Architecture for London
Areas of expertise: low energy homes, workplaces, and Passivhaus.
Architecure for London design and build low energy homes and workplaces with a sustainable approach guided by Passivhaus principles. This creates healthy buildings with natural, breathable materials that achieve the highest sustainability and comfort standards.
They are award-winning London architects dedicated to the creation of inspirational architecture and interiors. Their unique combined design, engineering, and construction service ensures that each project meets the exacting requirements of clients.
This creates healthy buildings with natural, breathable materials and achieve the highest sustainability and comfort standards; including Passivhaus and EnerPhit. This approach creates warm, low-energy homes and workplaces that are a joy to inhabit.
Architecure for London aim for net-zero carbon to create exceptional buildings that provide the best possible backdrop for a sustainable, fulfilling, and enjoyable urban life. Their contextual approach draws inspiration from the rich urban fabric of London. Hierarchy, proportion, generous volumes, and tall windows are as important to the affection for the city in the 21st century as they were in the 19th century.
Phone +44 203 6374 236
Address Architecture for London, 3-5 Bleeding Heart Yard, London, EC1N 8SJ
Website architectureforlondon.com
Instagram @architectureforlondon
LinkedIn Architecture for London
Tell us about your practice?
Our award-winning studio is a collaborative team of architects, engineers, landscape, and interior designers.
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 Ben Ridley is a Passivhaus Designer. As a main contractor via our sister company, AFL Build, we aim to close the construction gap, with specialist experience in constructing airtight and highly insulated buildings.
How do you describe your approach to the design?
At our core we are an architect-led studio, but we uniquely offer a full range of complementary services to our clients.
We take pride in an inclusive and open design process that involves the client at each stage. We strive for a poetic response to design questions and proposals are developed with an iterative approach to sketching, model making and visualisation.
Our work draws inspiration from the existing built fabric of our cities and, crucially, is informed by the immediate site context. This considered approach creates beautiful and contextual buildings that provide value for money in both construction and use.
What projects are you currently working on?
In addition to working on bespoke, low energy homes for private clients, we are now applying the same low-energy principles to larger projects. These include a development of 11 flats in north London and a refurbishment and extension of an 11,000 sqft converted warehouse in Clerkenwell London, creating six low-energy offices for start-up companies.
At Clerkenwell, the refurbishment will create a fossil-fuel free building. All sash windows will be replaced with triple glazing, and areas of solid masonry walls are insulated internally. An MVHR system will provide pre-heating fresh air throughout. The emissions rate for all new build elements is 15 kgCO₂/m²/year which is a 34% improvement on the Building Regulations requirement.
What kind of clients do you work with?
We work with a variety of commercial and private clients, on projects of all scales.
It is important for us to close the ‘construction gap'. We therefore offer a full design and build service for our clients. Our team of Passivhaus designers and tradespeople strive to work towards the common goal of creating sustainable homes while delivering on each individual client brief, timeframe and budget. Within our workplace projects we deliver flexibility to modern occupiers with start-up studios, shared amenities and collaborative spaces that provide opportunities to connect and share ideas.
What have been the highlights for you in the past year?
In the last year we have completed the design and construction of a new store for the stationers Present & Correct within a heritage retail unit in Bloomsbury. The brief called for a demountable interior, allowing the lifespan of the project to extend beyond the lease of the location.
A five storey, listed building, Georgian House, was fully restored to create a comfortable, low-energy family home. Although the refurbishment of a listed building posed its challenges, the property is now highly insulated, has improved airtightness and the newly fitted MVHR provides heat recovery and fresh filtered air.
Both of these projects were realised by AFL Build, our in-house construction company. This year we have had a number of wins and nominations for a variety of awards.
We were a finalist in the BD Net Zero Architect of the Year award and were winners in the NLA Don’t Move Improve awards.
What is your special focus for MIPIM 2024?
At MIPIM 2024, we are bringing our expertise in sustainable re-use and retrofit of existing buildings. We are excited by the opportunity to discuss our approach to sustainable development with the broader built environment community.
Is there anything exciting on the horizon?
We look forward to continuing our work creating healthy, sustainable homes and workplaces, in particular to practical completion at Clerkenwell Road in 2024. We will also be completing a very special 5,000 sqft, GradeII listed house in Hampstead this year. The growth of our construction team, AFL Build, was impressive in 2023, with lots of new project enquiries toward the end of the year and we look forward to continuing this trajectory.
Find out more about the RIBA Chartered Practices attending MIPIM 2024.
