Submission by ritchie*studio.
Being a good ancestor
Practice
1. Do you have a clearly stated purpose aligned with the planetary emergency? We’re looking for a bold ambition here, and a culture which recognises the need for long-term thinking.
“Consideration and care for the biosphere is essentially our practice’s design ethos.” Our Founding Director 1994
‘We serve society’ (our stated ethos) is central to the way we design and practice architecture. For over 40 years we have collaborated with like-minded professionals to deliver socially beneficial, long-term adaptable, and ecologically sustainable projects in a responsible, ethical manner.
We committed to an environmentally sustainable design approach since the practice’s inception. Our projects testify to our philosophy not to waste, undertake responsible retrofit, promote intelligent passive design, and optimise carbon-free energy.
In 2019 we became signatories to Architects Declare and the RIBA Climate Challenge. Since then, we established a sustainability roadmap, and a continuous journey of improvement to focus on the climate emergency, committing to the UN’s Race to Zero campaign.
Our interim science-based 2030 target of a 46% reduction in Scope 1&2 emissions (2021/22 baseline) has already been achieved in 2025/26.
2. Do you have a clearly stated purpose aligned with the planetary emergency? We’re looking for a bold ambition here, and a culture which recognises the need for long-term thinking.
In 2021, our practice was renamed as a signposted move away from the singular founding director owned company to culminate in a proposal to transfer of a percentage of the practice shares to employees, reflecting the commitment within the practice to continue its research values.
We operate a day-to-day non-hierarchical studio culture which encourages all practice members to act as directors and to make their voice heard across business discussions at weekly studio meetings. Although the shareholders are responsible for taking key decisions, this open forum empowers our all employees to contribute.
Along with valuing those who continue in our practice, we also continue to support, and be supported by, a collective design network of past employees who have gone on to establish their own practices.
3. Do you share research and knowledge for the benefit of society and the wider world?
Since our inception, we actively share knowledge on our projects, practice, research and theories.
Our website was established (late 1990s) as a resource tool to openly share knowledge and research for all to access, serving a wider purpose than merely as an outline public front. It is home to our practice lectures, and writings, all free to access and download, as well as full extracts of book contributions and critical reviews and extensive summaries of the 17 books we have published.
We also share our research and knowledge on materials and processes, from design to application, on materials from glass to gabions in our World Firsts section.
We advocate for benchmarkable client satisfaction surveys as a BUS methodology partner.
Our architects sit on academic boards and trusts, teach, lecture and tutor at several universities across the UK and internationally, actively sharing our knowledge with the next generation of designers.
Project
1. Do you advocate for long-term thinking at the outset of work? Do you initiate work with long-term thinking and challenge clients? Also, can the organisation demonstrate that this approach has worked?
We have always considered long-term thinking to be the cornerstone of every project.
We design with future generations in mind and instil in all our clients the importance of environmentally sensitive, adaptable space, utilising low maintenance principles through robust materials to ensure long-term quality. We benchmark from previous projects and use the AD regenerative primer to inform our clients to be a good ancestor.
In 2023 we completed a mixed-use workplace-led project in Malta using local enhanced construction methods. Integrated within the floor slabs was a thermally active building system utilising thermal mass to provide radiant coolth, resulting in a thermally conditioned environment without air conditioning. This challenged the business-as-usual approach in Malta. Our team’s data-led, scientific methodology satisfied the client and resulted in lower in-use costs and a much lower operational carbon output, putting the climate and user wellbeing above short-term capital savings.
2. Does your work take account of the future climate and the need for resilience?
All projects are designed for future adaptability to ensure the environmental and economic sustainability of the project. As the future cannot be predicted, we ensure that our buildings are designed to last, easily adapted for a new use (whatever that may be); to anticipate and respond to changing climate, users, social and environmental needs.
Adaptive reuse is considered in all our designs. A current client brief we are preparing envisages a future-proofed mixed-use development in which all spaces are fully adaptable to new typologies. Areas of projects that are designed for adaptability use spatial structures and systems that can be re-arranged to facilitate a new use.
