11 Units
This new-build development is on a former industrial brownfield site in East London. The design for a light-filled building containing 9 apartments and 2 ground-floor office units exceeded the expectations of the client's brief and CiAO quickly gained planning approval.

The geometry of the site is complex – nothing is parallel and the street changes course – The frontage follows the pavement line, so the plans had to be really efficient to utilise the available space. A mix of two and three-bedroom apartments with high ceilings, large windows and inset balconies animate the street and maximise natural light.

The Flemish brick facade has warehouse aesthetic that honours the area’s industrial heritage. Completed in late 2017, the building is a tribute to one of London’s most dynamic areas.

55 units
A clear need for social housing was identified from a housing needs consultation City Architecture Office conducted with Saline & Steelend Community Council and local residents, which became a key priority in the community action plan (CAP). Further investigations identified a preferred site which is roughly two hectares. Although it is not within the settlement boundary, nor part of the Local Plan housing allocation, it was accepted for the site to be brought into the local plan for social use.

A masterplan was designed and presented at a public event for the main themes of the CAP. The focal point of the masterplan is an attractive ‘village green’, with dwellings orientated to maximise solar gain and views. The principle was endorsed by Kingdom Housing Association and a scheme developed and planning approved. Amenity cottages are HFVN and DDA compliant. All homes are super-insulated with low running costs and have provision for renewables.

9 units

A new build mixed use building sited in Hackney, east London within a conservation area, shows a contextual response to a sensitive location.

Using a simple palette of materials to work with the adjacent listed structures of honey coloured brick & bronze cladding.

The project was completed in mid 2017.

44 units

Our latest residential project with the award winning Whiteburn projects is the redevelopment of the former Caerlee Mill in Innerleithen in the Scottish Borders.

The vision for the site, in the heart of this thriving Borders village, is to build a range of two, three and four bedroom houses and cottage flats which have been designed to reflect the spirit of the former mill site as well as the heritage of the village structure.

The new-build housing will be released for sale on the open market and Whiteburn hopes this will add to the vibrancy of the established Innerleithen community. This approach also aims to tap into the demand for Borders living as property owners aspire to a better life/work balance, and escape busy city life to be able to enjoy the benefits of the beautiful countryside and outdoor pursuits on offer.

We have secured building warrant for the detailed design working with a multi-disciplinary design team with construction starting in 2019.

4 units

Four brick courtyard houses reached by a narrow lane set into a infill site in east London. South facing private courtyard to each home responds to aspect and by allowing the rooms to look inwards respecting the amenity of surrounding homes. The massing of the homes combine to create a monolithic garden wall capped with a green roofs to enhance the biodiversity of the existing gardens.

30 units/mixed use

A sensitive site with frontage to the River Lea in Hackney, east London. This proposal for a 30 unit mixed use development of six storeys offers a communal roof terrace with views over the marshes.

The frontage was set back to create a new shared riverside space. Duplex residential units achieve quality of space in response to the single aspect & allowing the structure to be simplifyed.

An internal street linked through to the river frontage animating the office spaces. The design improved the quality of the placemaking & increased density.

5 units

We have secured planning consent for a mews development in the Victoria Park Conservation Area, London borough of Hackney.

Our design team worked closely with the planning & conservation officers to develop a contextual response, overcoming objections & creating five new good quality family homes on a brownfield site.

The row of three storey houses will form part of a mews with each house south facing and benefiting from a rooftop terrace.

The development will be car-free with a generous communal entrance lane for all residents.

The site is to be developed by Northill Properties

5 units

Detailed planning approval for a mixed-use sustainable development on the Isle of Mull, comprising of an exemplary small scale rural development of four ‘long’ houses and a guest house. The 0.7 hectare site affords panoramic views across the Sound of Mull and the orientation of each building has been designed to create a positive micro-climate: wind shelter, noise buffer and natural light and solar gain to habitable rooms, with ample opportunity for roof mounted renewable technologies.

2 units

We took an existing consent for a single storey house in Hackney and achieved a planning consent for two double storey terraced houses.

The site provides the opportunity to make a positive contribution to the streetscape of Cornthwaite Road and create two new homes.

The facade massing of the proposed houses matches the height of the outbuildings to the rear of the houses along Mildenhall Road & Newick Road. These datums tie the building massing into the surrounding context.

3 units
Initially appointed to undertake a feasibility study that identified the potential for change of use and new build on the existing vacant site. Detailed planning permission was successfully gained for a residential proposal in the village of Pathhead within the Conservation Area. The proposal includes refurbishment and extension of existing Category C(S) listed terraced buildings to form two residential properties in keeping with the historic context and established building pattern. An innovative architectural solution has been developed to provide a contemporary family house at the rear of the site.

Single house

A low-energy family house near Hamilton on North Island, New Zealand.  

Set into a sloping site retaining key indigenous trees this five bedroom house & guest house framed views east to the vineyards and coast.

An L shaped massing gives privacy to the swimming pool, creating a courtyard & vista for the family to live around.