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20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa

South Africa is a country filled with contradictions. Home to large mountains, vast forests and endless coasts as well as to the native Xhosa and Zulu tribes and the European colonizers, the country has an array of varying landscapes and clashing cultures. Even during its contemporary history, the Apartheid era was responsible for heavily segregating South Africa in multiple of contexts.

Naturally, this countrywide division is apparent to many architectural and urban settings. Spatial inequalities, most commonly found in the city of Johannesburg, as well as the infamous marginalized District Six in Cape Town, are some examples of what challenges local architects currently face. Fortunately, from the beginning of the 21st century these ‘lines of division’ are gradually being patched up through the design and construction of many notable architectural works.

Nowadays, South African architects have the space and freedom to design in multiple contexts and for many architectural typologies, with cultural and residential architecture being the most prominent. Respectful of the country’s astounding natural landscape, conscious material use is in the epicenter of these practices. They prioritize locally sourced materials such as bricks, bamboo and stone, effectively blending them with the surrounding context while supporting local material economies and becoming pioneers in environmental sustainability.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in South Africa based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority:

The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2023)
The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2023)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of South Africa architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 20 best architecture firms in South Africa:

24. Kritzinger Architects

Kritzinger Architects is an award-winning, Cape Town based Architecture studio, founded by Jed Kritzinger and Julia Abell in 2010. They formed the practice after a ten-year stint in London working with renowned British Architect Sir Norman Foster on a number of high profile projects.
Since inception, Kritzinger Architects has gained a reputation for design excellence, having won “Best Residence Africa” at the 2012 International Property Awards, and were shortlisted for “World’s Best” the same year. The practice has been shortlisted for Cape Institute of Architecture Awards and has featured in a number of local and international publications.

The practice has designed a number of homes for international clients in South Africa, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Belgium, Portugal and more recently in Panama. In 2016 the practice was selected by Sir Richard Branson to design and refurbish his private Manor House in the Cape Winelands, as well as his hotel and spa on the estate.

Some of Kritzinger Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Kritzinger Architects achieve 24th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	1

23. Ruben Reddy Architects PTY LTD

Established in 1988, Ruben Reddy Architects is a balance of seasoned professionals and up and coming young talent, diverse architectural experience, skills and cultural backgrounds, which all merge to create innovative and inspirational design. With a staff of 59, based at six offices around South Africa, Ruben Reddy Architects has an established reputation in sport architecture, healthcare and public sector buildings, as well as extensive experience in large-scale transportation hubs, spatial planning and urban design.

We provide a full range of architectural services for projects at both a local and international level. In addition, we have the professional expertise, in-depth knowledge and proven experience to provide the specialist services in sports consulting, sport bid development, and sport event planning, as well as education, healthcare, hospitality and institutional facilities. Service delivery is key to our success. With a team that is solution-driven, we work closely with our Clients and the relevant stakeholders, to produce projects and outcomes, that meet the needs of both the Client and the end-user.

Some of Ruben Reddy Architects PTY LTD’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Ruben Reddy Architects PTY LTD achieve 23rd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	1

22. Thomas Gouws Architects

Thomas Gouws Architects design exclusive contemporary residences, holiday houses, lodges, and selective commercial projects.

Some of Thomas Gouws Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Thomas Gouws Architects achieve 22nd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	1

21. Activate Architects

Architecture has a significant if not massive impact on our physical environment, and a less obvious but equally significant impact on our psyche. Activate is focused on architecture and interiors that require high levels of innovation, detail, and quality, and we aim to activate our clients’ lives through attention to imaginative and intelligent solutions geared at their specific requirements from the inception of ideas to made realities.The firm has grown steadily since its inception in 1997 with a focus on building a team of home grown talent. We are an open plan business operating in an open plan office.

Some of Activate Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Activate Architects achieve 21st place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	2

20. MMA Design Studio

MMA Design Studio is a Johannesburg-based award-winning Architecture studio founded by owner and architect Mphethi Morojele as MMA Architects CC in 1995. The studio provides professional services in architecture, urban regeneration, design, research and strategic thinking. Our focus is on the ability of design to respond to and enhance the historical and emerging African condition at all levels of human social, cultural, artistic and economic endeavors.

Through combining practice with teaching and research we aspire to exceed our client’s expectations by providing solutions that not only conform to the brief but can also be measured against the triple bottom line of social, economic and ecological sustainability. Each project goes through a process of cultural, economic and locational diagnostics in order to provide a narrative framework for the organization of the client’s aspirations and programmatic requirements. We believe that through a transparent design process the constraints of time and cost are challenges that can positively influence the design process and design outcomes.

Some of MMA Design Studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped MMA Design Studio achieve 20th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	4

19. BasaboseStudio

BasaboseStudio is a creative, cross-disciplinary design firm with global reach offering services in different fields of design. Our studio has offices in Johannesburg and Kinshasa, DR Congo. We create solutions that help each of our clients achieve the materialization of their initial thoughts in a unique collaborative manner. Even though focused on the built environment and livable spaces, each of our projects is executed by pooling any expertise needed from competent sources.

Our holistic and collaborative approach encompasses the disciplines of architecture, interior design, graphic design, industrial design, photography, urbanism and associated fields by collaboration. We engage a diverse range of industry market sectors and project types including residential, corporate, cultural, civic, retail, exhibition, entertainment, healthcare and transportation. We are passionate about creating unique, immersive “solutions” that add value and help our clients achieve their envisioned dreams.

Some of BasaboseStudio’s most prominent projects include:

Chapelle de la Grâce dans la Clairière, Kasangulu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Villa Rugari, Port-Gentil, Gabon
Libenge Library & Community Center, Libenge, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Place Du 30 Juin, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Villa Banalia, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

The following statistics helped BasaboseStudio achieve 19th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	10

18. Jenny Mills Architects

Jenny Mills says: “Love for form and composition lies at the very heart of our work. We are artists on a quest to sculpt existing spaces in co-operation with nature. Our buildings are exciting and beautiful. They bring something both of ourselves and our clients into the world. We work in close partnership with our clients, focusing on their needs and stylistic preferences.” Jenny’s work has a strong contemporary signature which is not only evident in her work in this genre but is skillfully integrated into both classic and leisure designs to match her client’s tastes.

Some of Jenny Mills Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Jenny Mills Architects achieve 18th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	3

17. C76 Architecture and Design

Established in 2014 by Principal Architect Carl Jacobsz, the Johannesburg and Cape Town -based C76 Architecture is inspired by expressing sophisticated simplicity, a disciplined yet exciting approach to architecture, which searches creatively for elegance and excellence proven over time –promoting quality and timelessness over trend. We look to explore characteristics such as client lifestyle, context, culture and existing environmental conditions for inspiration, with the aim of producing quality South African architecture.

Having grown up in rural Eastern Free State and graduated from the University of the Free State, Carl Jacobsz was influenced by a grounded; rural architecture of simple design strategies that has shaped his professional practice and production of affordable, sensitive, forward-thinking architecture. These core values are explored through tectonic architecture of humble materials and the exploration of beauty through expressing materiality simply.

C76 is passionate about exploring architectural solutions across all project scales, budgets, typologies and clients. Equally confident in taking on urban, commercial, and residential projects, C76 approaches each design without any preconceptions; utilizing a pragmatic and conscious design methodology of minimalist design and sustainable detailing. C76 believes architecture should be formed specifically for its climatic and cultural context in order to respond astutely to the unique requirements of our client’s brief.

Some of C76 Architecture and Design’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped C76 Architecture and Design achieve 17th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	1

16. FrankiePappas

Imagine we could create a fictional persona – a collective pseudonym – that allowed us to put aside our egotisms, our blusters, our vanities, and find a group of people whose similar ideals and different talents create beautiful solutions for a remarkable new world. That is frankie: wonderfully similar. beautifully different. Making great public buildings that contribute to a great future. We get together the entire professional team required to find beautiful solutions for a remarkable new world.

Some of FrankiePappas’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped FrankiePappas achieve 16th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

15. Greg Wright Architects

Our studio is made up of a group of dedicated and passionate individuals working towards the guiding principle of the practice which strives towards the pursuit of excellence both in thought and execution.

Some of Greg Wright Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Greg Wright Architects achieve 15th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	3

14. Metropole Architects

As a practice, we are inspired by the energy of the city, as it unceasingly moves, radiates and evolves like a vast living organism.we aim to generate design that stakes out new territory, and explore ideas that are intuitive, inventive, exuberant and daring. enthused by visionary architects like john lautner and santiago calatrava, we aspire to create iconic and progressive architectural wonders that capture our collective imagination.

Some of Metropole Architects’s most prominent projects include:

House Brook, Nkwazi, South Africa
ALBIZIA HOUSE, Durban, South Africa
Aloe Ridge House, Pennington, South Africa
The Reserve House, Dolphin Coast, South Africa
Salt Rock House, Dolphin Coast, South Africa

The following statistics helped Metropole Architects achieve 14th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	5

13. Vivid Architects

Vivid Architects was founded in 1998 by Paolo Viotti and Trevor Versfeld. Imraan Ho-Yee joined the practice as a partner in 2000. Vivid Architects is an established award-winning medium sized design practice that concentrates predominately on medium to large scale commercial developments both locally and internationally. The practice enjoys a good reputation in designing selected upmarket private residential homes.

Vivid Architects takes great pride in providing an holistic and comprehensive professional service delivering appropriate and cost effective architectural solutions within the strict parameters of client brief, economic realities, programme and budget. Vivid Architects believes firmly in the ethics and importance of a team-based philosophy throughout the design and implementation process and encourages close collaboration of all the disciplines involved.

Some of Vivid Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Bridgewater, Cape Town, South Africa
No.3 Bridgeways, Cape Town, South Africa
Crystal Towers Hotel & Spa, Cape Town, South Africa
Newcastle Mall, Newcastle, South Africa
Citadel Apartments, Cape Town, South Africa

The following statistics helped Vivid Architects achieve 13th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	33

12. Earthworld Architects and Interiors

In the making of meaningful things… with our world becoming more and more global — virtual and less defined, the need for defining the “Heimat” has become greater than ever. Meaning has become more important than ever. Falling Waters by Frank Lloyd Wright, built for the Kauffmann Family in the 20’s of the twentieth century, transcends the physical to become Icons; to become “meaningful things”. It epitomized progress without being Industrial…A symbol of innovation whilst acknowledging the context without trying to imitate or assimilate.