We are currently developing a new modular schools’ system that allows for future adaptability on a self-build scale, using a timber system sourced from sustainable woodlands planted on the client’s site.
All projects consider disassembly; often with bolted connections to facilitate future reassembly.
3. Does the majority of your work go beyond mitigating negatives and towards optimising positives?
Our projects always strive to go beyond mitigation of negatives and towards optimising positives. UK based projects currently being designed and developed are benchmarked against the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard alongside the RIBA 2030 Challenge and the LETI 2030 targets with an aspiration to exceed these.
We have also undertaken a retrospective analysis of a selection of projects which has revealed that these projects would have met their respective challenges i.e. RIBA 2020 challenge levels.
We challenge our clients to look beyond the financial cost of a project and consider a holistic approach. This includes advocating for the use of low embodied carbon materials, the use of passive methods to reduce operational carbon emissions, and the importance of landscape-led approaches to improve the wellbeing of occupants.
In a current university project, we are developing a structural stone roof design that will exceed upfront carbon targets set by UKNZCBS.
Co-evolving with nature
Practice
1. Do you use biophilia within your premises and/or do you regularly gather in natural settings?
Our studio is surrounded by a green landscaped outlook for which all staff benefit, visible from every workspace. We look out on a beautiful, natural screen of trees, including Quercus robur fastigiata and bamboo all planted within the external grounds of the building.
We have an external roof terrace with a herb border that surrounds a large integrated meeting table where we can relax for lunch and hold meetings, or have quiet space in the open air. Our studio has many quiet breakout spaces including a library and picture gallery.
Ample levels of natural light bathe the studio internally, and the interplay of sunshine and shadows cast everchanging patterns on the walls and floors.
Designed on low-tech passive principles, the studio has 4-way cross ventilation through opening windows and skylights provide a gentle breeze.
We are encouraged to have planting around our workstations.
2. Can you share examples of where you have considered nature in decision making?
Our recent reorganisation of the company structure has extended ownership to the majority of the team to reflect the importance of collective action in the decisions and direction of the practice.
We have a clearly defined structure, however all practice members voices are treated equally and encouraged to ask questions and voice their opinions. Consequently, views on all aspects of the practice from design, to operations and strategies are developed and implemented in a non-hierarchical way. We host a weekly all-studio meeting as a formal setting for such discussion in addition to informal conversations.
We value all team members wellbeing, physically and mentally, emotionally and personally, to accommodate changing circumstances and operate a flexible working culture to balance work and family/personal lives. This encourages a more sustainable working environment.
Where the studio hosts events and CPDs we operate a low-meat / vegetarian policy to encourage lower-carbon plant-based eating habits.
3. Are you supporting nature locally and nationally?
We have always worked in close collaboration with landscape designers, gardeners, horticulturists and arboriculturists throughout our projects. We advocate for landscape-led design approach in our urban-scale projects to enhance the local biodiversity and ecological environment for people, plants and animals.
By working closely with landscape designers and ecologists we ensure that our work does not harm existing ecosystems and seeks to enhance sustainable landscape practices.
Within our extended practice are landscape architects and a qualified forester who also owns a specialist plant nursery. This plant husbandry knowledge is integrated into our landscape-based projects.
Despite this we still believe that this is an area that we could and should do more to support nature more locally and nationally. We will look to actively increase local contributions in our projects and expand our own internal gardening club who are custodians of our herb garden.
Project
1. Can you demonstrate work that strives to match the performance of a mature ecosystem?
We have collaborated with landscape designers, ecologists and horticulturalists since our inception 40+ years ago.
An early collaboration with Kathryn Gustafson led to the creation of a 5-hectare landscape in Terrasson, France, which is now a national scheduled monument.
Recently we developed a comprehensive strategic landscape-led masterplan for 100 hectares of Merthyr Tydfil, known as the Cyfarthfa Plan.
