Over the last 10 years, we have developed a specialism in residential architecture, specifically for extensions, renovations and new-build developments with a construction value of between £200k - £20m.
With a strong multidisciplinary team that has an established reputation for excellence in residential architecture, we can provide you with all of the solutions you need through every step of your project.
We are a multidisciplinary team offering architectural, planning, interior design and project management services under one roof. When you work with our firm, you have the support of our entire studio behind you - no matter what.
Unprecedented planning results with our unique 6-step system
Artistically curated buildings with truly unique and lasting appeal
Lifestyle-led living with exquisite, inspirational and refined concepts
Neighbourhoods with sensitive, pragmatic and imaginative urbanism
Extensions with extra space, light, comfort and good vibes
Conversion of houses into multiple flats with greatest return
Custom houses with refined and beautifully proportioned spaces
Block of flats with maximum value and commercial viability
New use class system with huge opportunities and flexibility
HMO conversions with decent standards and maximum yields
Catastrophic technical errors are too common and what should be simple design tasks somehow become wildly overcomplicated. Planning consultants and architects give you conflicting advice and all too often you are left feeling patronised or ignored by the experts you are paying.
And you may discover that schedule and budget overruns are considered so standard for construction projects that nobody seems to feel it’s worth trying to prevent them.
We don’t think that any of this is inevitable, still less acceptable. Instead, we believe that technical thinking and creative enthusiasm with the right blend of expertise, experience, and imagination make a real difference in meeting the challenges of building projects.
For this reason, we are committed to an approach that puts a wide range of skills and hard-won knowledge at your disposal.
Oriented towards our founding values, the whole idea of Urbanist Architecture is to put you in a position where you don’t have to experience the frustrations, unnecessary expense and confusion too often associated with trying to build something in the UK.
You will receive a custom, one-size-does-not-fit-all design that is entirely bespoke and unique for you
Your project will be massively effective. There will be minimal revisions along the way and it will be delivered on time
You will receive all the design solutions you need along with the finest planning advice from a strategically minded team
“ I am very happy with the service I received from Urbanist Architecture. They were delightful to deal with and provided an excellent service. Most significantly, I got the planning permission I hoped for. ”
Kate W. — London
“ Incredible dedication from the team, very responsive and enthusiastic. Always willing to accommodate our requirements. Very talented individuals working on the project who took a genuine interest in the project which showed in the quality of the outcomes. ”
Vimla N. — London
“ It has been a real pleasure to work with you and it's fantastic to see how professional and hard working you are. I can't thank you enough for all you have done in making our dream home. ”
Dr Khan I. — London
“ Urbanist Architecture took the greatest pride and care in our project, they nurtured it as if it was their own, and demonstrated such professionalism and confidence that cannot be found elsewhere. We received our planning permission with great surprise. ”
Rackesh P. — London
We aren’t a mega-corporation. We are smaller, so close interaction is at the heart of what we do. By dedicating ourselves to a smaller number of clients, we work side by side with you to achieve precise attention to detail. This structure enables us to obtain high-quality and extraordinarily personalised results for you.
Our unique six-step sequential model of planning system incorporates safeguards for many of the pitfalls and failings of typical planning applications. Our rigorously tested system allows us to specialise in crafting creative planning application strategies for developments with sensitive planning conditions and restrictions.
Grounded in thorough research, rigorous analysis and creative vision, our solutions allow for all the necessities of modern life. This approach enables us to strive for harmony of all elements that animate a building and give it life; we aim to design a space that is as visually impressive as it is efficient.
We use the latest BIM technology to integrate artistic skills with smart technology. This creates an intuitive design process so your project is almost a prototype before it’s built. You will be able to visualise the layout and quality of your space, annotate the drawings and provide feedback throughout the process.
A construction project will always involve tricky choices between quality, cost and time. From the beginning, we make sure that we understand what your priorities are, advise you on the best path to achieving them, and keep them in mind as we continue to juggle quality, time and cost on your behalf.
Many architecture firms may give you tempting initial quotes only to reveal new charges and extra fees at each stage of the process. We don’t. We are transparent about what we will and won’t charge you for.
We are proudly a small architecture firm in London. We think the personal touch is crucial – if you hire us for your project, you will have our full attention and complete focus.