Some of Earthworld Architects and Interiors’s most prominent projects include:

House Mouton, Mamelodi, Pretoria, South Africa
Foghound Interactive Coffee & Showroom, Johannesburg, South Africa
House Izeboud, Pretoria, South Africa
TriBeCa Original Restaurant, Brooklyn, Pretoria, South Africa
House Alto, Tulbagh, South Africa

The following statistics helped Earthworld Architects and Interiors achieve 12th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	8

11. Nicholas Plewman Architects

Nicholas Plewman Architects was founded and is directed by Nick Plewman. He has welded a life time passion for the wilderness to two decades of design and project management experience in remote and sensitive environments. To this have been banded the skills of qualified architects, project and cost managers and technologists.

The practice has completed over 35 projects across Southern and East Africa for both public and private clients and has been published in several books* and magazines such as Architectural Digest and Conde Nast Traveller.

Some of Nicholas Plewman Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Nicholas Plewman Architects achieve 11th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	4

10. Architecture for a Change

We are young designers working with well known architect, Les du Toit. Our passion for architecture and the profession grew from experimental projects we did as students, getting our hands dirty and learning from experience. Our team consists of Anton Bouwer, Dirk Coetser and John Saaiman. Our individual skills and experience creates a formidable team, Dirk’s & Anton’s strengths lie in conceptual phase, design and presentation of projects, whilst John manages the construction and detailing of buildings.

From our lived experiences in the city of Johannesburg — a challenging environment presenting numerous opportunities — we have developed a desire to create change in the built environment.

Some of Architecture for a Change’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Architecture for a Change achieve 10th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	3

9. Elphick Proome Architecture

Elphick Proome Architecture was established in 1989 and has grown to become a leading architectural firm in South Africa. Committed to architectural excellence, we strive to create exciting buildings, environments and spaces that respond to the unique nature of each project with integrity and purpose. Our philosophy emphasizes an architecture that responds to context, region and climate and is enduring, innovative and functional. We endeavor to design intelligent solutions which rise to the diverse challenges of our social and economic context and make a significant contribution to the African reality.

Some of Elphick Proome Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

House Mansfield, Westville, South Africa
House F, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Durban Christian Centre, Durban, South Africa
Rooiels House, Rooi-Els, Rooi-Els, South Africa
RCL Foods, Westville, South Africa

Top image: Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal, Durban, South Africa

The following statistics helped Elphick Proome Architecture achieve 9th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	13

8. Daffonchio & Associates Architects

Daffonchio and Associates Architects was established in 1996 by Enrico Daffonchio, who has qualified in Italy and registered with the Italian and South African Councils for the architectural profession. The firm has been active in private, commercial and public projects. The design work focuses on energy efficiency and the awareness of the broader effects that building has on the environment: as well as the way in which proportion, light and color affect peoples’ mood. Building materials and structural elements are meant to be shown with integrity as graphic and sculptural patterns.Collaborations and joint ventures with other firms, artists and specialists from various disciplines are built specially around the requirements of each project.

Some of Daffonchio & Associates Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Daffonchio & Associates Architects achieve 8th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

7. Three14 Architects

Three14 Architects, founded in January 2008, is an award winning studio of creative architects based in Cape Town. The focus on designing exclusive luxury homes for discerning clients — bringing fresh ideas, rigorous detailing and creativity to the residential arena — results in elegant and sophisticated homes that are easy to live in. The office consists of a small, hands-on team taking on a limited number of projects per year. This enables both principal architects to be involved in each project from inception through to completion ensuring an efficient and thorough level of service and a highly considered and always unique end product.

Some of Three14 Architects’s most prominent projects include:

OVD525, Cape Town, South Africa
Glen 2961, Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Firth 114802, Firth Road, Southern Suburbs, Cape Town, South Africa

The following statistics helped Three14 Architects achieve 7th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	3

6. Meyer & Associates Architects, Urban Designers

Meyer & Associates is an integrated, multi-disciplinary practice that incorporates architecture, interior design and urban design competencies into one bespoke spatial design service. The original firm, known as MEYER+VORSTER Architects, Urban Designers and Interior Designers, was founded in 2002. In 2013, the firm was restructured and became known as Meyer & Associates Architects, Urban Designers. It is owned and managed by the founding principal of the practice, Tiaan Meyer. He has over twenty years’ experience in the architectural and urban design industry and is complemented by a staff of twelve, which include several professionally registered architects, technologists and interior designers. Team members have been hand-picked for their specialist skill-sets and design capabilities.

Some of Meyer & Associates Architects, Urban Designers’s most prominent projects include:

Spens Garden Café & Winkel Gift Shop, South Africa
Botha’s Halte Primary School, Cape Winelands, WC, South Africa
Dunoon Primary School, Dunoon, Cape Town, South Africa
Heideveld Primary School, Heideveld, Cape Town, South Africa
Kuyasa Public Transport Interchange, Cape Town, South Africa

The following statistics helped Meyer & Associates Architects, Urban Designers achieve 6th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

A+Awards Winner	2
Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	5

5. Van der Merwe Miszewski Architects (VDMMA)

VAN DER MERWE MISZEWSKI ARCHITECTS was founded in 1991 by Anya van der Merwe and Macio Miszewski and is located at 161 Longmarket Street, Cape Town in a Grade 1 listed building. VDMMA has completed a wide range of building types, including educational, cultural, commercial, retail, restoration and residential projects (including group housing, apartment buildings and individual residences).

The company has received numerous awards, including SAIA Awards, (South African Institute for Architecture, regional and national), SAPOA Awards (South African Property Owners Association), SAISC Awards (South African Institute of Steel Construction), The Fulton Award, as well as various media awards.

Some of Van der Merwe Miszewski Architects (VDMMA)’s most prominent projects include:

Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town, South Africa
Tree House, Cape Town, South Africa
University of Cape Town: Middle Campus, Cape Town, South Africa
Mountain House, Cape Town, South Africa
De Beers Headquarters, Ormonde, Johannesburg South, South Africa

The following statistics helped Van der Merwe Miszewski Architects (VDMMA) achieve 5th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	11

4. CS Studio

© Design.Develop.Build - GA Tech | PBSA | RWTH

CS Studio Architects has developed a way in which they work which is focused on listening to the clients or end users. This is an interactive and participative process. Each project demands its own activities. Interactive processes are a powerful tool in any design phase as it allows everyone to have a say and often leads to much better spatial solutions. By listening to people, the architect is provided with a wealth of information to feed into the design process. role players are empowered and they take ownership of their design decisions.

However, participation is generally seen only as a social process. This is when it fails. It needs to be underscored by making. We also believe that during the participation process technology can be a valuable tool. It is important to understand what kind of resources are available both material and human. A good understanding of assembly and the active transfer of skills through making therefore becomes an important component of the process. Through research and experience it has proved to lead to more sustainable environments. It allows one to unleash the energy inside people. Spatial planning needs to be done in a way which allows the inhabitants occupying the space to enjoy it and to enhance the quality of life.

Some of CS Studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped CS Studio achieve 4th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	1

3. dhk

dhk has established a leading reputation as a design led multi-disciplinary company which incorporates architecture, urban design and interior design. More than 100 people contribute to the success of the company across these three disciplines making dhk one of the largest architectural practices in South Africa. dhk’s integrated approach to design in the built environment, coupled with innovative and cost effective design solutions, has garnered international recognition with projects spanning across four continents.

Some of dhk’s most prominent projects include:

Battery Park, Cape Town, South Africa
32 on Kloof, Cape Town, South Africa
Move Hotel, Mogliano, Italy
Drostdy Hotel, Graaff-Reinet, South Africa
Ellipse Waterfall, GP, South Africa

The following statistics helped dhk achieve 3rd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	25

2. Nico van der Meulen Architects

Nico van der Meulen Architects, headquartered in Johannesburg, focuses on designing innovative, functional luxurious homes, both contemporary and traditional, tailored to enrich their client’s quality of life. The company remains at the forefront of design by exploring new forms, pushing the boundaries and evolving with technology, without compromising on the authenticity of the design, aesthetics, materials and originality.

While creating unique homes for unique tastes, the firm strives to capture every client’s vision and express it through breath-taking bespoke designs. They have designed more than 4000 buildings during the past forty years, many of which received international acclaim, some as far afield as USA, London, Cypress, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Canada, USA, Germany, Gulf of Portugal and many African countries and currently completing a new residence in Australia.

More than 230 buildings designed by Nico van der Meulen and his team of architects have featured in magazines, hardcover books and have also been used on the front cover image for many magazines.

Some of Nico van der Meulen Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Nico van der Meulen Architects achieve 2nd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

Featured Projects	8
Total Projects	31

1. SAOTA

SAOTA is a firm of architectural designers and technologists including in-house CGI and marketing teams, as well as a strong support staff. It is driven by the dynamic combination of Stefan Antoni, Philip Olmesdahl, Greg Truen, Phillippe Fouché and Mark Bullivant who share a potent vision easily distinguished in their design.

This, paired with both an innovative and dedicated approach to the execution of projects, has seen SAOTA become internationally sought-after, receiving numerous awards and commendations from some of the most respected institutions worldwide. Capitalizing on a unique understanding of an ever-evolving industry, SAOTA continues to build on past experiences and is well positioned to offer expert services to the corporate, institutional, commercial and residential marketplace.

Some of SAOTA’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped SAOTA achieve 1st place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	22
Total Projects	26

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year.

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

A Guide to Project Awards

The blue “+” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.

The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:

Project completed within the last 3 years
A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
High quality, in focus photographs
At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
Inclusion of construction photographs

There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.

We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.

Reference

Architecture

30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran

By Zarkon Group,22/09/2023

Iran is the second largest country in the Middle East. It is vastly characterized by its diverse cultural heritage and history and distinct landscape topology. Being a descendant of many advanced ancient civilizations and part of the Persian empire, as well as deeply influenced by Islamic culture, Iran holds a rich architectural tradition. After becoming an independent country in 1979, Iranian architects had to find ways to preserve this vivid historical fabric while also satisfying society’s growing needs. Currently, their designs are a blend of tradition and modernity that has introduced a new, contemporary layer to Iranian architecture.

Iran is also a country with a strategic geographical location and valuable natural resources, which, unfortunately, has led to many geopolitical and economic challenges. In this context, architecture played a definitive role, especially under the umbrella of cultural and environmental sustainability. Responding to the vastly changing urban and natural landscapes as well as the water scarcity and desertification, Iranian architects have prioritized topographically as well as socially impactful architectural designs that aid local communities.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Iran based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2023)
The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2023)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Iran architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in Iran:

30. Shomali Design Studio (Yaser Rashid Shomali & Yasin Rashid Shomali)

Shomali Design is a studio of designers based in Tehran, Iran. We consider architecture to be a form of cultural production. Our work extends across the globe and engages the realms of art and architecture.

