Ambient Studio is a progressive, innovative and explorative RIBA Chartered Practice, delivering architectural design projects across the domestic residential, developer-led residential, hospitality and public-realm sectors, executing sustainable and contemporary retrofit and new-build projects.
We are specialists in both appraising the feasibility and realising the development potential of sites and properties, be that small intricate backland sites, larger urban and rural sites, or existing homes and properties.
Founded in 2019, Ambient Studio is a London-based practice. Our name - Ambient - arrives from a deep rooted mission to develop designs which are contextual and of their surroundings, evoke atmosphere and a sense of place, and break free from traditional composition in favour of innovative, novel approaches. Every project response is different, yet this core mission remains consistent.
Each project brings us together with like-minded organisations, enterprising communities, and imaginative individuals who resonate with our creative and strategic way of thinking, communicating and designing.
All our Architects are fully RIBA trained and ARB accredited.
We have a studio culture where dialogue and the transaction of thoughts and ideas are shared communally, and where design is practiced collaboratively and positively. Communication is open and productive, and our studio is always welcoming of the different perspectives and insights throughout our team.
We are an inclusive and nurturing company believing in the importance of a good work / life balance, team unity and collective growth, where individuals are not limited in their ability to shape project or practice.
Matthew is a founding director of Ambient Studio, having established the pratice in 2019 after playing a key role in delivering a number of award winning projects during his previous employment at Amanda Levete Architects, notably the Exhibition Road Quarter at the V&A Museum London, and the Undergraduate & Access Centre at Wadham College for Oxford University.
Matthew is a calm, strategic thinker who is conscientious and explorative. He specialises in realising creative and opportunistic solutions to developing intricate and complex sites. He is a good listener and enjoys working closely with clients and the wider team of specialist consultants. He recognises the value of collaboration to create places and spaces that inspire true, positive, long-lasting change.
Qualifications
BA(Hons); MArch; PG DipArch; ARB
Previous Practices
Amanda Levete Architects, Edward Architecture
Since it’s formation in 2019, Melissa has worked with Ambient Studio, playing a leading role on a number of projects across all work stages. Most notably, Melissa’s expertise lies in delivering bespoke residential schemes from concept to completion, with services spanning seamlessly between architecture and interior design.
Melissa is thoughtfully pragmatic and creative, and she is consistently solution-based in her thinking. Her communication is direct and assertive and she is relentless in her desire to guide homeowner clients throughout the entire architectural process of their projects.
Melissa is a visiting design tutor at Westminster University and The Bartlett UCL, and she participates in several mentoring programmes offering support and guidance to younger aspiring designers and architects.
Qualifications
BA(Hons); MArch; PG DipArch; ARB
Previous Practices
Adam Kahn Architects, Burrell Foley Fischer Architects, BVDS, Foster + Partners
Joey plays a fundamental role in the studio’s business development, schmoozing clients as only he knows how. As a working Norfolk Terrier, he’s constantly on high alert for delicious new opportunities. His strengths lie predominantly in his soft skills and natural character, and as such he keeps morale high. Joey achieves the perfect blend of work, play and rest, setting high aspirations for the rest of the studio team.
We work with a wide range of client types, from those with aspirational commercial objectives, to those with creative domestic or social ambitions, from individuals to organisations, public and private.
Whilst each project follows the same process of Interrogate, Ideate, Iterate & Illustrate, every project assumes its own journey, with each approach differing according to the client, their brief, their site and their budget.
Throughout every project, we abide by our Practice Values, these being our guiding principles that predicate our beliefs, our methods, and our output across all projects, irrespective of size or sector.
Effective communication is at the core of every project, so we understand you, and you understand us.
Architectural design is a collaborative and participatory process, where buildings, places and spaces are enriched by the insights, skills and expertise of the many.
We work hard and we work focused. We maintain direction and momentum, and as a team, we take satisfaction from this drive.
We design to inspire positive change to the environmental and social context in which our projects sit, whilst successfully bettering the life of our clients.
We are all work-in-progress, ever developing and ever improving with each day. As such, we each recognise our role in one another’s growth.
Our work is fun, lively and uplifting, and our projects are playful, team-oriented endeavours which excite and delight.
