Studio Bark is an award-winning architecture practice creating inspiring and ambitious buildings. 

Studio Bark is an award-winning architecture practice creating inspiring and ambitious buildings. We are a collaborative team of architects, designers and makers based in East London.
As a young studio, our work is diverse, interesting and constantly evolving. We believe in the transformational potential of the built-environment and have a passion for outstanding environmentally-driven architecture. We deliver bespoke, unconventional buildings which are inherently contextual and inspired by meaningful investigation of site.
Environmental design is a core part of the process: our work incorporates best practice principles while attempting to push the boundaries of ecologically-conscious architecture. We believe that compelling architecture can realise the latent potential of a site and bring joy to people’s lives.
 
Our portfolio of built work encompasses residential and community projects with a specialism in bespoke homes. We have a successful track record securing planning permission for ambitious designs on challenging urban, suburban and rural sites across the UK. We have extensive experience delivering projects through
Paragraph 79 (previously para 55 – the ‘country house exception clause’) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). In addition to architectural design services from concept design to post occupancy evaluation, Studio Bark also offers site finding and site evaluation services. Using our detailed knowledge and experience of planning policy, we can assist in the search and evaluation of potential sites.
Through continuous dialogue with academia, we periodically run educational construction projects to explore the rich territory between speculative design work and on-site pragmatism.

Specialist construction and fabrication services are provided through our contracting arm, Studio Bark Projects where required. We also developed the U-Build flat pack construction system for aspiring self build clients with limited or no prior construction experience.

Wilf is a founding member of Studio Bark, Studio Bark Projects and the recently launched U-Build construction system. He is a passionate and diverse practitioner, who enjoys designing and making beautiful spaces. He believes that the very best of architectural manifestation is born from the combined understanding of people and nature. His approach to design transcends into finished buildings; designed for the people within them and for the environment around them. He has an eye for detail and loves working with innovative, natural and locally sourced materials, culminating in his unique understanding of low energy construction techniques.

 

Wilf completed his undergraduate architecture studies at the University of Brighton and went on to complete his masters at the University of East London. In addition, he has an MA in Sustainability and Design. During his professional career, he has taken a leading role in a number of ambitious live-build projects, working collaboratively with diverse teams to deliver a range of interesting buildings and structures. This work has led him to become an expert in ‘true self-build’ and one of the pioneers of the empowering U-Build system. He is a keen public speaker, who is always ready to be involved in constructive dialogue on social, political and environmental issues.

Nick is a founding member of Studio Bark Projects and the U-Build construction system, and a Director of Studio Bark. His experience spans environmental architecture, traditional carpentry, government funded research programmes, and deep energy retrofits. He creates a style of architecture that is thoughtfully considered, environmentally responsible, and highly emotive. Nick is a specialist in Paragraph 79, having led a national study into the policy on behalf of the studio. The study, launched in 2018 and still ongoing, has resulted in the National Paragraph 79 database, which gives the practice an unparalleled wealth of knowledge on this forward thinking policy.

 

Nick is also our in-house Passivhaus Designer and has contributed to a number of journals and publications, including the Environmental Design Pocketbook and the Passivhaus Designer’s Manual. He speaks regularly at events on behalf of the studio and was named a ‘Rising Sustainability Star’ by Building magazine in 2014. His knowledge of zero waste and circular economy thinking helps drive many of the decisions made within the practice, and his experience with Building Performance Evaluation helps to make sure that our buildings don’t just look good, they also perform.

Steph has been a member of Studio Bark since its formal beginnings in 2014, becoming a director in 2016. He is also a founding member of U-Build, an innovative ‘true self-build’ construction system. During his architectural education at the Mackintosh School of Architecture and London Metropolitan University, Steph combined his time in the studio by getting his hands dirty working on a number of small scale construction projects. His on site experience has translated into a deep understanding of construction and a love for working with natural materials. He now shares this knowledge and experience with students during Bark Live Builds and the Construction Week programme at the University of East London.
With a shared passion for the preservation of the natural environment combined with a passion for design, Steph is able to draw on the unique qualities of a site and translate a brief into something coherent and sensitive. He sees each project as an opportunity to explore new, environmentally focused ideas to create unique and beautiful, low impact designs. In the studio, he brings a rigorous design eye and plays a leading role in design discussions. Often defaulting to the pencil and drawing board, he is able to quickly visualise and represent ideas. He has played a key role in number of successful Paragraph 79 applications including, Pivot House, Billingford House and Water Farm. His other notable projects include Holloway Lightbox, Ebenezer House and Marsh House.
Tom is an architect with experience across a diversity of scales and typologies, from installations and temporary structures to low-energy residential and public buildings. Prior to joining Studio Bark, he worked for artist Wolfgang Buttress and was a core member of the competition-winning team for the highly-acclaimed UK Pavilion (now ‘the Hive at Kew’).
Tom has a passion for the experiential potential of architecture, including it’s poetic and performative aspects.  His specialisms include environmental design, parametric modelling and digital fabrication. Tom studied at the University of Nottingham where he has also taught and is currently a studio tutor at UEL.

Sarah’s passion for hand-drawing is central to her design process, complimenting the team’s creativity methodology.

Prior to working at Studio Bark, Sarah worked with local authorities and community groups across Yorkshire. This provided a valuable framework for understanding planning processes, policy and the complexities of delivering high quality spaces.

Sarah completed a postgraduate degree in Professional Practice in Architecture in 2019, and is now a studio tutor at UEL.

Hannah is interested in how the built environment effects user experience. She has developed her passion for environmental and affordable design working on a number of community building projects. Hannah joined the studio after graduating from the University of Sheffield’s Collaborative Practice course, and has worked on a number of residential and education projects in London and Sheffield.

Awards

2019 Winner
RIBA East Award

2019 Longlisted
Dezeen Awards

2019 Shortlisted
BD Sustainability Architect of the Year 

2018 Winner of 2018
BD Sustainability Architect of the Year

2018 Shortlisted
AJ Small Project Award Holloway Lightbox

2018 Long-listed
Dezeen Emerging Architects Award

Selected Press

2019 Dezeen:
Flat-pack Home Extension

2019 The Times:
How to Build Your Isolated Dream Home

2019 Grand Designs The Street:
Episode 4: Chris and Roxie [Box House]

2019 Dezeen:
Flat-pack U-Build System

2019 Architect’s Journal:
Black Barn Complete

2019 RIBA Journal:
Black Barn, Dallinghoo

2019 Grand Designs Magazine:
Inside UK’s First U-Build House

2018 Dezeen:
Cork Studio

2018 Architect’s Journal:
Paragraph 55/79 Article and national mapping

2018 Dezeen’s Top 10 Tiny Homes:
The SHED Project

2018 Architects’ Journal:
The Grain House

2017 BBC:
The SHED Project

2017 Dezeen:
The SHED Project

2016 Architects’ Journal:
The Black Barn wins approval

2014 Grand Designs:
Periscope House

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