Some of Shomali Design Studio (Yaser Rashid Shomali & Yasin Rashid Shomali)’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Shomali Design Studio (Yaser Rashid Shomali & Yasin Rashid Shomali) achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	1

29. EZ Studio (Pedram Ezadi)

A multi-disciplinary practice based in Iran-Esfahan which specializes in architecture, interior architecture, to the landscaping and curation of art work to create an integrated complete environment for clients. Our processes bring us into contact with many skilled trades which enable us to fabricate many bespoke items for our client’s projects where an item may not be available off the shelf. Founded in 2015, the practice manifests architecture across diverse scales of design with superlative craft, detail and materiality.

Architectural discourse is applied in equal measure to each of the disciplines — architecture, interior and design to create highly resolved buildings, spaces and objects beautifully balanced in form, function and detail. Our unique architectural approach to design traces context, environment, sustainability and human behavior to create spaces and experiences individual to each project, location and client. As a boutique design driven office, we are recognized through consistent high quality of design and professionalism at optimized budget.

Some of EZ Studio (Pedram Ezadi)’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped EZ Studio (Pedram Ezadi) achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

28. ArmaniArchitects

Λrmani Λrchitects is an innovative multidisciplinary collaborative practice founded by Amir Armani Asl and Kiana Ghader that focuses on architecture, interior design, landscape design, custom fabrication and parametric design and design objects.

Some of ArmaniArchitects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped ArmaniArchitects achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	5

27. Boozhgan Architectural Studio

Boozhgan Architectural Studio was established in 2007 By Hamed Badri Ahmadi. Boozhgan has been involved in various projects with different scales, such as: residential buildings, offices and workspaces, commercial complexes as well as renovation and reconstruction of private houses and public historical buildings, which are either built or are under construction and have been awarded and honored by national and international architectural competitions. In our design process, we try to benefit from all the positive capacities of the site and the project and convert it to a simple and clear solution.

Some of Boozhgan Architectural Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Asef Office Building, Tehran, Iran
Haiat- e – Elahie Residential Building, Tehran, Iran
Renovation Of a House, Zanjān, Iran,
NEGAH OFFICE BUILDING, Tehrān, Iran,
Baranoosh Residential Building , Tehrān, Iran

The following statistics helped Boozhgan Architectural Studio achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	8

26. FEASTUDIO

The office of “Fundamental Architectural Experience” [FEASTUDIO] was founded by Arash Nasiri and Ensieh Khamse in 2006. The office has tried so far to achieve a consistent, coherent language in their work based on their progressive experiences and the relations between the ideas and the work, a distinctive language by which to avoid architectural production being merely in the line of exigency and to push boundaries in order to let creativity and active, multilateral strategies in.

Some of FEASTUDIO’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped FEASTUDIO achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

25. Cedrus Studio

© Studio DeeD (Masih Mostajeran / Hakim Hemadi )

Cedrus is a Tehran-based, research-driven design and construction studio founded by Mohammad Mehdi Saeedi in 2017. The studio supported by a passionate team of skilled architects, landscape architects and interior designers. The studio’s projects range from single-family villas to residential, commercial and mixed-use large-scale complexes.

Some of Cedrus Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Peyvand Residential Building, Tehran, Iran
Cedrus Residential Building, Tehran, Iran
Villa 174, Babolsar, Iran
Elite Cafe, Tehran, Iran
Shariat Villa, Karaj, Iran

The following statistics helped Cedrus Studio achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	9

24. KA Studio (Khavarian Architecture Studio)

Mohammad Khavarian is an Iranian architecture firm that practices architecture, urbanism, interior design and research with a team of seventy plus Iranian architects and designers working together worldwide. Through its intensely involved and focused practice. Mohammad Khavarian applies critical thinking to a process that extends beyond the boundaries of architectural production to realize specific and unexpected solutions. It seeks to engage people and cultures, technologies and materials, psychologies and experiences. and recognizes architecture as a connective and Fundamental social construct. Architectures imaged as a matrix from which to construct future realities — conceptual, spatial and experiential — and a rigorous search for new potentials to realize specific unexpected solutions inhabited by the lives of people and cities

Some of KA Studio( Khavarian Architecture Studio)’s most prominent projects include:

Yast Khaneh, Yazd, Iran
IMPI Office building, Tehran, Iran
Variant house, Tehran, Iran
Dehnou school, Jiroft, Iran
Tabriz university metro station, Tabriz, Iran

The following statistics helped KA Studio( Khavarian Architecture Studio) achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	5

23. ReNa Design

Founded in 2012, ReNa Design is a young architectural group active in design, architecture and research. The office is primarily concerned with issues of functionality and context. This approach is easily seen through the firm’s projects, ranging in different categories and types. ReNa Design pays a great amount of attention and care to materials and construction technology which are in turn applied to completely innovative and non-conventional conditions. Since its inception, ReNa Design has won many national awards and competitions in fields of architecture, design and interior design.

Some of ReNa Design’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped ReNa Design achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	3

22. Arsh4d Studio

Arsh4d, a team of designers led by Alireza Sherafati and Pantea Eslami, seeks select projects that fundamentally re-think how buildings interact with people and the natural environment. Starting with intensive research, we seek to understand each project in its environmental, cultural, and contemporary context, so that our work may engage with layers of time and a strong sense of place. We believe our projects are part of a larger whole, acting as a joint helping to bind and enhance their context for human experiences. We’re passionate about human-centered design, and how design can impact our lives through sustainability, resilience, well-being, diversity and inclusion, and mobility. And we’re committed to advancing design through research.

Our portfolio includes a wide range of projects from the small scale of a private home to the large scale of urban design. Many projects are highly recognized public facilities, such as plazas, shopping malls and headquarters, and they have completed distinguished private projects including offices, public entertainment facilities and apartment buildings.

Some of Arsh4d Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Stacked Garden Villas`, Namakabrud, Iran
Candy Shop, Tehran, Iran
Villa Residential, Tehran, Iran
UP VILLA, Abali, Iran
ARG Shopping Mall, Tehran, Iran

The following statistics helped Arsh4d Studio achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	5

21. ayeneh office

Since its inception in 2001 by Ali Soltani and Atefeh Karbasi, the Ayeneh Office officially started its architectural activities in 2003. Architects of the Ayeneh Office believe that architecture like a mirror should reflect the context or the surrounding environment in the general sense. Context in this regard refers to the setting that a project begins to happen. Architecture welcomes the good way of living in a place and accepts its goodness.

In other words, architecture, in one sense, acts as mirror to reflect the life of its context, and broadly speaking, it even reflects many features of the context (such as technology, crafting skills, economics, politics, crafting duration, and culture). The approach and design method in the Ayeneh office is to delve into the heart of both the subject and the place in order to reflect or increase their desirability. We try to excavate the project subject — which is the life that is going to flow in it — as well as its location to find the initial concepts shaping the design and then epitomize it in our architecture.

Some of ayeneh office’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped ayeneh office achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	3

20. BRACKET Design studio

Bracket Design Studio is a full-service design firm founded in 2006 by Shervin Hosseini. We offer services in urban design, interior space planning, furniture design and architecture from micro to macro scale. Our highly collaborative staff comes from wide-ranging theoretical and practical backgrounds, including designing, scripting, planning and construction of public and private projects.

Offering innovative insights, materials and technology into our projects, we strongly consider the available possibilities of the site and the needs of clients in order to find the best solutions by constantly revising and redefining the projects. Each project, for us, entails its own singular approach which is essentially developed out of experience and intuition.

Some of BRACKET Design studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped BRACKET Design studio achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	6

19. Alidoost & Partners

Founded and directed by Shahab Alidoost and Sona Eftekharazam, Alidoost and Partners is a multidisciplinary office that focuses on architecture and design, from large scale planning to furniture. Rich with multiple expertises, our office is fueled by talented designers and experienced architects that jointly develop projects from early sketches to on-site supervision. All of which, regardless of scale, outlines an approach that is affirmatively social in its outcome, enthusiastic in its ambition and professional in its process.

At the core of our architecture is the ability to take a fresh look at design issues through experienced eyes. Our approach aims at turning intense research and analysis of practical and theoretical matters into the driving forces of design. By continuously developing rigorous methods of analysis and execution, Alidoost & Partners is able to combine innovative thinking and efficient production.

Some of Alidoost & Partners’s most prominent projects include:

GOLIRAN Flower Shop, Rasht, Iran
3×2, Tehran, Iran
MIKA-911, Tehran, Iran
“NILOOFAR” Residential Building, Tehran, Iran
Facade Renovation of ALVAND Office Building, Tehran, Iran

The following statistics helped Alidoost & Partners achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	12

18. HABIBEH MADJDABADI Architecture Studio

HABIBEH MADJDABADI, born in 1977, is an Iranian architect, author, designer, and speaker. In 2002 she graduated by a Master’s degree in Architecture from Azad University of Tehran and started her professional career in 2003 by establishing her design studio in Tehran right after winning first prize in the design competition of restoring a historical building (belonging to Zand dynasty) in Iran.

Madjdabadi emphasizes the role of culture and geographical matters in her designs as well as putting a vast attention into choosing the materials and methods of fabrication. Materials are important means of ‘expression’ in her works and she considers them from a poetic point of view.

Some of HABIBEH MADJDABADI Architecture Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Genetic Mutation II (Villa CHAR BAGH ), Karaj, Iran
VALIASR Square, Tehran Province, Iran
Mahtabi House, Golpayegan, Iran
40 Knots House, Tehran, Iran
Mellat Bank Pilot Façade, Tehran, Iran

The following statistics helped HABIBEH MADJDABADI Architecture Studio achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	13

17. KanLan [Kamran Heirati, Tallan Khosravizadeh]

Kamran Heirati Architects was established to enhance the architecture and human experience by incorporating Iran’s authentic culture into its designs and respond to today’s community challenges. Established in 2001, this office has produced award-winning architectural and interior design projects across Iran and other countries.

Some of KanLan [Kamran Heirati, Tallan Khosravizadeh]’s most prominent projects include:

A+Awards Finalist	”1″
Featured Projects	”3″
Total Projects	”4″

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16. 35-51 ARCHITECTURE Office

35-51 ARCHITECTURE Office was founded by Hamid Abbasloo, Abbas Yaghooti, Neda Adiban Rad in 2014. They are involved in architecture, interior design and landscape projects in the Iran and beyond.

Some of 35-51 ARCHITECTURE Office’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped 35-51 ARCHITECTURE Office achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	2

15. Davood Boroojeni Office

As a technically competent architecture firm with over 15 years of professional experience, we have been involved in different stages of architectural projects including the conception of preliminary design ideas, schematic design and design development, as well as producing submittal packages, visual presentations, construction documents, layouts and details through close dialogue with clients, producers and other engineers. We believe that our communication skills, public relations and problem-solving experience, combined with our background in related software, and our ability to research, schedule and coordinate design in various stages of the project, has made us a firm to depend on, and a key team member.