One of the plan’s three central themes was the expansion of the natural environment. The plan proposed a series of cultural projects and programmes, from biodiverse landscape gardens and rewilding areas to environmental focused schools’ programmes and productive community gardens.
The 20-year-long plan focuses on the original green valley which became ‘black’ through heavy industry, “black is becoming green again”, noting how the natural landscape is slowly rejuvenating. Through the recently created Foundation, rewilding and other biodiversity initiatives will well exceed statutory minimum BNG, restoring a natural habitat.
2. Are you working on material stewardship?
Material-technical innovation has been a core value of the studio throughout its practice. We have developed many “world firsts” materials, products and systems in glass, metals, stone and light.
The practice has published articles on responsible materials including ‘Our Recipe for Sustainability’ and ‘Values in a Changing World’.
We put responsible sourcing and use of materials at the forefront of our specifications ensuring sustainable timber sourcing, low VOC products, and mandate full EPD’s for all materials.
We work closely with our clients, industry and contractors to explore fabrication methods, material possibilities, incorporating all our experience, research and knowledge to develop improved material performance, new material possibilities, reducing the quantum of materials in buildings and mitigating climate impact as priority.
We are currently experimenting with the use of low-carbon materials such as caged and ground flint, and structural stone in ongoing projects.
3. Does the majority of your work demonstrate the use of biologically-inspired approaches such as Bioregionalism, Biophilia or Biomimicry?
Our projects utilise biologically-inspired approaches through their passive design principles. These are often hidden in the design rather than obviously apparent. We do not seek to emulate nature in its physical appearance but utilise nature’s excellent chemistry strategies and techniques.
Innovative parallel thinking is what we do in the domains of engineering, light, landscape, art, music, poetry and architecture.
Many of the facades in our projects are designed from bioclimatic principles since the very first bioclimatic facades in 1981 at the City of Science, Paris. A recently completed project in Malta uses vertical fixed ‘aerated’ shading solutions to shade the buildings’ windows, reducing heat gains and thereby reducing the cooling operational energy requirements while creating a wonderful non-linear play of light to animate the surfaces.
The design of Eagle Rock house (1981) incorporated passive warm air, solar thermal and air source heat pump, and continues to do so.
Creating a just space for people
Practice
1. Do you have a progressive EDI policy and can you evidence many forms of diversity, which are welcomed and acknowledged, within your company/organisation?
We have a progressive EDI policy as part of our employee handbook and clearly stated on our website across our ethical and employment policies. Our EDI policy is a fluid document that is continually updated to reflect changing practice. The policy is issued to all team members to promote an inclusive environment.
We fully adhere to the Equality Act and are committed to diversity across the practice.
We are a signatory to the RIBA’s Inclusion Charter and Mayor of London’s Diversity Pledge and are actively involved in initiatives to improve diversity within the profession. This includes regular schools’ workshops for the Open City – City Makers programme, and as mentors for the RIBA Future Architects programme. We provide work placements, educational support and pro-bono services to several charitable organisations, including financial contributions.
Our studio has women and LBGT directors in senior positions. We continuously seek to improve inclusivity.
2. Do you operate a no overtime culture, meet the living wage consistently, and stipulate a fair salary ratio between staff of all levels?
Our practice has held a long-standing approach of fairness to create a sustainable workplace. We understand our role in opposing the overtime culture prevalent in architecture.
We have always distributed salaries fairly and proportionately between all staff reflecting experience, expertise and performance and give full consideration of the London living wage.
We have never allowed interns to work without a reasonable wage. We recognise the importance of rest, relaxation and family time and encourage a healthy work/life balance.
We recognise that working hours can extend ahead of some critical deadlines, but we strive to reduce such occurrences, and overtime is returned as time in lieu at our discretion.
We have weekly studio meetings attended by all staff which enables us as a company to prioritise and re-allocate resources during these busy periods. Our long tenures and low turnover stand as testament to us fostering a healthy work/life culture.
3. Do you support charities, community groups, social enterprises, action groups and others through pro-bono work, charitable giving or in-kind donations?
