We have an office in Belgravia and work on residential projects primarily in Belgravia, Covent Garden, Pimlico, Mayfair, Marylebone, Bayswater, Paddington and St John’s Wood.
Since 2013, we’ve been working with the planning and building control departments of the City of Westminster on projects on renovations and extensions, so we know their local planning policies, building regulations and requirements inside out.
Recognised as one of the best residential architecture firms in London, we work across the entire residential architecture spectrum with construction budgets of 100k - 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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All postcodes (SW7 - Kensington, SW1 - Whitehall and Buckingham Palace , EC4- St Pauls, W1 - Mayfair & Marylebone, W2 - Paddington, W8 - Holland Park, W9 - Maida Vale, W10 -Queens Park, W11 - Notting Hill, WC1 - Bloomsbury , WC2 - Chancery Lane, WC2N - Whitehall, NW6 - Queens Park, NW8 - St John's Wood, NW1 -Regent's Park, Camden Town)
When people from outside the capital think about London, chances are they are thinking of Westminster. After, it’s where you’ll find Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament, not to mention the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery and Tate Britain. And St James’ Park, Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens and most of Regent’s Park, including London Zoo. Then there’s Madame Tussauds, Oxford Street and Lord’s Cricket Ground. Significant religious buildings include Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral and the London Central Mosque.
It is, then, the centre of Britain’s political, religious and cultural life, as well as the first place a visitor new to London will head to.
As the name of the borough suggests, Westminster historically had its own status as a city, separate from London to the east. The two cities were linked by The Strand. As today, Westminster was the centre of government while economic power lay with the merchants of the City of London.
Although Westminster contains many of the country’s most famous buildings, many experts consider that for the highlights of the borough’s architecture, you should look beyond the palaces and museums. Rather than being built to meet the whims of a king, the Georgian houses of Mayfair and Regency and Victorian-era (although not Victorian-style) houses of Belgravia were constructed as speculative developments.
The white or cream stucco theme continues further north in the borough with John Nash’s elegant Park Crescent, even if hiding behind the Grade I-listed façades are actually buildings from the 1960s rather than 1810s originals. Notable 20th-century buildings include two great Art Deco-era institutional headquarters: the former London Transport offices at 55 Broadway and the BBC’s Broadcasting House. And while Westminster is associated with power and riches, the borough has some architecturally outstanding council housing, including Churchill Gardens (parts of which are Grade II listed) on the river and Lillington Gardens on Vauxhall Bridge Road (Grade II*).
In the year ending March 2023, Westminster council received 5,931 planning applications and approved 89% of those. In previous years, Westminster has received almost as many listed building consent applications as the other London authorities combined.
When you factor in conservation areas as well as listed properties, there’s no doubt that for architects to work successfully in Westminster, being skilled in working with heritage buildings is crucial. The Urbanist Architecture team prides itself on our work on listed and other protected buildings. We understand the balance between making sure that no damage is done to the historic fabric and ensuring homes are comfortable and convenient to live in.
Our projects for homeowners in Westminster include full refurbishment and renovation works. As well as dealing with councils, we are also experienced at obtaining licence to alter for flats and houses on the Grosvenor lands and other prestigious estates.
Our projects for developers in Westminster involve renovations and refurbishments.
We have transformed the insides of properties so that the newly luxurious interiors live up to the beautiful exteriors, substantially increasing the rental or sales potential.
“ I applied for planning permission to Hammersmith & Fulham for a dormer roof extension but it was refused. I received numerous letters from companies offering their services to deal with my case. After doing some research online I decided to contact Urbanist Architecture. I was impressed by Norma, she explained the appeal process very clearly. I have hired Urbanist Architecture and am confident the refusal will be overturned. ”
D. Casey — London
“ Ufuk and the team were very accommodating, talking us through the design elements and what was evident that we still had lots of questions and they were able to answer our questions and provide us with a final project we are very happy with. Planning was approved and the team were excellent in keeping the project moving and on time possible. ”
Marisa B. — London
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
We always feel honoured when we start working on a new project in Westminster - it really does feel like you're stepping into history, but at the same time know that you to produce something that is completely fit for the 2020s.
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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