Some of Davood Boroojeni Office’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Davood Boroojeni Office achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	4

14. Rvad Studio

RVAD Architecture Studio is co-founded in Tehran, Iran in 2020 by two young Iranian architects, Ms. Hannaneh Misaghi and Mr. Hasan Dehghanpour. The studio’s design ideals are focused on extending the relationship between architecture and humanity with consideration of history and culture so as to produce designs appropriate for each site and in service of both the society and its citizens. RVAD Studio aims to present architectural solutions focused on the needs of future generations and their potential in view of each project’s benefit to present a new perspective on social relationships. The design projects range from single-family houses to residential, commercial and mixed-use large-scale complexes, to urban master plans.

Some of Rvad Studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Rvad Studio achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	2
Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	2

13. BonnArq Architects

Behzad Atabaki Studio is an architecture, urban design, landscape architecture, interior design and furniture design studio. It was founded by Behzad Atabaki in 1999 and is currently a team of professionals such as architects, model makers, landscape designers and fine artists. The studio has adopted a multidisciplinary approach towards its projects, becoming involved in all stages of design and construction.

Some of BonnArq Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Niayesh Office Building, Tehran, Iran
Park residential, Tehran, Iran
Villa Didaar, Nowshahr, Iran
Aftab Office Building, Tehran, Iran
ChaharGah House, Mosha, Iran

The following statistics helped BonnArq Architects achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	6

12. RYRA Studio

RYRA Design and construction studio was founded in 2000 with a goal of creating unique spaces by using new aspects of contemporary architecture. It seeks to develop designs that encompass in an expressive way the spatial needs, the spirit of the location and the constructive solution of the project. Artistic view is a key factor in RYRA design approach.

The work of RYRA in these years resulted in a collection of varied types in different fields of architecture which have been widely published and exhibited; this firm won several prizes in the most prestigious competitions held in Iran and abroad for its innovative designs. Vali-Asr building of this studio has been selected as the best office building of the year in World Architecture Festival in 2010.

Some of RYRA Studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped RYRA Studio achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	2
Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	5

11. Admun Studio

Considering contemporary lifestyle requirements while having future in mind, we believe in diagrammatic approaches toward tradition rather than formal repetition.

Some of Admun Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Cloaked in Bricks, Tehran, Iran
Aperture, Bumehen, Iran
Chooji restaurant, Tehran, Iran
Tiraje Cinema, Tehran, Iran
Laico Showroom, Tehran, Iran

The following statistics helped Admun Studio achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	2
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	8

10. AshariArchitects

Ashari Architects was founded by Iranian architect and university professor Amir Hossein Ashari. It is an Architecture Office firm designing primarily Residential Architecture.

Some of AshariArchitects’s most prominent projects include:

Sadra Library, Shiraz, Iran
TRIANGLE CAFE, Shiraz, Iran
THE PAUSE, Shiraz, Iran
Life Bridge, Shiraz, Iran
Urban Bridge, Isfahan, Iran

The following statistics helped AshariArchitects achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	28

9. Marizad Architects

Mohsen Marizad Architects bases its design process on the understanding of systems and relationships which are derived from the project criteria, translating these systems into computational parameters from which the design is developed. The practice is not only involved in large-scale architectural projects but product design and academia as well. However, all activities are based on a process of experimentation, discovery and implementation which encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and a bottom-up approach to design.

Some of Marizad Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Marizad Architects achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	3
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	7

8. New Wave Architecture (Lida Almassian / Shahin Heidari)

Founded in 2006, New Wave Architecture is a 150 person innovative architecture design firm in Tehran, Iran. It has been nationally and internationally honored with architecture‘s prestigious awards, publications, competitions and citation for design excellence with extensive experience in the campus and educational faculties, specialized hospitals and health care facilities. Other projects include retail design, residential work and recreational facilities. Over 120 projects has been designed, accomplished or due to be completed.

New Wave architecture seeks for global language of architecture to approach an innovative and challenging contemporary movement.It explores the new ways of emerging ideas, demanding and distinctive spaces regarding the aesthetic aspects, humanity and global communication.

Some of New Wave Architecture (Lida Almassian / Shahin Heidari)’s most prominent projects include:

Polour Rock Gym, Polour, Iran
Meygoun Residential Complex, Meygun, Iran
Turbosealtech New incubator and Office building, Tehran, Iran
Three Views / A House, Mosha, Iran
Iran Pavilion – Expo 2015, Milano, Italy

The following statistics helped New Wave Architecture(Lida Almassian / Shahin Heidari) achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	11

7. Nextoffice

Alireza Taghaboni, a practicing architect since 2004, founded Next Office in 2009. Taghaboni is also a painter and holds a PhD degree in Architecture. A frequent contributor to Iranian architecture and urbanism magazines and periodicals, he is a tutor and partner at the center for contemporary architecture, a private institution in Tehran that offers an alternative architectural education program.

Next Office, based in Tehran, aims to provide a contemporary alternative to traditional Iranian architecture, responding to the climate conditions, economic, socio political and cultural context of each project. The practice’s work ranges from single-family houses to residential, commercial and mixed-use large-scale complexes, to urban master plans. Over the past decade, the practice has won several Memar Awards, a prestigious national award for architecture in Iran held annually, making it one of the top prize-winning practices in the country.

Some of Nextoffice’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Nextoffice achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Finalist	4
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	10

6. CAAT Studio

Mahdi Kamboozia established CAAT Studio (C/KambooziA ArchitecTure Studio) in 2015. The CAAT Studio activity can be construction engineering in the context, to the closer the distance from the idea of the design to the construction. The opinion that future architecture is not only about the advancement of design and construct technology but also in proposing ideas tailored to the new conditions in social relations. This look has evolved over the years to deal with different projects and the growth and development of the studio. We are looking forward to confronting the projects with design problems and come up with a solution. Each assignment defines a different story which shows there are varying answers to each task.

Some of CAAT Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Private Jewelry Retail office #04, Tehran, Iran
Kamyaran City School, Kamyaran, Iran
Forgotten spaces / Anthropology Open Air Museum / under the Mirdamad Bridge, Tehran, Iran
Isfahan H to V House, Isfahan, Iran
Kahrizak Residential #01, Kahrizak, Iran

The following statistics helped CAAT Studio achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	7

5. Farshad MehdiZadeh Design | FMZD

Farshad MehdiZadeh Design | FMZD was founded by Farshad Mehdizadeh in 2012 in Tehran. In our opinion architecture cannot be designed outside of context, urban activities and relevant interactions. Actually, the context is what brings interactions and life into architecture and redefines the architectural elements. This leads us to design and define the border between the private and public domains. The context gets its particular character from defining the border between inside and outside, Public and private or architecture and metropolis in response to the situations around.

In all my projects my practice has tried to realize architecture not as an icon added to a site, but as an extension or combination of behaviors, events and urban interactions which organize and manipulate the landscape. This is the way that we make our design more sustainable and related to the context. During these projects my design team has also focused on the context to use the local material, construction techniques and apply local and traditional construction workers who sometimes compel us to go to the site and teach them how to improve and apply their local techniques to the project.

Some of Farshad MehdiZadeh Design | FMZD’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Farshad MehdiZadeh Design | FMZD achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	17

4. Kalbod Design Studio

Kalbod Design Studio is one of the subsets of Kalbod Construction Group, which works in the field of execution and design, was established by Mohammad Rahimizadeh in 2016. During his years of activity, he has designed various projects with a variety of uses. With the aim of providing a contemporary alternative to traditional Iranian architecture, tries responding accurately to challenges of the climatic, economic, political, social and cultural conditions of each project. In addition to creativity and quality, the kalbod studio knows the needs and limitations of its projects well and designs beyond nationalities and specialized disciplines, regardless of borders.

Some of Kalbod Design Studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Kalbod Design Studio achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	11
Total Projects	19

3. ZAV Architects

ZAV’s Practice of Architecture: An Unfinished Plan to challenging the earth defining our theoretical framework of ZAV, making us realize that the structure and spaces organizing the work of ZAV need to be reconsidered in the actual building of the office. In 2018 our office was redesigned in accordance to the framework. Each title represents a space inside the office and states its mission.

Architecture can redefine its capacities beyond the limits put in place by the building industry and is able to shift its operation field from that of a passive object to designing an entire process to get engaged as a socio-political agent. ZAV’s solution for attaining social optimum in a developing economy is incorporating architecture in the GDP.

Some of ZAV Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped ZAV Architects achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	3
A+Awards Finalist	4
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	12

2. Hooba Design

Born in 1978, Hooman Balazadeh is the founder and executive director of HOOBA Design Group. Gaining his Master of Architecture in 2003, Balazadeh started working at Shirdel & Partners, where he was a design member for two years, active on several projects. Balazadeh established HOOBA Design in 2007 with the aim of developing projects in harmony with the cultural and geographical characteristics of the site so that each project forms a new platform for research and investigation. This office has focused on various topics such as light, color, relation between architecture and the city, building materials, development of spatial diagrams in the Persian Architecture, etc.

Some of Hooba Design’s most prominent projects include:

Sharif Office Building, Tehran, Iran
Espriss Café, Tehran, Iran
Ozgol Residential Apartment, Tehran, Iran
Valiahdi Office Building, Karaj, Iran
Aptus Factory Showroom, Karaj, Iran

Top image: Hitra Office & Commercial Building, Tehran, Iran

The following statistics helped Hooba Design achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	5
A+Awards Finalist	4
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	20

1. Mado Architects

The Tehran-based MADO STUDIO was founded by Maziar Dolatabadi on 1998. In the beginning it was working under the title AXIS when it changed its name to MADO on 2017. During these years MADO has designed and executed over 300 projects with different usages around the world, with the purpose of designing and creating new and distinguished architectural spaces. In these years of nonstop activities, we have created numerous imaginative ideas with executable solutions for our projects. With these ideas and solutions, we have continuously managed to utilize spaces in the best way possible while minimizing our clients’ cost and implementation time.

Some of Mado Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Mado Architects achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	3
Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	35

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

A Guide to Project Awards

Project completed within the last 3 years
A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
High quality, in focus photographs
At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
Inclusion of construction photographs

Reference

Architecture

25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom

By Zarkon Group,18/09/2023

The United Kingdom is a treasure trove of architectural gems, with diverse buildings across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The four countries that make up the larger sovereign state each have their own unique history, which plays out in an architecturally unique way. So while London-based firms may be more heavily represented in ranked lists, many of the designers working in the city’s offices come from further afield, bringing knowledge and culture from more distant parts of the islands.

