RISE Design Studio: Architecture That Works for You

We're a small architecture practice based in London and Barcelona, and we're small by choice. We've found that staying lean means we can care properly about every project we take on, rather than parcelling out work to whoever happens to be free that week.

Our work spans architecture, planning and interior design. Mostly residential, but we've also designed schools, offices, restaurants and a cinema. What ties it all together isn't the project type, it's the approach: thoughtful, low-energy design that's built to last.

Guest Chef restaurant of Carousel London, in Fitrovia

Who actually works on your project

One of the things we hear most from new clients is that they've been burned before. They met a senior architect at the pitch, then barely saw them again. That doesn't happen here. Our team is experienced across the full range of RIBA stages, and because we're small, the people you meet at the start are the people doing the work.

We take on projects because we want to work on them. A carefully considered loft conversion gets the same level of attention from us as a new-build development. That's not something we say to sound good, it's how the studio actually operates.

Transparency on costs (yes, really)

We won't promise you cheap. Anyone who does should probably be avoided. What we will do is be completely upfront about what things cost, why they cost that, and where there might be room to make savings without cutting corners on what matters.

We've seen enough projects go sideways from vague early estimates that we've made transparency on fees and construction budgets a core part of how we work. If your budget and your ambitions aren't aligned, we'll tell you at the outset, not halfway through detailed design.

Designing around the outcome, not the brief

We follow RIBA's principle of starting with the outcome, not the building. That sounds abstract, but in practice it means we'll sometimes tell you that what you actually need isn't an extension at all, it's a rethought layout of what you already have.

Our job is to listen to what you want your home or project to do for you, and then find the most intelligent way to get there. Sometimes that's radical. Sometimes it's surprisingly straightforward. Either way, it starts with a proper conversation.

Planning on difficult sites

A meaningful part of our reputation has been built on sites where previous applications had already failed. We don't see that as a red flag, we see it as a design problem that hasn't yet been solved properly.

We research policy and precedent thoroughly, develop planning arguments that anticipate objections, and design buildings that address real concerns around things like light and massing, rather than hoping the council will just come around. Four new houses on a constrained site in Kenton and a house in a back garden in London are two examples where we secured permission after earlier refusals.

From planning to construction

Plenty of firms are strong up to planning, then hand over to a contractor and step back. We do a lot of our most valuable work in RIBA Stages 4 to 6: detailed drawings, tender specifications, building regulations coordination, and contract administration.

Getting into the technical detail properly is what keeps costs controlled and programmes on track. It also means we can work coherently with structural engineers and specialist consultants, rather than leaving the contractor to fill in the gaps.

Working with developers

Since 2011 we've completed more than 200 projects across London and beyond, covering over 400,000 square feet of development from £200k residential works up to £4m schemes, with work in Paris and Barcelona alongside the UK.

Developers come to us because we don't just produce drawings. We think about viability, about planning risk, about what makes a scheme actually work. A multidisciplinary team covering architecture, planning, urban design and interior design under one roof means fewer handoffs and fewer gaps.

A note on sustainability

Low-energy and low-embodied-carbon design isn't a bolt-on for us. It's built into the way we think about every project, from the materials we specify to the way a building is oriented and detailed. We think good sustainable design and good design are the same thing.

If you're considering a rear extension, a new build house or a development in London and want to explore what's possible, we'd be glad to talk it through. Please do get in touch and we can start with a proper conversation about your site and your brief.

→ Email us at architects@risedesignstudio.co.uk
→ Or call the studio on 020 3947 5886

RISE Design Studio, Architects, Interior Designers + Sustainability Experts

☉ Architecture for people and planet
☉ Trading since 2011
☉ Company reg no: 08129708
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