We regularly support charities including Shelter and Crisis since 1997, and Koestler Arts prison arts charity.
We provide pro-bono work for Open City to facilitate local schools workshops for the past 6 years and are a long-term financial supporter of Thornton Education Trust who ensure young people’s voices are heard within our industry.
We have also financially supported Blueprint for All (formally the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust) since inception and Article 25 as part of the More Than a Building programme.
Our staff members provide professional mentorships pro-bono for local East London universities, and those for which they are alumni.
Our founding director is an ambassador for Global Returns Project, a member for 30 years of Scientists for Global Responsibility, Patron of St Annes Hawksmoor300, seeking to restore the building and provide cultural and community spaces within, and advisor to the Backstage Trust funding the performing arts.
4. Do you use an ethical framework to assess opportunities and/or supply chain partners and is them team consulted on these decisions?
We publish our ethical policy on our website which publicly declares that we will not accept commissions that we consider may irrevocably damage the environment, involve military activity or the marketing of civilian firearms, undermine successful democratic or indigenous social structures, or engage with countries, authorities or companies that are known to be party to the abuse of human rights or that contravene international treaties, promote adult entertainment, predatory lending, tobacco, and other addictive drugs.
We review the ethical position of potential projects at our weekly open all staff meeting. This has led to us refusing work on ethical/moral grounds.
Although not a relevant organisation under the Modern Slavery Act, we operate an Anti-Modern Slavery Policy. Accordingly, we ensure we fully consider potential clients’, project funders’ and subcontractors’ policies and ethics in relation to labour protection and we don’t take commissions/contracts where either is questionable.
Project
1. Does your work demonstrate deep engagement with local stakeholders and end users?
We are advocates of co-design and actively seek to involve local stakeholders and project end-users throughout the design process. We go beyond the basics of consultation to genuine engagement through targeted workshops with all stakeholders mapped on the project.
Our workshops use a storytelling approach which develop day-in-the-life scenarios. These stakeholder-led stories reveal the multiple layers of the briefing and design process in an accessible approach around a common narrative.
In the Cyfarthfa Plan project, youth creative workshops with primary and secondary schools, including local youth groups, and public open forum events captured the local culture and needs. A series of 2-day narrative-led workshops engaged with representatives from major groups/societies including history, creative arts, Welsh culture, local naturalists and educators to fully grasp the voice of the town and feed directly into the masterplan.
We actively adopt this process in all our urban planning and architecture projects.
2. Does your work create connected and resilient communities which positively contribute to neighbourhoods and allow equality of access?
Our stated ethos is that we serve society, and it is central to the way we practice architecture.
We collaborate with like-minded professionals and local stakeholders to deliver such socially beneficial and ecologically sustainable projects in a responsible and ethical manner. This promotes a sense of collective ownership and reveals a clear long-term legacy.
Our projects always contribute positively to surrounding communities, are well connected and create resilient places economically whilst retaining their value and increase social opportunities. Local economies benefit from local material selection.
These values are evident in all projects including the Cyfarthfa Plan and Belfast Historic Docks, and completed projects in Malta, where private land is opened for public use for the first time in a series of public courtyard gardens.
Our design for the Commemorative Bridge over the Liffey in Dublin will complete a century-old Lutyens plan promoting heritage and local connectivity.
3. Does the majority of your work promote equity in society, and consider all people, not only building inhabitants
We only work on projects with due consideration for all people, including contractors and their workers. We have rejected and resigned from projects where clients have disagreed with our social/design values, and we do not work in regions of conflict or where governments’ abuse environmental and human rights.
We recognise that Modern Slavery does occur within the construction industry, predominantly in the construction labour sector and in the production, manufacturing and material resourcing sectors. We help to combat this by providing our staff with the knowledge to spot signs of Modern Slavery on construction sites, to understand specific sector and country risks in relation to project specifications, to undertake due diligence in relation to all material and product specifications, including manufactured products, no matter their origin, and to advise our clients of the risks within the sector which can increase with ‘cut-price’ cost competitiveness.