The United Kingdom’s strength is the sum of its parts. Firms commissioned with projects in the state’s more rural areas are forging a uniquely modern rural aesthetic. At the same time, growing cities in the north and south alike have served as fertile ground for new civic designs. As a result, both established and younger UK firms alike are finding ways to design more sensitive to context and typologically innovative.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in United Kingdom based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2023)
The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2023)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of United Kingdom architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 25 best architecture firms in United Kingdom:

25. Sheppard Robson Architects

The practice’s work is underpinned by fully integrating a sustainable design methodology that balances efficiency and performance with form.
In the practice’s 75-year history, Sheppard Robson has designed award-winning architecture, interior design and masterplanning projects around the world, building a strong reputation across numerous typologies – including office, education, residential, healthcare, science and retail projects.

From our head office in London and studios in Manchester, Glasgow and Abu Dhabi, the founding principles of innovation and sustainability continue to shape the work of the practice and its interior design group (ID:SR), reinterpreted and enlivened by the creative talent of our designers. The work of the practice benefits from an ability to have a constructive dialogue with clients and end-users, as well as collaborating closely with other members of the project team throughout the design and delivery of a project.

Some of Sheppard Robson Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Siemens Middle East Headquarters, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
BBC Broadcasting House, London, United Kingdom
The Avenue, Manchester, United Kingdom
St Ambrose College, Manchester, United Kingdom
Waingels College, Wokingham, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Sheppard Robson Architects achieve 25th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	10

24. 6a architects

6a architects was founded by Tom Emerson and Stephanie Macdonald in 2001. They are best known for their contemporary art galleries, educational buildings, artists’ studios and residential projects, often in sensitive historic environments. 6a architects rose to prominence with the completion of two critically acclaimed public art galleries, Raven Row (2009), which won a RIBA Award in 2011, and the expanded South London Gallery (2010). Recently completed projects include a new 68-room hall of residence at Churchill College, Cambridge (2016), which garnered a RIBA Regional East Award (2017), and a new studio complex for photographer Juergen Teller (2016), which was winner of both RIBA London Building of the Year (2017) and a RIBA National Award (2017).

Some of 6a architects’s most prominent projects include:

Tree House , London, United Kingdom
Façade for Paul Smith, Mayfair, London, City of London, United Kingdom
V&A Gallery 40, London, United Kingdom
Photography Studio for Juergen Teller, United Kingdom
Cowan Court, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped 6a architects achieve 24th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	6

23. Carl Turner Architects

Carl trained at the Royal College of Art, gaining a first class honors degree and a RIBA Bronze Medal (runner-up) before undertaking an MA at the Royal College of Art in London. The RCA provided a foundation for collaboration and working across platforms with an integrated approach; Carl sees his approach to design and construction as an extension of his time there as a ‘maker’.

User-focused design was embedded as a founding principle for practice, through a two year research post for the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre at the RCA, investigating new strategies for wayfinding for BAA plc at Heathrow’s Terminal 5. After working for Norman Foster on the Citibank Tower (Canary Wharf), and Penoyre and Prasad on various community-based projects, Carl formed a partnership (TurnerCastle).

Some of Carl Turner Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Carl Turner Architects achieve 23rd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	5

22. Atelier Chang

Atelier Chang is an international design praxis based in South Kensington, London and Zurich since 2011. Our design philosophy is to create innovative design through focusing on the unembellished basics – basics of nature, social behavior and urban phenomena. To achieve this absolute simplicity of content through impactful forms takes extra effort in researching the context, a devotion to material and technology, and active interaction with other industries. Currently we work on projects in Asia and Europe at multiple scales of design, covering master plans, architecture, interior design, installations and products.

Some of Atelier Chang’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Atelier Chang achieve 22nd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	2
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	4

21. Levitt Bernstein

As architects, landscape architects and urban designers, Levitt Bernstein creates award winning buildings, living landscapes and thriving urban spaces, using inventive design to solve real life challenges. Putting people at the heart of our work, each of our projects is different but the driving force behind every one is the desire to create an environment that is beautiful, sustainable and functional.

Some of Levitt Bernstein’s most prominent projects include:

Vaudeville Court, London, United Kingdom
Sutherland Road, London, United Kingdom
King’s School, Bruton, Somerset, United Kingdom
The Courtyards, Dovedale Avenue, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France

The following statistics helped Levitt Bernstein achieve 21st place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	10

20. mcgarry-moon architects

McGarry-Moon Architects are a RIBA and RSUA Award Winning Practice located near Kilrea, Coleraine, Northern Ireland. At McGarry-Moon we specialise in contemporary, sustainable, environmentally conscious architecture which is of its time and place

Some of mcgarry-moon architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped mcgarry-moon architects achieve 20th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	10

19. Fraher and Findlay

Fraher Architects was founded in 2009 by Joe and Lizzie, delivering small scale and award winning residential projects throughout London. Since then, our practice has grown in size and project scope, with the aim of constantly improving areas of our expertise, and where possible, beyond those boundaries, toward even broader fields.

This has been achieved by consciously evolving our practice, and we’ve done this by placing learning, improving, and refining every aspect of what we do, at the very core of our business. This means being aware of opportunities as they arise, and being proactive in making positive change. Most visibly, it is this philosophy that led to our joining forces with Findlay Construction.

Some of Fraher and Findlay’s most prominent projects include:

The Green Studio, London, United Kingdom
The Lantern, London, United Kingdom
Fan House, London, United Kingdom
The Ladder Kitchen, London, United Kingdom
The Signal House, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Fraher and Findlay achieve 19th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	16

18. John McAslan + Partners

We create architecture that improves people’s lives.We do it like this: we aim for an architecture which is rational and poetic, robust and delightful; we tread carefully and build with conviction; we tackle problems head on and think laterally; we deconstruct a brief and let a design emerge from close examination of the pieces; we don’t necessarily take ‘no’ for an answer; we believe the power of architecture extends much further than the dimensions of individual buildings; we believe architecture is about making life better. We believe that buildings should be underpinned by a powerful idea; that the idea should be an intelligent and logical response to functionality and a sense of place; and the power of that idea should be embedded in the built form.

Some of John McAslan + Partners’s most prominent projects include:

UK Holocaust Memorial
Void Practice Rooms, London, United Kingdom
King’s Cross Station, London, United Kingdom
Library + Student Hub, Ambleside Campus, University of Cumbria, Cumbria, United Kingdom
Lancaster University Engineering Building, England, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped John McAslan + Partners achieve 18th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	13

17. Hawkins\Brown

The first time someone decided to mix sweet and salty popcorn, their guests must have been horrified. Minutes later though they would be guzzling the lot. That’s the thing about new combinations — you have to be a bit odd to consider them in the first place, but when they pay off you’re left wondering how you managed before they existed. Admittedly, this isn’t a usual sort of About page for an architectural practice, but we’re not a usual sort of practice. We believe that projects come alive through uncommon combinations of ideas and people. In fact, we think that’s the only way they really come alive at all.

Some of Hawkins\Brown’s most prominent projects include:

1235 Vine Street, Los Angeles, California
Corby Cube, Corby, United Kingdom
Student Village, Royal Veterinary College, Brookmans Park, United Kingdom
Beecroft Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
Park Hill, Sheffield, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped HawkinsBrown achieve 17th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	19

16. Bennetts Associates

Bennetts Associates creates sustainable and enduring architecture. As one of the UK’s leading practices, their diverse portfolio has been celebrated with more than 150 awards over 30 years and covers education, cultural and workplace projects in both the public and private sector, ranging from masterplans to small historic buildings. They are an employee-owned trust of 70 people with studios in London, Edinburgh and Manchester, and have recently earned Building Design’s Higher Education Architect of the Year 2019 Award. Bennetts Associates also leads in their field in sustainability — in April 2019 they became the world’s first architects to secure Science Based Target approval and commit to the UN’s Climate Neutral Now campaign.

Some of Bennetts Associates’s most prominent projects include:

The Royal College of Pathologists, London, United Kingdom
Storyhouse, London, United Kingdom
Jaguar Land Rover Advanced Product Creation Centre, Gaydon, United Kingdom
Bennetts Associates’ London Studio, London, United Kingdom
London Fruit and Wool Exchange, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Bennetts Associates achieve 16th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	18

15. Andy Martin Architecture

Our mission at ama is to carry out ambitious building projects at multiple scales and programmes, with a commitment to innovation, design and sustainability. We build within the city as if it is our own, and we are proud of the result and conscious of the effect that our buildings have on both the city around and the inhabitants within.

AMA was established in 2000, is a dynamic practice blending youth with experience and creativity with control. The studio takes a holistic approach to architecture and design – incorporating architects, interior designers, craftspeople, furniture, lighting and product designers.
The design of projects aims to become a ‘gesamtkunstwerk’, a totally integrated work of art, with architecture, interior design, furnishings, equipment and selected art pieces receiving equally dedicated consideration to become a cohesive whole.

Some of Andy Martin Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Andy Martin Architecture achieve 15th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	9

14. Allies and Morrison

We are architects and urbanists. We strive to design beautiful buildings that have long life and can adapt over the generations. We also shape enduring places whether new pieces of city or settlements at any scale. All our projects are concerned with the crafting of every detail and an appreciation for the uniqueness of each context.

As architects, we are known for the rigor of our technical delivery, a commitment to quality, to embedded environmental performance. As urbanists, we are known for developing plans that are flexible and pragmatic, inspirational in vision, responsive to the local climate and character. Based in London and Cambridge, we come from around the world and our diversity is one of our fundamental strengths.

Some of Allies and Morrison’s most prominent projects include:

Sir Michael Uren Hub, London, United Kingdom
100 Bishopsgate , London, United Kingdom
2150 Lake Shore, Toronto, Canada
The Design Museum, London, United Kingdom
South Place Hotel, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Allies and Morrison achieve 14th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	23

13. Alison Brooks Architects

Combined with rigorous attention to detail, ABA’s buildings have proved to satisfy our client’s expectations and positively impact the urban realm. Our approach has led ABA to be recognized with both national and international awards including Architect of the Year Award 2012 and Housing Architect of the Year 2012.

Some of Alison Brooks Architect’s most prominent projects include:

The Smile, London, United Kingdom
Lens House, London, United Kingdom
Newhall Be, Harlow, United Kingdom
Quayside, Toronto, Canada
Severn Place, Cambridge, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Alison Brooks Architects achieve 13th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	5

12. AL_A

Architecture studio AL_A was founded in 2009 by the RIBA Stirling Prize-winning architect Amanda Levete with directors Ho-Yin Ng, Alice Dietsch and Maximiliano Arrocet. Their designs are conceived not just as buildings, but as urban propositions. Spaces that promote reciprocity between nature and neighbourhood; projects that express the identity of an institution, reflect the ambitions of a place, and hold the dreams of a community. Recently completed projects include an undergraduate and outreach centre for Wadham College at the University of Oxford and a new centre for the cancer care charity Maggie’s within the grounds of University College Hospital in Southampton.

