We are architects and urban designers, known for our strategic thinking, design intelligence, and award-winning buildings.
We specialise in:
- spatial strategy
- placemaking and meanwhile projects
- education buildings and spaces
- housing and residential buildings
- masterplanning and urban design
- social engagement and cultural strategy
- circular design and regenerative thinking
We are committed to spatial practice as a transformative process and believe that architecture and urbanism play a key role in social justice. We believe the built environment should be inclusive and accessible to all.
The built environment, the places, spaces, buildings and institutions we inhabit, are central to tackling the climate emergency. We promote regenerative thinking and circular design principles in the projects we undertake.
We strive for transparency in the way we work and the spaces we design. Key to our work is a sensitivity to the ways in which spaces are inhabited and used, and a commitment to the public realm as a place of social exchange and political activity.
Urban Projects Bureau work with urban processes that shape the city and its institutions. We operate as a think tank to develop critical frameworks through which to re-think existing challenges and envision alternative urban models. We collaborate with government bodies, NGO’s, social agencies, and public organisations to apply design-thinking to complex urban situations, political and institutional affairs.
People
Paolo Pisano, Project Lead
Nicola Barrington-Leach, Architect
Awards
- RIBA, 2016, The Bradford Block, Graveney School
- RIBA, 2016, The Bradford Block, Graveney School
- Open House London, 2016, The Bradford Block, Graveney School
- Wandsworth Design Award, 2015, The Bradford Block, Graveney School
- International Urban Design Competition, 2015
- AJ, 2014, A Hard Working House
- Open House London, 2014, A Hard Working House
- Open House London, 2014, The Bradford Block, Graveney School
- Forgotten Spaces, 2013
- Venice Biennale, 2012
Clients
- Arts Council England
- ARUP
- Aylesbury Grammar School
- Bouygues Group
- Cambridgeshire County Council
- Churchman Thornhill Finch Landscape Architects
- Croydon Council
- Cut + Grind Burgers
- Enfield Council
- Enfield Council
- Graveney School
- Homes & Communities Agency
- Newham Council
- Nine Elms Vauxhall Partnership
- Private
- RIBA
- The Architectural Association
- The Brick Box
- The British Council
- UN Habitat
- Urbanism and the Informal Research Cluster, AA
- Wandsworth Arts Festival
- Zelena Akeija – Green Action Croatia
Collaborators
- 5th Studio
- AA Architectural Association
- Arup
- NEF Consulting
- Periscope Studio
- Polimekanos
- Urban Space Management
Publications
- Alex Warnock-Smith, ‘#42: Medellin escapes grip of drug lord to embrace radical urbanism’, in: The Guardian: Stories of Cities (The Guardian, 2019) Download
- ‘Graveney Sixth Form’, in: 100 Projects UK CLT (Waugh Thistleton Architects, London, 2018), pp.150–151 Download
- ‘Urban Projects Bureau’, in: New Architects 3, issue ISBN-10: 185894645X (Merrell Publishers Ltd / The Architecture Foundation, London, 2016), pp.292–293
- Alex Warnock-Smith, ‘Cities For Life: World Urban Forum 2014’, in: The Architectural Review (Emap Publishing Limited, 2014) Download
- Alex Warnock-Smith, ‘The Urban Economy - Future Cities’, in: The Times Newspaper, issue NO. 70320 (Raconteur Media, 2011) Download
- ‘London +10’, in: London +10, issue ISBN 978-1-902902-83-8 (AA Publications, 2010) Download
- ‘Catalogue of the 13th Venice Architecture Biennale’, in: Venice Takeway: Ideas To Change British Architecture, issue ISBN 978-1-907896-24-8 (AA Publications, ) Download
- ‘Visions and Urban Design Strategies for Nangang, Taipei’, in: The Innovative Region and Creative City, issue ISBN 978-986-02-5290-3 (National Chiao Tung University, ) Download
- Transforming Cities - Design in the Favelas of Rio De Janeiro, issue ISBN 1 902902 22 -X (AA Publications and The British Council, ) Download