At Archio, we imagine a better quality of life for everyone. We think that access to decent homes, buildings and spaces provides the foundation to help us grow as individuals and as communities.

We were founded with a mindset that design should be used to tackle major societal challenges. We seek out opportunities to progressively shape a better, more sustainable and more inclusive world for now, and for future generations.

We listen and respond to the everyday issues people face in their neighbourhoods, because we recognise that good design can have a transformative impact on physical and emotional health.

We believe that regeneration is most effective when design teams, councils and local communities co-produce visionary approaches that enrich lives. We are focused on working with purpose-led clients who have a long-term interest in the vitality of the communities they operate in. This approach has developed into a specialism of working with local authority regeneration companies, housing associations, select private developers and community-led organisations.

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“I have been a resident on Brasted Close for nearly 11 years, and have been very impressed by the designs put forward by Archio who have listened to residents’ concerns every step of the way. It is an amazing opportunity to be part of the steering committee of such a pioneering project. The final design is very impressive, it feels spacious, without being over bearing to the surrounding estate.” 

Katy Milner, Brasted Close Resident

"Through careful negotiation with the planners, the architect has achieved a scheme which draws on the historic morphology and detail of the village, interpreting traditional form and fenestration to create a unique and innovative response."

RIBA Judges citation for Temple Cloud

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People

Kyle Buchanan

Kyle Buchanan

Kyle is a Director at Archio and a passionate and skilled Architect, who was named RIBA South West Project Architect of the Year 2018. He is an RIBA Conservation Registrant with experience of working on Listed Buildings and in heritage contexts. His expertise in housing design has resulted in his appointment as a member of the RIBA Expert Advisory Group for Housing and as a Design Council Expert.

He pursues his passion for promoting outstanding design through his positions on Ealing, Kingston and Sutton Design Review Panels. He is an experienced design tutor and has run design units for undergraduate and postgraduate architecture courses at the Bartlett as well as being a visiting critic at schools including London Met, Cambridge and Oxford Brookes. 

Kyle has pursued his interest in working with communities by volunteering on the boards of community led-housing groups and local charities in London. He is currently a volunteer member of the Housing Ombudsman’s Resident Panel.

Mellis Haward

Mellis Haward

Mellis is a Director at Archio, and has led many of Archio's housing and community projects.

With her expertise in Urban Design, Listed Buildings and Planning Policy, she is a member of the Harrow, Hounslow and Tower Hamlets Design Panels, and the Hackney Regeneration Design Advisory Group, advising the councils on current applications and policy in the borough. She is also an AJ Architects Award Judge, Civic Trust Awards Assessor, a member of the Urban Design London Environmental Design Review Panel and a Design Council Specialist Expert.

Mellis has a particular interest in community engagement and has an expertise in running participatory design workshops, and along with Kyle, she was recognised in the Architect's Journal 40 under 40 list "celebrating the UK’s most exciting emerging architectural talent".

Within Archio, Mellis oversees the practice's internal management, with a focus on structured resourcing and wellbeing of the team. 

João Sá

João Sá

João joined Archio in 2020 with practice experience spanning several countries, Portugal, Japan and the UK, where he has spent the last 8 years. João graduated with a Masters degree from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Porto (FAUP), Portugal, and started out working in Japan before moving to Portugal to work for architects Barbosa e Guimarães.

João has a passion for construction and all things technical, and is currently leading on projects for Southwark Council and London CLT in the detailed and construction phases.

João became an Associate at Archio in 2022, having led our Quality Management Systems, including achieving our ISO9001 accreditation.

In 2024 João qualified as a PassiveHaus Designer.

Emma Bennett

Emma Bennett

Emma qualified in 2020 after completing her Part 3 studies at the University of Westminster. She also studied at ESALA, University of Edinburgh, where she obtained both her Part 1 and Part 2 degrees, including several ESALA prizes for a collective proposal to re-home people displaced by the restoration of Old Havana, Cuba.

Before joining Archio, Emma worked at Pollard Thomas Edwards for five years. Here she developed her expertise in housing design, with experience varying across strategic masterplans, infill sites for local authorities and technical detailing for construction-stage projects. A meticulous and thoughtful designer, she enjoys and is equally skilled in all stages of the design process. 

Emma is a member of the Twentieth Society Youth Steering Group and has published her writing on architecture and heritage in their journals.

Matt Fallowfield

Matt Fallowfield

Matt's studies have included the University of East London, the University of Cambridge, and Westminster University where he qualified as an Architect in 2019. His MPhil research project, ‘Baugruppen London’ explored how a German group-led housing model could be translated to London through a Community Land Trust and included 6 months of community-based fieldwork in Berlin and London.

Matt’s professional experience has included 7 years at Morris+Company working on diverse housing projects including student living, co-living, housing for the homeless, and specialist housing for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Matt has also gained significant technical and construction experience by leading on sustainable retro-fit workplace projects and designing complex engineered timber community and education schemes.

Anna Mason

Anna Mason

Anna completed her Part 3 diploma at the University of Westminster in 2023. She previously studied at the University of Nottingham and London Metropolitan University, where she pursued an interest in alternative models of housing through an additional MA in Urban Design. As part of this she researched and wrote on the importance of meaningful co-design and democratic project processes. 

Having worked across a number of different typologies Anna is a versatile designer; from large mixed-use developments at Wilkinson Eyre Architects to affordable housing neighbourhoods at Karakusevic Carson Architects. She has also worked on low-energy retrofit and re-use schemes at both Buckley Gray Yeoman and R2 Studio Architects.

