We’re pleased to share that our new student accommodation scheme in Exeter has now been submitted for planning. The design draws inspiration from the site’s industrial heritage, articulated through a carefully considered palette of brickwork and profiled perforated metal mesh panels. A combination of stretcher and soldier coursing, together with varying scales of chevron brick detailing, adds depth and a monolithic yet dynamic character to the façades, while the considered grouping of window types establishes clarity, consistency, and hierarchy. This submission marks a key milestone in a project that balances contextual sensitivity with a bold, contemporary identity, creating a new place for student living at the heart of the city. Image: Pillar Visuals Back to News

Paul Ruff will be attending MIPIM this year as part of the London Stand! If you’re in Cannes and fancy a coffee, a quick catch-up, or a conversation about what you’re working on, he’d love to connect, drop us an email at info@ruffarchitects.co.uk . Back to News

RUFFARCHITECTS has been shortlisted for Professional Services Team of the Year - Residential, at the Property Week Resi Awards. As a London and South-west based RIBA Chartered Practice, we deliver high-quality residential architecture grounded in collaboration, commercial clarity and environmental responsibility. Over the past year, we’ve progressed more than 1,400 homes across planning and construction, spanning Social Housing, Co-Living and PBSA, while maintaining nearly 80% repeat commissions from existing Clients. Our work begins with first principles. We design genuinely affordable homes that exceed policy requirements, embrace modular and volumetric construction to improve certainty and quality, and guide Clients through complex planning, sustainability and viability challenges with confidence. From retrofit strategies to HRBs, our advice supports informed, long-term commercial and operational decisions. Thank you to our Clients and collaborators for being part of the journey, and we look forward to the awards ceremony. Back to News

Snapshots from our recent site visit at Beresford Street, Phase 1 is reaching practical completion with 301 units across 13 levels. Phase 2 is taking shape fast: the concrete frame is finished, brickwork is underway, and windows are going in. Set within the heart of Woolwich, the scheme delivers 9,537 sqm of cluster and studio accommodation alongside thoughtfully designed amenity spaces, all contributing to student well-being and community connection. The scheme carefully balances contemporary design with the sensitive heritage context, from chamfered brick detailing to a considered material palette, ensuring the building complements its surroundings while enhancing the townscape. Back to News

Delighted to share that Guildford Plaza has been shortlisted for Best Residential Design (Over 300 Homes) at Property Week’s RESI Awards 2026. Delivered on a long-vacant brownfield site in Guildford town centre, the 301-home co-living development transforms a constrained plot into a vibrant, community-focused place. Four articulated perimeter blocks frame a landscaped courtyard, resolving a 6.5m level change while maintaining step-free access throughout. The scheme combines private and cluster studios with generous shared amenities, supporting a growing community of young professionals. Sixty-seven homes are provided at 80% of market rent, alongside wheelchair-adaptable units. Drawing on the site’s industrial heritage through a layered brick palette and green detailing, Guildford Plaza also achieves BREEAM Excellent and Fitwel Two-Star ratings. Proud to see the project recognised for uniting architectural quality, sustainability and social value in the heart of Guildford. Photography: Rob Parrish Back to News

Another glimpse into our most recent work in Exeter! The central courtyard activates the outdoor spaces, providing daylight for the inward facing bedrooms as well as providing shared spaced for sitewide activity, creating a brighter, more connected student living experience. Back to News

Lion Green Road has been shortlisted for the 2026 RIBA London Awards. Set within a verdant basin in Coulsdon, the scheme brings forward 157 homes across five pavilions arranged within a flowing, park-like landscape. Designed as a landscape-led development for Brick by Brick, in partnership with the London Borough of Croydon, the project rethinks suburban density through a pavilion typology that protects open land while increasing housing capacity. Mary Duggan Architects led planning with RUFFARCHITECTS delivering Stage 3+ through to construction. Built by CField, the project completed in 2023 and is now fully occupied. We’re proud to see the ambition of this collaborative team recognised, and grateful to our client, consultants and partners who made it possible. Photography: Rob Parrish Back to News

We are excited to share our latest concept work for our student accommodation project out in Exeter. The amenity spaces showcased draw on the site's industrial heritage with modern refinement to cater to the student user group. The lounge area invites students to gather, connect and create community facilitated by a layered design that provides seating, elevated finishes and considered lighting. The tea point supports this space with its blend of industrial materials. Its's grounded by a translucent gantry that filters lights, softening the internal atmosphere, promoting wellbeing and encouraging moments of pause and comfort. We can’t wait to share more as the design unfolds through ongoing collaboration with our client and consultants. Back to News

We’re pleased to share that Paul Ruff is part of the judging panel for this year’s WAN Awards. The quality of submissions has been impressive so far, with cultural projects, imaginative re-use and thoughtful social housing schemes really standing out. We’re looking forward to the virtual judging in a couple of weeks and being part of a process that celebrates such strong, considered work from across the global architectural community. Back to News

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. Back to News