Our passion for adapting, converting and extending existing buildings stems from our approach to sustainability; we are concerned with the long-term management and care of buildings and the future of our built environment. It is important to us for heritage to be preserved for future generations, while making them suitable for 21st century use.
We have long-term experience in the conservation sector; designing and delivering projects within historic contexts and unlocking potential in existing sites, both for listed buildings and in conservation areas. We believe that successful conservation involves building a meaningful relationship between old and new, while maintaining a clear distinction in design. As part of our conservation practice, we take active interest in historical research on all individual buildings, sites and environments that we work with.
Maintaining close ties to local communities is very important to us. This enables us to identify the potential for improving sites, or providing new ones to enhance what the community gets out of their public realm. We aim to create safe environments which are easy to maintain and are a direct response to the community’s needs. For example we have helped establish outdoor schemes filled with green infrastructure, such as food-growing projects and roof gardens, and also worked towards renewing existing centres, improving their flexibility and accessibility to all branches of the community.
We undertake research and urban studies, utilising the practice’s unique understanding of the local neighbourhoods. This manifests often as proposals for difficult sites, and re-imagined places that we feel have the potential to be improved for public good.
Often working with local Education Authorities as well as directly with schools and nurseries, the education sector has developed into both an area of interest and expertise for us. Our approach acknowledges budget constraints, and we welcome the challenge of providing value through imaginative learning spaces as well as landscapes and external play space.
Our education experience includes the design of new-builds, extensions and alterations that make schools, nurseries and children’s centres fit for current requirements. Within this we have worked in multiple old London School Board buildings, modifying these to create inclusive and accessible environments. We pride ourselves on the transferability of our expertise within the sector, leading us to develop designs tailored especially to the diverse requirements of special needs projects.
AAB architects have expertise on brief writing and strategic thinking to allow clients to maximise the useability of their building or land. We have a track record of carrying out detailed feasibility studies and develop strategies for development or re-use, for a range of clients including local authorities, planners, land owners and public organisations. We provide management services, full technical design through to construction stage services.
Recent studies have included building renovation & refurbishment for change of use, master-plans, urban regeneration & design through to work-space layout and furniture. We are able to operate on a range of scales for a variety of flexible requirements. Clients that we have worked for recently include the London Borough of Camden, the London Borough of Southwark, Kentish Town City Farm and Queen’s Crescent Community Centre.
We have a track record of delivering sensitive and playful spaces for modern family life. Our expertise means we are often asked to work on alterations to existing properties that require upgrading, extending or opening up to provide more generous living spaces.
Our approach to every project is to understand individual requirement, and we work closely with client budgets in order to provide robust and functional concepts that can be taken through to site. Fundamentally we work with a sensitive understanding of the existing fabric of a property providing a holistic service that includes designs for fitted furniture, kitchens, bathrooms, interiors and landscaping for a complete project.
Our work exhibits this approach, melding new fabric with existing and celebrating durable and natural materials that distinguish themselves physically. We work towards a robust and light-filled architecture that hopes to serve family living for many years.
