Overview: Concept design and delivery of the refurbishment of the existing lower-ground level office space at St Anne’s Court, Soho provides a new dedicated 250sqm skin and haircare product testing facilities for the iconic Good Housekeeping brand. GHK is one of the oldest continuous magazine publications in the UK, for the largest international publishing house, Hearst. Community Impact & Value: As a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to product testing, the bespoke laboratories within the Hearst Institute are based on significantly remodelled spaces within the existing retained building. Designed to provide a publicly accessible live studio, absorption within the testing process can be experienced. The working lab space, as well as flexible staff working areas support the studio provision. Here early phases of market research and product development through to quality testing and marketing is undertaken for a number of the nations most recognised brands. Technical Insights & Challenges: Full internal reconfiguration and building services where curated within this highly impactful design. The aim being to provide a functional and elegant visitor experience, drawing on a contemporary interpretation of the origins of the GHK brand within the Art Deco period and interior style. Colour use, bespoke designed furniture and equipment requirements were all seamlessly integrated. Our working wall for product trialing encapsulates both advance testing equipment with splashes of nostalgic references from the Hearst archive, individually selected and curated. The bespoke floor to ceiling metalwork is also adaptable to the changing needs of the venue and allows for future relocation if necessary. Key Achievements: The Hearst Institute will support the Good Housekeeping Cookery School also at St Anne’s Court, whilst continuing to test and review products and services for the public and wider beauty industry. HEARST INSTITUTE Client: Hearst Value: Confidential Status: Completed Overview: Concept design and delivery of the refurbishment of the existing lower-ground level office space at St Anne’s Court, Soho provides a new dedicated 250sqm skin and haircare product testing facilities for the iconic Good Housekeeping brand. GHK is one of the oldest continuous magazine publications in the UK, for the largest international publishing house, Hearst. Community Impact & Value: As a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to product testing, the bespoke laboratories within the Hearst Institute are based on significantly remodelled spaces within the existing retained building. Designed to provide a publicly accessible live studio, absorption within the testing process can be experienced. The working lab space, as well as flexible staff working areas support the studio provision. Here early phases of market research and product development through to quality testing and marketing is undertaken for a number of the nations most recognised brands. Technical Insights & Challenges: Full internal reconfiguration and building services where curated within this highly impactful design. The aim being to provide a functional and elegant visitor experience, drawing on a contemporary interpretation of the origins of the GHK brand within the Art Deco period and interior style. Colour use, bespoke designed furniture and equipment requirements were all seamlessly integrated. Our working wall for product trialing encapsulates both advance testing equipment with splashes of nostalgic references from the Hearst archive, individually selected and curated. The bespoke floor to ceiling metalwork is also adaptable to the changing needs of the venue and allows for future relocation if necessary. Key Achievements: The Hearst Institute will support the Good Housekeeping Cookery School also at St Anne’s Court, whilst continuing to test and review products and services for the public and wider beauty industry.

Overview: This prominent 11 storey former office block on the High Road, is remodelled and extended to prove 260 new residential apartments with four new 5 storey buildings to the west, on the previous carparking. The 235,269 sqm / 2,532,415 sqft mixed use development reactivates this brownfield site. The scheme is served by a significant new basement and 660 sqm of podium landscape, providing a central courtyard. The new ground floor commercial space in Barnet House provides activation and a tranquil space is formed that new residents enjoy. The landscape also traverses the 4.5m level change across the site to the adjacent Baxendale Gardens and the surrounding streets. Community Impact & Value: Ever Ready House, designed in 1966 by Richard Seifert was re-named Barnet House in 1986. It has sat empty since the most recent tenant and local employer, London Brough of Barnet, relocated in 2021. Whilst this residential focus refurbishment provides new local homes and commercial employment, it also ensures this significant scale local landmark is enhanced to provide a high-quality new investment to the Whetstone town centre, driving wider economic investment. Technical Insights & Challenges: Refurbishment rather than demolition provides a significant embodied carbon saving for the scheme, whilst also a challenging conversion to new residential best practice provisions. Innovative slab extension, increase the original building floorplates from 723sqm to 1190sqm, as well as in height, enlarging the building to 13 storeys. This enables additional staircases and triple aspect units to be formed benefiting from far reaching views over London. Taken through planning by Tate Hindle, we are undertaking detail design and delivery with CField Construction and the Client, Meadow. Key Achievements: Reuse and adaptation are embedded in sound sustainable strategies addressing decarbonisation aligning with our Studio values of retrofit and fabric first approaches. BARNET HOUSE Client: Meadow Value: 75 million Status: Construction Overview: This prominent 11 storey former office block on the High Road, is remodelled and extended to prove 260 new residential apartments with four new 5 storey buildings to the west, on the previous carparking. The 235,269 sqm / 2,532,415 sqft mixed use development reactivates this brownfield site. The scheme is served by a significant new basement and 660 sqm of podium landscape, providing a central courtyard. The new ground floor commercial space in Barnet House provides activation and a tranquil space is formed that new residents enjoy. The landscape also traverses the 4.5m level change across the site to the adjacent Baxendale Gardens and the surrounding streets. Community Impact & Value: Ever Ready House, designed in 1966 by Richard Seifert was re-named Barnet House in 1986. It has sat empty since the most recent tenant and local employer, London Brough of Barnet, relocated in 2021. Whilst this residential focus refurbishment provides new local homes and commercial employment, it also ensures this significant scale local landmark is enhanced to provide a high-quality new investment to the Whetstone town centre, driving wider economic investment. Technical Insights & Challenges: Refurbishment rather than demolition provides a significant embodied carbon saving for the scheme, whilst also a challenging conversion to new residential best practice provisions. Innovative slab extension, increase the original building floorplates from 723sqm to 1190sqm, as well as in height, enlarging the building to 13 storeys. This enables additional staircases and triple aspect units to be formed benefiting from far reaching views over London. Taken through planning by Tate Hindle, we are undertaking detail design and delivery with CField Construction and the Client, Meadow. Key Achievements: Reuse and adaptation are embedded in sound sustainable strategies addressing decarbonisation aligning with our Studio values of retrofit and fabric first approaches.

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Great event at the 2026 RIBA London Awards, and even better walking away with a regional award for this project by Mary Duggan Architects and RUFFARCHITECTS. Lion Green Road is a landscape-led housing scheme in Coulsdon, delivering 157 homes across five pavilions on a carefully worked sloping site. As Susie Le Good, London jury chair, noted: “The plan type of the pavilions has all the apartments arranged in a pin-wheel pattern around a central core, ensuring every home is dual aspect and enjoys generous daylight.” Congratulations to the whole project team. Photography: Rob Parrish Photography Back to News

We’ll be at UKREiiF this year, with our director Paul joining the event in Leeds for a week of discussion, collaboration, and industry insight. If you’re attending and would like to arrange a meeting or informal catch-up, feel free to get in touch via info@ruffarchitects.co.uk - we’d love to connect. Back to News

We’re delighted to share that Guildford Plaza has won Best Residential Design at the RESI Awards! A huge thank you to our clients, collaborators and wider consultant team, and congratulations to all of this year’s shortlisted projects and winners. Back to News