About Gareth Allison Design

An independent practice with a considered approach to design

Gareth Allison Design was established in 2012 and is led by Gareth Allison, an architect registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

The practice works across residential architecture, from feasibility studies and individual extensions to whole-house transformations, interior architecture, new homes and sites with development potential. With studios in London, Chelmsford and Harpenden, the practice works across London, Essex and Hertfordshire, and further afield, from Cheshire to the coast of Fife.

At its centre is a belief that good design comes from understanding what a project could be: questioning assumptions and looking beyond the obvious answer. Every building and site has its own history, character, constraints and possibilities, and a modest budget or a difficult site can be the starting point for the most inventive solution.

Approach

Architecture is as much about asking the right questions as finding the answers.

Each project begins by looking carefully at what is there, understanding the needs and ambitions of the client, and considering what might be possible. That early feasibility stage is often where the most value lies, because it is where an architect can see opportunities others might miss.

Ideas are then developed, tested and refined, with close attention to proportion, light, space, materials and the relationship between the building and its surroundings. There is no house style. Some projects call for a bold intervention, others for something quieter and more restrained. What matters is the right answer for the project.

Design also depends on knowing how buildings are made. Planning, building regulations, structure, detailing and the realities of construction are part of the design from the start, not afterthoughts. The ambition is architecture that is both creative and well resolved.

Gareth Allison

I studied architecture at Liverpool John Moores University, completing my degree in 2001 and my diploma in 2004, where my research focused on sustainable building techniques. I have always valued design competitions, and my entries have included a road bridge in Hamburg, a public swimming pool complex in Birkenhead and a commemorative tower for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, which was awarded runner-up.

After early work in the education and healthcare sectors, I joined Paul Archer Design in 2005. Over more than seven years as an architect and job runner I helped the practice achieve award-winning status, managing projects that ranged from a private recording studio and the conversion of a listed Victorian town house to a sustainable new-build home and many extensions to Victorian terraces and family houses, often negotiating demanding planning, listed building and conservation area requirements.

I founded Gareth Allison Design in 2012. Since then the work has included glazed extensions, one of them featured in the Evening Standard, whole-house refurbishments, designs for two new low-carbon family houses and proposals for a 30-unit holiday development on the east coast of Scotland.

What still interests me most is discovering what something could become: investigating a building or site, working through the challenges and finding the idea that was not immediately obvious. I am just as interested in making those ideas work, from how materials come together to the detail of bespoke joinery.

Running an independent practice means I stay personally involved in every project and work directly with my clients. I value open conversation, and I will always suggest a better approach if I believe there is one.

Looking forward

The practice continues to grow its residential work while developing its interest in new homes and in sites with development potential. Whether transforming an existing home or investigating something entirely new, the starting point is the same: understand what is there, and explore what it could become.

Start a conversation

If you are considering an extension, a transformation, a new home or the potential of a site, please get in touch. The first conversation is always free.