Studio: Reflecting on 2025

As we step into 2026, the studio is already moving at pace, beginning the year with a strong planning submission for The Fabric Works and a clear sense of momentum. Before we get too far ahead, it feels important to pause and reflect on the work, people, and moments that shaped the past year.

Looking back, 2025 was a full and rewarding period, marked by progress across large construction sites, design studies, long-standing collaborations, and shared learning that has strengthened the practice in lasting ways.

Guildford Plaza has been one of the standout journeys. Early in the year, the struck scaffolding on Block B revealed the new conservation-area façades, the green window frames echoing the site history of bottle making. The project reached Practical Completion in August, and has since been recognised in the 2025 Guildford Design Awards, receiving three awards including Winner of Winners. Hosting the judges on site after such a complex programme was a genuine high point for the team.

At our smaller scale, a project we have been involved with closely since 2015, we were delighted to see another residential project featured in The London Standard and Garden’s Illustrated. This 210 sqm extension and refurbishment transforms a 1960s architect-designed bungalow into a contemporary family home, intimately connected to its surrounding landscape. Working closely with garden designer Lucy Willcox, the scheme blurs the line between interior and garden, creating a calm, enduring family environment framed by mature planting and approached via a private road. The thoughtful planting design was recognised with a Pro Landscaper Award for Planting Design under £25,000, highlighting the care and creativity invested in crafting a home that feels at one with its landscape. A testament to the Client’s self build dedication and a remarkable quality of final product.

In Devon, our rural farmstead project moved through planning and early construction, drawing heavily on local materials and the character of the landscape. New Road Triangle also completed in 2025. The 176-home scheme on a former Network Rail site provides a mix of social rental and private housing, forming a new northern gateway for Feltham town centre. Careful massing and varied apartment layouts create a distinctive, welcoming environment while enhancing connections to the surrounding parkland.

Our student accommodation portfolio continued to grow: Beresford Street advanced on site, topping out at 13 storeys, with brickwork, chamfered reveals and slab penetrations beginning to express the form and detailing developed in earlier stages. Meanwhile, early studies in Exeter explored industrial heritage, massing, rhythm and materiality. These evolved into layered façade concepts combining brick rustication and perforated metal, setting the tone for a strong planning submission. Beresford Phase Two also begun in earnest and was at level 5 of the frame before the festive break.

Alongside project work, we invested in learning, sustainability and broader industry engagement. From Cundall’s Whole Life Carbon CPDs to Publica’s “Right to the City” night walks, the team gained insights that inform our approach to environmental and social responsibility.

We returned to the Barbican several times, from a private viewing of the Noah Davis exhibition to a new commission for a full arts focused gallery audit. Having completed over 15 individual projects at the Barbican, revisiting the Gallery Spaces we retrofitted in 2019 is always a grounding reminder of the long-term impact of thoughtful design. The same spirit guided us through UKREIIF, where Paul joined the “6000 Reasons to Build” conversation on sustainable and equitable development.

Within the studio, it has also been a year defined by people. International Women’s Day gave us a chance to recognise the women who make up the majority of our team. Alice and Linde were promoted to Project Architect, each bringing clarity and generosity to their projects. Rishita took part in the Women in Architecture mentoring programme, widening her network and building confidence as she develops her practice. And of course, Monty joined us, settling into his role as unofficial office hoover and consistent morale booster.

The cultural calendar fed into our creative energy. Trips to Cork with CField, the carpentry exhibition at Japan House, Do Ho Suh at Tate Modern and various gallery visits prompted discussions about craft and materiality. Our socials offered a different sort of recharge, from a fiercely competitive evening at Flight Club to charity events including the Samaritans Bike Ride and a Chase the Moon 5k supporting Great Ormond Street Hospital. Mental Health Awareness Week gave us time to slow down together with an afternoon of Kintsugi.

Throughout everything, collaboration held the year together. Whether resolving intricate details on site, developing tower massing within tight constraints or guiding visitors through Lion Green Road during the Open House Festival, the team’s care, curiosity and steady commitment remained constant.

As we look ahead into 2026, we do so with gratitude for our clients, collaborators and colleagues, and with real enthusiasm for the work to come. With new concepts emerging, key design stages ahead, and the year already underway at full stride, we’re looking forward to carrying the momentum, craft and collective spirit of 2025 into the months ahead.

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