BA(Hons) MA
Managing Director
Whether you have a house in a conservation area, a small plot in an urban setting or a large plot in a greenfield site, we specialise in crafting creative design and planning strategies to unlock the potential of challenging sites and buildings
As the demands of life change, our homes need to evolve to fulfil different needs. Whether you want to build a spacious, light-filled home extension or add an extra bedroom to accommodate your growing family, we’ll turn your ideas into beautifully designed extensions that complement what your home already has to offer. We’ll create the best ideal extension layouts with maximum square footage.
UK property values have grown exponentially for over 450 years, the only exceptions being during the world wars. The rental market is becoming increasingly popular, especially in London and the Home Counties, due to high employment rates and demand for flats. Initially, converting houses into flats may seem rather daunting but with our experienced planning and architectural team, we know exactly how to get planning permission for splitting your house and design to maximise the number of flats.
Getting planning permission with listed building consent can be a lengthy, complicated process but we know how to take all of the complexity in planning permission and simplify it while adding aesthetics, functionality and value to listed buildings. As specialists in listed buildings, our strengths include knowledge of all aspects of heritage design and planning permission for listed building extensions and renovations.
Undertaking a new build and stamping your own individuality on every aspect of the design can be an overwhelming challenge. As one of the top architecture firms in the UK, we’ve achieved impressive results by delivering exceptional bespoke new build homes throughout London and the UK. So, whether you’re looking to self-build your own home or are a well-established property developer building multiple houses, we’ll help you at every stage of the design and build process.
As one of the best architecture firms in the UK, we’re leading the drive to improve the design quality of contemporary housing developments and create benefits for the social and physical infrastructure of the area. As our client, you will get a housing design tailored to your specifications and with pragmatic and imaginative solutions for multiple flats as infill development, backland development or mews developments.
We specialise in crafting creative design and planning strategies to unlock the hidden potential of developments, secure planning permission and deliver imaginative projects on tricky sites
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Read our latest articles, tackling everything from changes in planning policy to home renovation advice
We may call London home, but our work takes place all over the UK. We work throughout London and the UK and further abroad on occasion.
Please note, though, we can only provide planning advice in England.
We work across the entire residential architecture spectrum with construction budgets of 200k-20m (in certain particular circumstances, we will work on projects with a lower budget). With a proven track record delivering home extensions, flat conversions, HMOs, new build houses and flats, we also have extensive experience in luxury interior design projects in central London and sustainable urban design projects for green belt land developments in the UK.
We’ve created incredibly successful projects for national house builders and seasoned property developers as well as first-time investors and homeowners. Every project, whatever its size or location, receives the same professional care and attention, meticulous focus on exemplary design and streamlined project management to achieve your goals and objectives.
As a well-established architectural practice in London, we understand how important your project is, and the hard work necessary to meet it. For this reason, we'll listen to you, understand your aspirations and design buildings that complement and enhance their surroundings.
We undertake every project with pragmatism and ensure that we always anticipate practicalities that can often be overlooked. It’s crucial to us that our adaptive, responsive and client-led approach strives for aesthetic refinement and technical excellence. We’ll painstakingly and meticulously go through every detail to ensure that your design is bespoke and unique to your requirements.
We have proven processes in place to ensure we can gain planning permission for tricky sites and complex projects. Our unique six-step sequential model of planning system incorporates safeguards for many of the pitfalls and failings of typical planning applications. With a dedicated focus on developing good design with our clients and seeking collaborative negotiation with planning officers, we secure planning permissions for unprecedented and quite exceptional projects.
Our rigorously tested system allows us to specialise in crafting creative planning application strategies for residential developments with sensitive planning conditions and restrictions. These include complex projects such as alterations to listed buildings, developments within conservation areas, challenging multi-unit residential schemes and new dwellings on Green Belts. As our client, we’ll maximise your chances by finding the sweet spot between your council’s planning policies and guidelines for your project and what is commercially right for you by using our unique approach.
Purely as an indication, charges for our full service, from conception to completion, can be calculated as a percentage of the build cost, and range between 10% and 15% depending on the scale and scope of your project. You can choose the services you require, whether you want our comprehensive full service from conception to completion, or just want our help with your planning application.
We specialise in crafting creative design and planning strategies to unlock the hidden potential of developments, secure planning permission and deliver imaginative projects on tricky sites
Write us a message