We work on residential projects in Wapping, Whitechapel, Shadwell, Limehouse, Poplar, Canary Wharf, the Isle of Dogs, Poplar, Bow, Stratford, West Ham, East Ham, Plaistow and Forest Gate. Since 2013, we’ve been working with the planning and building control departments of Tower Hamlets and Newham councils on projects from extensions to new build houses, so we know their local planning policies, building regulations and requirements inside out.
Recognised as one of the best residential architecture firms in the South-East of England, we work across the entire residential architecture spectrum with construction budgets of 200k - 10m. With a proven track record delivering home extensions, flat conversions, HMOs, new build houses and flats, we deliver incredibly successful projects for national house builders and seasoned property developers right through to first-time investors and homeowners.
Throughout the planning, design, and construction journey's highs and lows, you'll find our team open, communicative, and down-to-earth. Unlike numerous architecture practices, we consistently endeavour to underpromise and overdeliver.
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This includes E1. E2, E3, E6, E7, E9, E11, E12, E13, E14, E15, E16, E20
Maybe the most elemental way of thinking about traditional London was West End, East End and the City in between the two. The west was fancy with the big houses, the east was docks and factories. That was, of course, massively simplistic, but it contained some basic truths. Since the 1970s, deindustrialisation has meant that a lot of politicians and developers have regarded the east as a blank slate, which is more than a little rude to many people who have lived there all along.
These days, leave the City heading east and you will find a dizzying and sometimes thrilling mix of old and new, a place created by the many waves of immigration from the Huguenots onwards and then the massive redevelopments of the docks and the Olympic Park, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t still a sense of cockney tradition and continuity remaining through it all.
The area is still defined by warehouses in London stock brick on and near the river - some original and now converted into flats, others crafty reproductions. Contrasting with that history is that are the shiny towers of Canary Wharf, the most famous being the Cesar Pelli-designed One Canada Square - its silvery pyramid roof remains one of London’s key reference points. Opinions are divided on buildings that followed - some in our office are big fans of Herzog & de Meuron’s circular One Park Drive, others less convinced by its 1960s-flavoured retro-futurism. But maybe our favourite building around here is the wildly eccentric post-modern Isle of Dogs Pumping Station, now Grade II*-listed.
For a very different sense of how a rapidly changing area could work, go further south on the Isle of Dogs to Maconachies Wharf, a community of houses designed in the 1980s by Stout & Litchfield but built by the future residents themselves, largely dockworkers.
Heading west and back in time, one of the great architectural moments in London is the contrast between Nicholas Hawksmoor’s dramatic Christ Church Spitalfields and the lovely early 18th-century homes on Fournier Street alongside it.
In the year ending March 2023, Tower Hamlets council received 1,106 planning applications and approved 79% of those applications submitted. Newham received 1,140 applications and approved 75%.
Our expertise in planning applications means we have a 97% success rate of getting planning permission for our clients (across all councils). East London is a place where we have a deep knowledge of the workings of the local authorities. As our client, you will increase your chances of getting planning consent for your project by working with us.
One of our specialities in this area has been flat refurbishments - many 1980s new-builds and conversions (some in listed warehouses) are starting to show their age and owners are looking for imaginative and comprehensive interior designs. Plus extensions - it’s easy to overlook how many houses (from Georgian to much more recent) there are in the area.
The era of big blocks of apartments is still here, with some ex-industrial sites remaining along with the demolition and replacement of 20th-century housing and offices. On a different scale, there are plenty of small site opportunities such as this one.
We are a multidisciplinary team of architects, planning consultants, interior designers and project managers offering multiple 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
As much as we are excited by many of the big shiny buildings that have gone up in East London in recent years, we also think there is a real opportunity for more subtle additions to the streetscapes, with a least a nod to the long history of the East End.
BA MArch AADip
Senior Architectural Designer
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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