Sara Edilbe

Sara Edilbe

Sara studied at Westminster University in 2024 before joining Archio. She previously worked at Modulous, focusing on how tech and modular design could address the housing crisis. Prior to that, she gained experience at Studio Egret West, where she developed a passion for landscape and community design.

Her thesis at the London School of Architecture, titled "The Living Cemetery," explored sustainable and inclusive death-scapes. Sara remains deeply interested in landscape design and volunteers at Highgate Cemetery, where she aspires to become a tour guide.

Claire Fitzpatrick

Claire Fitzpatrick

Claire joined Archio as an architectural assistant in 2023. She studied both Part 1 and Part 2 at Dublin Institute of Technology and previously worked for McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects in Dublin. Here, she gained valuable experience across a range of public projects, particularly in education and community buildings.

Claire combines her interest in community housing with a passion for thoughtful design. Since joining Archio, she has been involved in a Community Land Trust project, which includes three sites across Greenwich.

Renata  Bruni

Renata Bruni

Renata joined Archio team in 2023 as a part time Finance Manager. She has over 20 years of experience managing and heading finance in architectural practices. She worked at Barr Gazetas for 18 years and overseen a growth of the practice from 15 to 50 + team members. She also manages finance at Landolt and Brown Ltd and Granit Architects and Interiors. She is a member of AFMG (Architects Finance Management Group).

Renata has an extensive understanding of architectural world and shares the passion for building design and interior aesthetics

Saaya Kamita

Saaya Kamita

Saaya joined Archio in 2021 as a part-time Studio Manager, bringing with her six years of experience in the design industry across London. In her role, she oversees, supports, and manages the daily operations of the studio, ensuring smooth workflow across the practice. Her organisational skills and industry insight make her an integral part of the practice.

Since having two children, she has become more aware of the importance the community brings and how architecture has a power to shape the neighborhood. Saaya has masters in Textiles and enjoys crafting and knitting.

Will Hayter

Will Hayter

Will joined Archio as an Architectural Assistant in 2024, following experience at Material Works Architecture, leading the on-site design delivery of a sustainable office retrofit project.

Will graduated with an MArch from Central Saint Martins in 2022, where his thesis focused on alternative approaches to redeveloping public land and affordable housing. The project was informed by a research placement at Haringey Council, and activated his own interests in alternative ways of doing things.

Will has had articles published by a number of design publications, and works part-time as a tutor on the BA Architecture course at Central Saint Martins.

Katie Sexton

Katie Sexton

Katie joined Archio in 2024, following three years of experience within the industry. During this time, she honed her skills and developed a deep understanding of the architectural sector, which she now brings to her role at Archio. Katie plays a key part in supporting the practice, primarily through her responsibilities in marketing and studio operations.

Beyond her professional expertise, Katie is also trained as a mental health responder, first aider, and fire warden, ensuring the team’s well-being and safety.

Selected Clients

Ballymore
Bath & Stratford Homes
Be First (London Borough of Barking and Dagenham)
Brick by Brick (London Borough of Croydon)
Clarion Housing Association
Crystal Palace Community Land Trust
Dolphins Hall Trust
Greater London Authority
Habinteg Housing Association
Hornsey Housing Trust
Human Nature
Landsec U+I
London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Enfield
London Borough of Hackney
London Borough of Havering
London Borough of Hounslow
London Borough of Islington
London Borough of Southwark
London Community Land Trust
London Continental Railways
London Legacy Development Corporation
Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing
Notting Hill Genesis
Phoenix Community Housing
Royal Institute of British Architects
Ruskin Mill Educational Trust
Squeezed London
The Architectural Association
The Greenwich Citizens Housing Group
TOWN
Transport for London

Awards

2024

London Community Land Trust

Highly Commended, MacEwan Award

2023

Becontree Avenue

Winner, Brick Awards, Small Housing Development

London Community Land Trust

Winner, NLA New London Award (Housing)

Winner, Pineapples Award (Community Engagement)

Short-listed, Housing, Architects Journal Awards

Short-listed, Housing Design Award

Winner, Building London Planning Awards (Best Community Engagement Outcomes)

Short-listed, Building London Planning Awards (Best New Place to Live)

Short-listed, Civic Trust Awards

Short-listed, Inside Housing Development Awards (Best development - 0-100 homes)

Winner, British Homes Awards Judges Award for Excellence

Winner, British Homes Awards Best Affordable Housing

2022

Astley Estate

Short-listed, Housing Design Awards

Winner, Inside Housing Development Awards (Best affordable housing development - less than £10m)

Becontree Avenue

Winner, Critics Choice, Architects Journal Awards

Winner, Housing, Architects Journal Awards

Short-listed, Building Design, Public and Social Housing Architect of the Year

2021

London Community Land Trust

Short-listed, Open City Stewardship Awards, Social Stewardship Award

2020

Winner, Architects Journal 40 under 40

2019

London Community Land Trust

Winner, Inside Housing Development Awards (Best affordable housing development)

Short-listed, NLA New London Award (Housing)

Short-listed, Housing Design Awards

2018

Temple Gardens

Short-listed, AJ Housing Project of the Year (up to £10 million)

Winner, RIBA South West Project Architect of the Year

Winner, RIBA South West Regional Award

2017

Winner, Archiboo Web Awards, Best Written Content

2016

Suffolk Square

Commendation, Civic Award

Short-listed, Archiboo Web Awards, Best Written Content

Short-listed, BD Young Architect of the Year Award

2015

Flower Kiosk

Short-listed, Wood Awards

2014

Flower Kiosk

Short-listed, Galvanizing Awards

Runner-up, AJ Small Projects Awards

Contact

Unit 4, 32 Indigo Mews, Carysfort Road London N16 9AE T 020 7183 4048      
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