Some of AL_A’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped AL_A achieve 12th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	10

11. Studio Seilern Architects

Studio Seilern Architects is a London based international creative practice established in 2006 by Christina Seilern with the intent of producing exceptional architecture that lasts, working across geographies, building sizes and typologies. Our diverse portfolio of built work spans the UK, Europe and Africa.

While we tackle a diversity of projects, it is our conscious decision to keep working on the smaller and larger scales both simultaneously and continuously: from new build to restoration works. Irrespective of size or context, each project we undertake informs another. The smaller scale keeps our pencils sharp on questions of intricate detailing and the unraveling of the human condition both on the living and working fronts.

Some of Studio Seilern Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Andermatt Concert Hall, Andermatt, Switzerland
El Gouna Plaza, Hurghada, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt
G.W.Annenberg Performing Arts Centre, Reading, United Kingdom
Boksto Skveras, Vilnius, Lithuania
Kensington Residence, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Studio Seilern Architects achieve 11th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	9

10. Steyn Studio

Steyn Studio is a collaborative architecture practice. We believe that design has the power to solve problems, inspire and improve lives and work hard everyday to realize this ambition. We always aim to do this honestly and with the freedom to creatively explore meaningful design solutions. Designs that make a real difference to the end-user and the client; culturally and commercially.

Some of Steyn Studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Steyn Studio achieve 10th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	4
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	4

9. bureau de change

Bureau de Change is an award winning architecture practice founded by architects Katerina Dionysopoulou and Billy Mavropoulos. Its work is a direct product of the founders’ upbringing, passions and experiences — combining the pragmatism and formality of their architectural training with a desire to bring a sense of theatre, playfulness and innovation to the design of spaces, products and environments. The result is a studio where rigorous thinking and analysis are brought to life through prototyping, testing and making.

Some of bureau de change’s most prominent projects include:

The Interlock, London, United Kingdom
Homemade, London, United Kingdom
Folds House, London, United Kingdom
Slab House, London, United Kingdom
Step House, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped bureau de change achieve 9th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	16

8. Hopkins Architects

Hopkins Architects is an international architectural practice with studios in London and Dubai. Led by its five Principals, the practice’s work is rooted in clear and logical design thinking, a deep understanding of the potential of materials and craft, and consideration of context. A consistent and rigorous approach has resulted in a portfolio of ground-breaking, beautiful and functional buildings across Europe, the US and Asia which have added tangible value for both clients and users. The practice has designed and delivered a portfolio of renowned, award-winning projects, including Portcullis House at Westminster and the London 2012 Olympic Velodrome.

Some of Hopkins Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, Colby College, Waterville, Maine
Buhais Geology Park Interpretive Centre, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Eton Sports & Aquatics Centre, Windsor, United Kingdom
Khor Kalba Turtle and Wildlife Sanctuary, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
London 2012 Olympic Velodrome, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Hopkins Architects achieve 8th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	11
Total Projects	18

7. Haworth Tompkins

Photo: Helene Binet – © Haworth Tompkins

Haworth Tompkins is an award-winning British architectural studio united by a commitment to integrity, intellectual quality and the art of making beautiful buildings. Founded in 1991 by Graham Haworth and Steve Tompkins, the rapidly-growing London-based studio consists of 70 people, and specialises in bespoke buildings in the public, cultural, private and financial sectors. Acclaimed projects include the Everyman Theatre, winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2014, Young Vic Theatre, Royal College of Art campus in Battersea, Coin Street housing development and the London Library, for which they received the prestigious American Institute of Architect’s Excellence in Design award. The studio is currently working on a number of highly anticipated schemes including the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Fish Island Village, Bristol Old Vic and Kingston University.

Some of Haworth Tompkins’s most prominent projects include:

National Theatre ‘The Shed’, London, United Kingdom
Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Dovecote Studio, Snape, United Kingdom
Open Air Theatre, London, United Kingdom
Park View School, Birmingham, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Haworth Tompkins achieve 7th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	10

6. AR Design Studio

AR Design Studio is an award-winning RIBA certified contemporary architectural practice, based in Winchester, Hampshire, specializing in elegant modern new homes, extensions, renovations and multi-plot developments. Established over a decade ago by Andy Ramus, AR Design Studio is a modern architecture practice with a talented, young and ambitious team creating an exciting hub of contemporary architects. After spending four years working for several large scale practices in London on a wide variety of projects, Andy set up his practice in Winchester, Hampshire and Dorset.

Some of AR Design Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Black House, Kent, England, United Kingdom
The Climber’s Cabin, Hampshire, United Kingdom
4 Views, Winchester, United Kingdom
The Lighthouse 65, Fareham, United Kingdom
Manor House Stables, Headbourne Worthy, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped AR Design Studio achieve 6th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	29

5. Adjaye Associates

Since establishing Adjaye Associates in 2000, Sir David Adjaye OBE has crafted a global team that is multicultural. The practice has studios in Accra, London, and New York with work spanning the globe. Adjaye Associates’ most well-known commission to date, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), opened in 2016 on the National Mall in Washington DC and was named “Cultural Event of the Year” by The New York Times. Further projects range in scale from private houses, bespoke furniture collections, product design, exhibitions, and temporary pavilions to major arts centers, civic buildings and master plans.

Some of Adjaye Associates’s most prominent projects include:

Winter Park Library & Events Center, Winter Park, Florida
130 William, New York, New York
Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, Skolkovo, Russia
Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library, Washington, DC
Silverlight, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Adjaye Associates achieve 5th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	3
Featured Projects	13
Total Projects	32

4. Squire and Partners

Squire & Partners is an architecture and design practice with experience spanning four decades, earning it an international reputation for architecture informed by the history and culture of where it is placed. Their award winning portfolio, for some of the world’s leading developers, includes masterplans, private and affordable residential, workspace, retail, education and public buildings.

In addition, the practice has a series of dedicated teams for modelmaking, computer generated imaging, illustration, graphics and an established interior design department, which has created a number of bespoke product ranges. Squire & Partners’ approach responds to the unique heritage and context of each site, considering established street patterns, scale and proportions, to create timeless architecture rooted in its location.

Some of Squire and Partners’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Squire and Partners achieve 4th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	11
Total Projects	48

3. Heatherwick Studio

Heatherwick Studio is a team of 180 problem solvers dedicated to making the physical world around us better for everyone. Based out of our combined workshop and design studio in Central London, we create buildings, spaces, master-plans, objects and infrastructure. Focusing on large scale projects in cities all over the world, we prioritise those with the greatest positive social impact.

Working as practical inventors with no signature style, our motivation is to design soulful and interesting places which embrace and celebrate the complexities of the real world. The approach driving everything is to lead from human experience rather than any fixed design dogma. The studio’s completed projects include a number of internationally celebrated buildings, including the award-winning Learning Hub at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University and the UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010. The studio is currently working on 30 live projects in ten countries.

Some of Heatherwick Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Coal Drops Yard, London, United Kingdom
Maggie’s Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
Bombay Sapphire Distillery , Hampshire, United Kingdom
1000 Trees Phase 1, Shanghai, China
Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town, South Africa

The following statistics helped Heatherwick Studio achieve 3rd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	11
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	20
Total Projects	13

2. Foster + Partners

Foster + Partners is a global studio for sustainable architecture, engineering, urbanism and industrial design, founded by Norman Foster in 1967. Since then, he, and the team around him, have established an international practice with a worldwide reputation. With offices across the globe, we work as a single studio that is both ethnically and culturally diverse.

Some of Foster + Partners’s most prominent projects include:

Ombú, Madrid, Spain
Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar
The Pavilion at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
House of Wisdom, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Apple Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped Foster + Partners achieve 2nd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	6
A+Awards Finalist	8
Featured Projects	42
Total Projects	91

1. Zaha Hadid Architects

Internationally renowned architecture firm Zaha Hadid Architects works at all scales and in all sectors to create transformative cultural, corporate, residential and other spaces that work in synchronicity with their surroundings.

Some of Zaha Hadid Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Beijing Daxing International Airport, Beijing, China
KnitCandela, Mexico City, Mexico
Leeza SOHO, Beijing, China
Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku, Azerbaijan
Striatus 3D Printed Bridge, Venice, Italy

Top image: Investcorp Building, Oxford, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Zaha Hadid Architects achieve 1st place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	17
A+Awards Finalist	11
Featured Projects	62
Total Projects	64

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

A Guide to Project Awards

Project completed within the last 3 years
A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
High quality, in focus photographs
At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
Inclusion of construction photographs

Reference

Architecture

30 Best Architecture Firms in China

By Zarkon Group,08/09/2023

From the CCTV Headquarters by OMA in Beijing to myriad projects by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) across the country, China’s recent urban boom has made the country a magnetic scene for international architectural practices. Indeed, mass urbanization and rapid industrial development have been crucial ingredients in China’s rise as an economic superpower in the twenty-first century. Now, the dynamism of the country’s internal architectural scene is going global, and the world is turning its attention to innovative designs by local Chinese firms.

From poetic examples of adaptive reuse, thoughtful examinations of how the past comes to bear on the present, to high-tech transportation design, the Chinese architects and firms are blurring boundaries between “tradition” and “modern” and, in so doing, reclaiming local architectural flavor in the era of global practice. For many outside of China, the Pritzker Prize-winner Wang Shu may be an entry point into thinking about China’s New Modernism. However, with so many new studios regularly proving themselves with breathtaking projects, the question is not where to start but where to stop.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in China based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2023)
The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2023)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of China architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in China:

30. Guangzhou S.P.I Design

Founded in 2007, Guangzhou S.P.I Design is a comprehensive landscape design platform driven by “innovative design” with its headquarters in Guangzhou. Now it has 16 branches in China and over 1,800 members (1470+designers) and establishes 3 business modules of “community,” “culture and tourism” and “urban” with completion of more than 3,000 high-quality projects in over 100 cities in China. S.P.I has devoted to China’s rural and urban development and ecological civilization construction with the mission of “Poetic Dwelling Inherit Innovation,” based on the New Shanshui Design Concept, driven by innovating design, with digital technology as the core and Shanshui General Theater as the carrier, to build a world-renowned landscape technology innovation platform.

Some of Guangzhou S.P.I Design Co., Ltd’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Guangzhou S.P.I Design Co., Ltd achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	15

29. DAGA Architects

As a pioneer and practitioner in the field of “Urban Renovation” in China, DAGA Architects is widely participated in architectural design, interior design, urban planning and landscape design projects, providing international standard design quality, focusing on creativity and details. DAGA Architects also track the whole process of the project. Especially in the practice of co-working and co-living renovation in Beijing Hutong area, DAGA Architects find a way to balance the existing building and new design, provide people with a more harmonious and shared lifestyle.

