Contact Us
+44 (0) 203 814 8992
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at RUFFARCHITECTS
About Us
Founded in 2014 by Paul Ruff, the collaborative studio is engaged in ongoing partnerships with private clients, councils, cultural institutions, developers, and designers. For us, through architecture, we can contribute to a brighter and more sustainable future. With any given context, typology, budget, or complexity, our considered and analytical process aims to arrive at beauty, supported by sound technical solutions and efficient means. From concept to completion, we create carefully crafted architecture that seeks to inspire people and place; whether prestigious mixed-use masterplans or intimate projects capturing the intricacies of everyday domestic life. We believe that meaningful design is the result of open conversation. Our studio is home to a tight-knit group of accomplished, agile designers. Our collective track record of experience enables us to confidently lead - with creativity, candour and care - both newer and established clients towards realising their vision. We have fostered an appreciation for the uniqueness of every context; helping shape enduring places wherever we work. With offices in London and Exeter, we are skilled in handling the complexity of the city, as well as regional nuances beyond the capital. Our teams boast a unique blend of specialisms that are design focused and technically adept. This diversity of thought and talent is our foundation and catalyst in creating projects where every detail is designed to last and adapt over generations.
Services
Our team’s varied services and skills are tailored to the requirements of each brief, ranging from delivering ‘Full Architectural Services’ to feasibility studies or creating furniture, artwork and installations. We offer strategic portfolio, conceptual and technical support, alongside project management and site supervision, catering each individual package of services to suit the needs of our clients.
Our Senior Team
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Director
Paul Ruff
Senior Architect
Lucy Ashton-Griffin
Senior Architect
Teodora Petrova
In 2014, Paul formed RUFFARCHITECTS; a practice with a simple ambition to design and deliver residential, cultural and commercial architecture that makes a difference. For almost a decade they have done exactly that. Building on his extensive portfolio of leading both large scale, complex mixed-use schemes as well as intimate, bespoke projects Paul has since honed a careful approach founded on a sensitivity, resourcefulness and responsiveness to client needs. From the intricate refurbishment of The Barbican Centre, to the challenging construction of London Olympic Athletes’ Village, Paul’s ethos of craft and collaboration from concept design through to delivery is always evident. Paul has crafted an ethos of agility and nimbleness, reflecting differing skills each project requires, fostering within the wider team an innovative and accountable approach. Prior to establishing RUFFARCHITECTS, Paul worked for Stirling Prize Winner, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, and at the award- winning Ian Ritchie Architects on major national and international schemes. As an extension of this work, Paul is an invited lecturer and critic at Oxford Brookes University and guest critic at Central Saint Martins’ architecture faculty.
Teodora joined RUFFARCHITECTS from PTE, bringing with her a broad and detailed knowledge of all types and scales of multi-residential schemes. Her focus is on ensuring site viabilities can create beautiful, deliverable masterplans and housing typologies. As Senior Architect, Teodora oversees all early-stage design in the studio, coupled with delivering some of our largest residential projects, including consistent notable projects over 18m. She chairs peer design reviews at each RIBA stage, which include buildability and sustainability checklists based on our studios key values of innovative, sustainable, and accountable design. Teodora's in-depth experience provides the perfect basis for initiatives and lessons learnt at all stages to be incorporated into deliverable design development. Alongside her extensive residential portfolio Teodora’s passion is community based and cultural projects and she has led the design on a number of our key repeat client commissions. RUFFARCHITECTS experience in sensitive sites, ranging from listed buildings, conservation areas and areas of outstanding natural beauty provide a wide range of considerations to be carefully integrated into each emerging scheme design.
Lucy joined RUFFARCHITECTS from shedkm and specialises in technical design and delivery. An inquisitive and keen problem solver as well as an experienced Architect and BIM Manager. As Senior Architect, Lucy oversees technical design in the studio, assisting project leads with technical reviews and detailed project planning. A knowledge of project programming and delivery assists with the management and resourcing of staff. Lucy monitors workflows and studio standards to maintain a level of quality in the RUFFARCHITECTS output. Lucy has a wealth of residential and mixed-use project experience, having worked on residential schemes for both private and public sector clients including a portfolio of modular social housing and large-scale apartment schemes. Since joining RUFFARCHITECTS she has lead projects in a number of different sectors such as residential, senior living and healthcare. Having a passion for onsite delivery work across different procurement routes, Lucy provides knowledge of contract administration and the Principal Designer role. A continuity and opportunity for shared knowledge that the studio provides through feasibility, planning and our multiple large scale construction stage projects.
Awards
2023
AJ Architecture Award - Housing Project of The Year (£20 million and over) (Winner) - Lion Green Road
British Homes Award 2023 - Development of the Year (Over 100 Homes) (Winner) - Lion Green Road
British Homes Award 2023 - Apartment Development of The Year (Winner) - Lion Green Road
British Homes Award 2023 - Affordable Housing - (Finalist) - Lion Green
Irish Construction Industry Awards 2023 - Contractor International Project of the Year (Winner) - Lion Green Road
New London Awards 2023 - Housing (Finalist) - Lion Green Road
Building Awards 2023 - Project of the Year (Finalist) - Lion Green Road
Inside Housing Development Awards 2023 - Affordable Housing Development (Finalist) - New Road Triangle
NLA Housing Londoners: Innovation in Delivery and Design - Case Study - Lion Green Road
Civic Trust Awards - Regional Award Shortlisting - Lion Green Road
2022
NLA Dont Move, Improve: Urban Oasis category (Winner) - Church Road
Dezeen Awards: Emerging Architectural Studio (Shortlist)
Dezeen Awards: Urban House category (Longlist) - Church Road
AJ Retrofit Award (Finalist) - Church Road
AJ Retrofit Award 2022 (Finalist) - Barbican Cinema 1
2021
NLA Retrofit Award - Conservation and Retrofit category (Finalist) - Barbican Art Gallery
2020
NLA Don't Move Improve Award 2020 (Finalist) - Wetherhill
2019
Oxford Preservation Trust Award (Winner) - Dora Carr Close
Civic Trust Award (Finalist) - Dora Carr Close
Housing Design Awards (Finalist) - Dora Carr Close
RIBA Regional (South) Award (Finalist) - Dora Carr Close
2018
BD Awards: BD Young Architect of The Year
AR Future Projects Award - East Street
AR Future Projects Award - Mcleod Road
2017
RIBAJ Rising Start Award
AJ Retrofit Award (Finalist) - 106 St Margarets
Clients
