mansard roof? A mansard is a type of roof that was fashionable in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. Mansard roof extensions provide a larger floor area in comparison to a typical loft conversion, as the ceiling height is maximised around the whole perimeter of the space. They have a steeper […]
What are the new Permitted Development Rights? There are two major changes in the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO), which came into effect in August 2020. Several new Permitted Development Rights for rooftop extensions and new dwellings have been introduced. These new rights make it easier for homeowners and developers to add more space or […]
Architecture for London has an opportunity for a studio manager to join its team in London. We are looking for a studio/office manager with experience in architecture/design-related workplaces to carry out administrative roles within a thriving young practice. We are award-winning architects and designers working on a range of private residential, and commercial projects across […]
Architecture for London is looking for an experienced engineer with a passion for low embodied energy structures to join its London-based team. The role requires at least three years’ post-qualification experience working within UK practice. This role is ideal for someone looking to take on more responsibility and leadership with potential to grow their own […]
We seek experienced construction project managers with a passion for building high quality residential projects in London. We are a central London based contractor with an architect-led design and build service. We work alongside Architecture for London, an award-winning architecture practice dedicated to the creation of inspirational and sustainable architecture and interiors. Environmental impact is […]
Insulate Britain have gained significant momentum in the past week. The campaign group have blockaded the M25 five times in the past 10 days – demanding that Boris Johnson and the UK government take urgent action and make a meaningful commitment to ensure Britain’s housing stock is properly insulated by 2030.
Who are the millennial generation? Millennials, otherwise known as Generation Y, are those born between 1980 – 2000. They have also been labelled the ‘Peter Pan’ generation due to many delaying rites of passage into adulthood for longer periods than those before them. This delay may be attributed to economic pressures not faced by previous […]
This article explores the cost of building a house in London and the south east. The various relevant design and construction factors are discussed, along with the associated expenses that a potential self builder will need to plan for. Despite high build costs in London due to constrained sites and higher labour costs, there are a number of opportunities for savings. The available tax incentives are also explored, these are significant and may therefore be a key consideration when determining a total budget…
This house extension improves a late Victorian property in Highgate. The design stems from a desire to create an inverted architecture and landscape: one that might appear to have been excavated from an existing solid rather than constructed from the ground up. View Architecture for London’s portfolio of recent residential projects. The rear extension creates […]
This article illustrates architects fees for various types and sizes of project, with a focus on private homes. As there are no longer standard or even recommended fees in the UK, they are a matter for negotiation between an architect and the client. They will be determined by the size and location of the architectural practice, the size and type of the project and level of service required. Projects are usually defined by comparative difficulty levels with categories one to five, each having a complexity greater than the previous category…
Architecture for London are leading Passivhaus architects in London. All of our designs employ a ‘fabric first’ approach to sustainability and director Ben Ridley is a Certified Passivhaus Designer. Visit our projects portfolio to see our recent work, or contact us on 020 3637 4236. This article discusses the challenges of meeting the Passivhaus standard in London homes, both for new […]
Property buyers often come across the word ‘maisonette’ during their search, although it can be unclear what this refers to. ‘Maisonette’ is a broad term, further confused by the fact that it can also mean different things depending on where you are in the world. This article explains the key features of maisonettes in the […]
One of the most common questions that our clients ask is: how long does planning permission take? The short answer is that the statutory period for determining an application is 8 weeks for a household or minor application. Larger or complex developments can, however, take up to 13 weeks. There are many factors which can […]
Since its inclusion in the National Planning Policy Framework, Paragraph 79 (previously paragraph 55 / PPS7 / PPG7) actively dissuades local authorities from approving any development on unbuilt land in a rural setting. Importantly though, there are a number of exceptions within the policy detail. The most interesting exception for clients dreaming of a self-build country house is…