Some of DAGA Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Dongsi 5Lmeet, Beijing, China
Hangzhou Vanke Times Commune, Hangzhou, China
Transparent Hutong Installation: From Physics to Phenomena , Beijing, China
Gulou Office Renovation, Beijing, China
Qingdao Metro CR International Ocean Intelligence Zone Accelerator Office, Qingdao, China

The following statistics helped DAGA Architects achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	2
Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	21

28. West-line Studio

West-Line Studio is based in Guizhou Province and exclusively works in South-West China, where most of the country ethnic minorities live, and has always been researching and working on local vernacular architecture and subcultures’ diversity. The practice, founded more than 10 years ago by Haobo Wei and Jingsong Xie, pays special attention to the study of minority cultures and traditions in order to bring some of their particular elements into the design, which, despite being contemporary and innovative, always pays homage to traditions and local features.

Some of West-line Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Shui Cultural Center, Sandu, Qiannan, China
Chishui Danxia World Natural Heritage Visitor Center, Chishui, Zunyi, China
Chetian Cultural Center, Guiyang, China
Concrete Memorial, Chishui, Zunyi, China
Cuisuba Yi Cultural & Visitor Center, Guizhou, China

The following statistics helped West-line Studio achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	3
Featured Projects	11
Total Projects	13

27. Ballistic Architecture Machine (BAM)

Ballistic Architecture Machine (BAM) is an award-winning art, landscape and architectural design firm with offices in Beijing and Shanghai. Founded in 2007, BAM became anomalous as a locally grown design firm in China started by foreigners. The experience of establishing a design practice in a rapidly changing contemporary Chinese metropolis gives BAM a unique insight into the role of design in today’s cities. BAM’s diverse team of designers has delivered projects for clients in China, Taiwan, the US, the UK, Iceland and Belgium. Since our founding BAM believes our collective idea of nature is gradually changing. As technology continuously shapes our environment, our perception of nature is becoming outdated.

Some of Ballistic Architecture Machine (BAM)’s most prominent projects include:

Daxing Green Hub and Park, Beijing, China
Xiaoyunlu 8, MAHA Residential Park, Beijing, China
Play ‘n Learn Water Mountain, Tianjin 4A Sports Park, Tianjin, China
Legend Jiangbei Mixed-Use and Residential, Nanjing, China
Shoukai Vanke Daxing, Beijing, China

The following statistics helped Ballistic Architecture Machine (BAM) achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	3
A+Awards Finalist	4
Featured Projects	12
Total Projects	20

26. aoe

aoe is headquartered in Beijing, China, equipped with a team of designers who balance scientiﬁc exactitude and creative innovation, Made up of an international background, the team provides solutions to modern urban life based on scrupulous in-depth research, its business includes commercial, complex, cultural, oﬃce, hotel, high-end housing, education, planning, and interior design, project covers more than 20 provinces and cities in China, and each design project has won the praise of the owners and produced a good social impact. Its insightful, market-ready designs are a testament to its all-around excellent service. In an era of rapid development, aoe is a vehicle of progress with its vision for human life in the twenty-ﬁrst century city.

Some of aoe’s most prominent projects include:

Chongqing Sunac One Central Mansion Sales Pavillion, Chongqing, China
ShuiFa Info Town Property Exhibition Centre, Jinan, China
Sino-Italian Cultural Exchange City Reception Center, Chengdu, China
Haikou International Duty Free Reception Center, Haikou, China
Heze Courtyard No.1 Sales Office, Heze, China

The following statistics helped aoe achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	5
Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	13

25. OPEN Architecture

OPEN is a passionate team of designers collaborating across different disciplines to practice urban, landscape, architectural and interior design, as well as the research and production of design strategies in the context of new challenges. We believe in the innovative power of architecture to transform people and the way they live, while striking a new balance between the manmade and nature. OPEN was founded by LI Hu and HUANG Wenjing in New York City. It established its Beijing office in 2008. OPEN has been widely recognized for its innovative work.

Some of OPEN Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

Garden School, Beijing, China
HEX-SYS, Guangdong, China
Stepped Courtyards, Fuzhou, China
Tank Shanghai, Shanghai, China
UCCA Dune Art Museum, Qinhuangdao, China

The following statistics helped OPEN Architecture achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	12

24. Kris Lin International Design

KLID, an international architectural design firm from Taipei, has been in Shanghai for twenty years, and has been serving top 100 real estate developers for a long time. Its business covers sales offices, clubs, art galleries, hotels, luxury villas and flat apartments, offices, public and commercial spaces.

As one of the few design institutes in China which can provide four-in-one integrated design services including architectural design, interior design, renovation design and construction, landscape design, KLID has been adhering to the design concept of “Innovation from Observation”, and has strong pursuit for the design works display effect, KLID has been always maintained a full-integrated design solution.

Some of Kris Lin International Design’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Kris Lin International Design achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	5
Featured Projects	8
Total Projects	13

23. He Wei Studio／3andwich Design

Founded in 2012, He Wei Studio／3andwich Design is an interdisciplinary research studio and practice with works ranging from urban renewal to architectural design to exhibition and curatorial endeavors.

Some of He Wei Studio／3andwich Design’s most prominent projects include:

Limestone Gallery, Anlong, Qianxinan, China
Stone Nest Amphitheatre for Community Activities , Weihai, China
Shangping Village Regeneration – Yang’s School Area, Jianning, Sanming, China
The Water Drop Library, Huizhou, China
Ding Hui Yuan Zen & Tea Chamber, Beijing, China

The following statistics helped He Wei Studio／3andwich Design achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	8
Total Projects	11

22. CPLUS

CPLUS is an architecture firm with an international perspective, co-founded by Cheng Yanchun and Li Nan in Beijing in 2014. CPLUS believes that architecture aims to create a medium for dialogue between people and the environment. As living organism that constantly changes over time, architecture responds to the history of human exploration of nature and the construction of cities.

Some of CPLUS’s most prominent projects include:

Jingyuan No.22 Transformation, Beijing, China
Nashare Hotel, Xiamen, China
LAB Art Museum, Chongqing, China
“Floating Island” Restaurant, Chongqing, China
“Hair Focus” Hair Salon, Beijing, China

The following statistics helped CPLUS achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	11
Total Projects	14

21. Atelier tao+c

Atelier tao+c was founded by Tao Liu and Chunyan Cai in 2016. The design works of Atelier tao+c ranging from a piece of pendant lamp to a compound development, from the interior of small urban apartments to the renovation of old rural houses, from shops on the street to a youth community.

Some of Atelier tao+c’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Atelier tao+c achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	3
A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	8
Total Projects	10

20. MUDA-Architects

Founded in 2015 in Beijing and Boston with an office in Chengdu established in 2017, MUDA-Architects is composed of creative designers with a background of global diversification, who are forward-looking, experienced, professional and ingenious in the field of architecture and design.

Under the leadership of founder Lu Yun, the team’s architectural practice covers public, cultural and commercial architecture, as well as urban, landscape and interior design, focusing on diverse expressions of design in cultural contexts and genius loci, adhering to the oriental spirits and future-oriented mindset.

Some of MUDA-Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped MUDA-Architects achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	4
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	10
Total Projects	12

19. Challenge Design

The aim of Challenge Design has been to provide “refined design and professional service” since its foundation. The company has undertaken projects ranging from commercial complex, resort, luxury condo, boutique hotel, museums and public architectures, winning dozens of awards and unanimous high appraisal. With growing experience in various fields including architecture design, urban planning, interior design, wooden structure design and commercial operation, the company has developed the capability to control whole life cycle of the projects.

Since foundation, Challenge Design has been working to find a way for realization of harmonious co-existence between architecture, human being and the nature, hoping to find a possible way for bring renewed sense experience and creating new thoughts and spatial forms through creative thinking.

Some of Challenge Design’s most prominent projects include:

Yuanlu Community Center, Chongqing, China
YULIN Artistic Center, Chongqing, China
Park Legend Kindergarten, Chengdu, China
Cloud Art Museum , Guizhou, China
Langtin Yuanzhu Experience Hall, Wuhan, China

The following statistics helped Challenge Design achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	14

18. gad

gad, an architectural design company that values creativity, quality and humanity, adheres to the belief of craftsman to deeply explore the field of architectural design, treats architectural creation with an open attitude, conveys modern life aesthetics with appropriate design techniques, and follows architectural construction with a devout attitude, so as to create more possibilities for the richness of the city.

Some of gad’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped gad achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	6
Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	17

17. LUO studio

Mr. Luo Yujie is the founder of LUO studio, who also teaches the course of Construction Basics in the School of Architecture at Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). His exceptional works have been shortlisted and awarded by numerous design award competitions worldwide. He is committed to creating more durable, friendly and quality spaces with creative thinking, a spirit of craftsmanship and the principle of caring for nature.

Some of LUO studio’s most prominent projects include:

Temporary Site of Shengli Market, Henan, China
Yuntai Ice Chrysanthemum Display, Henan, China
Timber Bridge in Gulou Waterfront, Jiangmen, China
Corrugated Cardboard-formed Exhibition Space, Shanghai, China
Longfu Life Experience Center, Puyang, China

The following statistics helped LUO studio achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	6
A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	11
Total Projects	10

16. X+LIVING

X+LIVING, established in 2011 by Chinese architect Li Xiang, is an international architectural design company involved in multifield projects including retail, office, hospitality, parent-child, malls, etc. As an award-winning company, X+LIVING has always been noted by professional institutions and medias worldwide for its escher-like visuality and immersive spatial experiences. Owing to the founder Li Xiang’s academic background of architecture, each of X+LIVING’s design works adopts boundary-crossing thinking and unique formal strategy to create theatrical dreamy spaces with story-telling charms that engage the senses and provide fun. X+LIVING takes “design creates value” as the motto and insists on achieving the highest quality of design works from conceptual design to final completion.

Some of X+LIVING’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped X+LIVING achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	12
Total Projects	43

15. CLOU architects

CLOU is an international design studio with award-winning expertise in architecture, interiors and landscapes. Our extensive portfolio of built works encompasses mixed-use, retail, hospitality, education and exhibition projects. Founded by German architect Jan Clostermann, CLOU works closely with leading property developers and has delivered projects recognized for outside-the-box-thinking.

CLOU is committed to tailor each project to its unique challenges and local opportunities. We strive to realize projects that will positively influence the people involved in its process, the environment, and the communities who live and work there. The CLOU team is a community of talents from all over the world who enjoy working collaboratively and imaginatively on bespoke, and integrated design solutions. The word CLOU means the main attraction.

Some of CLOU architects’s most prominent projects include:

Cube Gallery, Hangzhou, China
Daxing Green Hub and Park, Beijing, China
Play Stack Shenyang, Shenyang, China
UniFuns Tianfu Chengdu, Chengdu, China
Wuyi Yuansu Hot Spring Resort, Wuyi, Jinhua, China

The following statistics helped CLOU architects achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	4
A+Awards Finalist	6
Featured Projects	12
Total Projects	49

14. GOA (Group of Architects)

Founded in 1998, GOA has held its position as one of the most prominent architectural firms in China. With offices established in Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and Nanjing, GOA has employed more than 900 professionals. Covering service ranging from urban design, architecture, structure, MEP, landscape planning, interior design to design consulting, GOA’s business scope is a complete organism with architecture design as the core competencies.

GOA adheres to the Principal-based working system, each project is in the charge of one or more principals. By participating in the projects thoroughly, they ensure a best quality for all projects. On the basis of in-depth understanding of clients’ needs, GOA contributes to integrate the top resources and provide perfect design solutions and high-quality service for clients. Creativity, quality and humanity shall always be our goal.

Some of GOA (Group of Architects)’s most prominent projects include:

Restaurant of Metasequoia Grove, Suzhou, China
Yada Theatre, Jiangsu, China
Alila Wuzhen, Jiaxing, China
Beibu Gulf International Oceanic Transit Center, Beihai, China
Zhoushan Greentown Yuhua Kindergarten, Zhoushan, China

The following statistics helped GOA (Group of Architects) achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	5
Featured Projects	12
Total Projects	27

13. Lukstudio

LUKSTUDIO is a boutique design practice based in Shanghai, China. Founded by Christina Luk in 2011, the studio is comprised of an international team with diverse backgrounds and cultural perspectives. With a common desire to challenge the status quo of the environment, the team finds joy in creating meaningful design solutions for others. Lukstudio’s strength lies in an ‘everything is possible’ attitude that is influenced by the surrounding context of Shanghai; a fast-paced city where East meets West and tradition is integrated with innovation. Each project tells its own story, and Lukstudio is proud to identify a narrative, preserving it from concept through to completion to deliver memorable spatial experiences that delight and surprise. We collaborate closely with clients and contractors to deliver artistic solutions within a commercial scope.

Some of Lukstudio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Lukstudio achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Finalist	4
Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	31

12. The Design Institute Of Landscape & Architecture China Academy Of Art

© The Design Institute Of Landscape & Architecture China Academy Of Art CO.,LTD

The Design Institute of Landscape & Architecture, China Academy of Art, founded in 1984, h as been accredited by the Ministry of Construction of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as Class A for construction industry (construction engineering), Class A for landscape architecture design, C lass A for interior decoration design, Class A for urban and rural planning, Class B for municipal industry professional, Class B for cultural relics protection engineering survey and design, and Class A for exhibition engineering.

The Institute has set up an academic perspective and research vibe encompassing all-round nationalization, internationalization and modernization by taking advantage of the China Academy of Art (CAA)’s strong talents and advantageous discipline group, with the strong and rich academic background of CAA as the foundation, the academic goal of the first environmental art department in China as the mission, and “Relying on CAA and Serving the society” as the overall operation policy.

Some of The Design Institute Of Landscape & Architecture China Academy Of Art’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped The Design Institute Of Landscape & Architecture China Academy Of Art CO.,LTD achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	5
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	16
Total Projects	16

11. AIM Architecture

AIM is a collective of passionate, international individuals. Founded by Belgian and Dutch architects Wendy Saunders and Vincent de Graaf in 2005, AIM brings together architecture with interior and product design to create wholly integrated products and ideas. Headquartered in Shanghai and with an oﬃce in Europe, AIM is a global studio with local feeling. Our approach is deliberate and focused. Each project is approached individually. We pair context to concept and explore the ﬁne line between vision and practicality. The result are unique spaces with a powerful narrative. Bold, playful and gritty, the firm designs well-built projects with reﬁned details, built-in love of materials and passion for place and purpose.

Some of AIM Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

Fushengyu Hotspring resort, Sichuan, China
SOHO Fuxing Plaza- Shopping Mall, Shanghai, China
Jiaxing Island, Jiaxing, China
Aluminum Lobby in SOHO Fuxing Plaza, Shanghai, China
Glass Office in SOHO Fuxing Plaza, Shanghai, China

The following statistics helped AIM Architecture achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	17
Total Projects	32

10. Atelier Alter Architects

Founded in 2009, Atelier Alter Architects is a pioneering inter-disciplinary practice based in New York and Beijing. Noted for designing from critical analysis of the site, Atelier Alter has been recognized by numerous awards. Atelier Alter Architects focuses intensely upon culture facilities ever since the beginning of the practice. Atelier Alter wan the competitions to build Qujing Culture Center in 2009, by transferring the metaphysical context of the site into an artistic yet tangible urban space of historic remembrance.

Some of Atelier Alter Architects’s most prominent projects include:

BIT Sports Center in Beijing, Beijing, China
WuliEpoch Culture Center, Beijing, China
Senior Center of Guangxi, Nanning, China
Library for Qujing Culture Center, Qujing, China
WuliEpoch Culture Center, Beijing, China

The following statistics helped Atelier Alter Architects achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	13
Total Projects	20

9. Crossboundaries

Crossboundaries contributes to a vital built environment through architecture, environmental design and urban regeneration. We create enduring architecture that often deals with remarkable technical processes, yet always has a pleasant material touch and human atmosphere.

The work of Crossboundaries originates from a strong belief that design as a process results in successful, operational buildings. This approach is based on two fundamental principles: research and collaboration. For our projects we create suitable multi-disciplinary teams where all participants can assess the opportunities within the given conditions. We identify the essential questions, jointly create pragmatic solutions by data collection and analyze significant precedents. We regularly discuss possible programmatic shifts with our clients to raise their benefits of the project.

Some of Crossboundaries’s most prominent projects include:

Songzhuang Micro Community Park, Tongzhou, Beijing, China
Qkids English Learning Center, Xiamen, China
Chaoyang Future School, Beijing, China
Crossboundaries Office, Beijing, China
THE KNOWN, an installation, Shenzhen, China

The following statistics helped Crossboundaries achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	4
A+Awards Finalist	5
Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	23

8. People’s Architecture Office

Beijing-based People’s Architecture Office (PAO) was founded by He Zhe, James Shen and Zang Feng in 2010, and consist of an international team of architects, engineers and urbanists. With the belief that design is for the masses, PAO aims to be conceptually accessible and culturally pragmatic. PAO approaches design from the framework of the realities of scale, global economics and flows, mass production, mass markets and social networks. PAO’s projects include the headquarters for 21cake in Beijing, the River Heights Pavilion and the Tricycle House.

Some of People’s Architecture Office’s most prominent projects include:

The Courtyard House Plugin, Beijing, China
Tubular Baitasi, Beijing, China
Pop-up Habitat, Beijing, China
Tricycle House, Beijing, China
People’s Canopy, Lancashire, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped People’s Architecture Office achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	5
A+Awards Finalist	4
Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	20

7. The Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University (UAD)

The Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University (UAD) was established in 1953. It is one of the earliest First Class Design Institutes among major national universities.
The company now has nearly 1100 employees, among which 1 Master Engineering Designer of China, 2 Top-100 Architects of China, 10 Awardees of the Young Architect Prize of the China Architectural Institute. Company insists Harmonious environment, global vision, complete services, and highest professionalism as their guidelines. Based on the resources of Zhejiang University, UAD hires Academicians of the China Academy of Engineering and of the China Academy of Sciences to provide technical support for blossoming architectural creations.

Some of The Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University (UAD)’s most prominent projects include:

Asian Games 2022 Master Plan and Hybrid Buildings, Hangzhou, China
Guangsha College Sports Center, Hangzhou, China
UAD Campus in ZITOWN, Zhejiang, China
The Hangzhou Asian Games Baseball and Softball Sports Cultural Center, Shaoxing, China
Humanities & Social Sciences Building Cluster 1 for Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

The following statistics helped The Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University (UAD) achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	4
A+Awards Finalist	6
Featured Projects	17
Total Projects	23

6. SUP Atelier of THAD

SUP atelier, founded by Prof. Song Yehao from Tsinghua University School of Architecture in Beijing around 2011, dedicated to the research and practice on sustainable urban and architectural design. SUP Atelier explores the simultaneous sustainability of natural resources and human community through high context sensibility, modest architectural strategies, and tectonic research on natural and local materials, in relevant to integrate buildings to the environment and community livings.

SUP Atelier focuses on sustainable theory within the scope of architecture, urban studies, and building technology, while highly promoting the combination of modern design and vernacular architecture in China. Regional and local understandings are rather important, to further initiate innovative design based on the understanding, and thus the design strategy is always incorporating the latest technical measures or traditional climate adaptation design strategies at that time.

Some of SUP Atelier of THAD’s most prominent projects include:

Yunzhai Community Center, Changyuan, Xinxiang, China
Tea Leaf Market of Zhuguanlong, Shouning County, Ningde, China
Swirling Cloud: Pavilion for BJFU Garden Festival, Haidian, Beijing, China
Village Lounge of Shangcun, Jixi, China
Indoor Playground of Yueyang County No.3 Middle School, Yueyang, China

The following statistics helped SUP Atelier of THAD achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	9
A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	10
Total Projects	16

5. line+

line+ is founded by Mr. Meng Fanhao and Mr. Zhu Peidong in Hangzhou. “line”is the boundary, based on architectural design. “+”aims to break through the clear boundaries of traditional industry and use cross-border thinking as a way to realize the boundless integration of planning, architecture, interior, landscape, product, operation and other fields. By adapting diverse strategies, we look forward to share the value of design with our partners.

Some of line+’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped line+ achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	3
A+Awards Finalist	4
Featured Projects	23
Total Projects	29

4. Lacime Architect

Founded in Shanghai in 2001, has always adhered to the architectural philosophy of “deleting complexity and simplifying the origin.” Based on the local area, it aims to create first-class architecture. After more than ten years of development, the company has nearly 600 architects and rich experience in large-scale project design at home and abroad, integrated architectural landscape design, and has accumulated many residential, commercial, cultural and tourism projects and high-end customers in China. We hope to create buildings that truly conform to the regional environment by cultivating Chinese localized talents and integrating elite design teams.

Some of Lacime Architect’s most prominent projects include:

Vanke Emerald Park, Chongqing, China
One City Development, Hubei, China
Liva Riverside Book Bar Reconstruction of East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
Waterfront Art Gallery, Nanchang, China
Financial City Community Center, Suzhou, China

The following statistics helped Lacime Architect achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	3
A+Awards Finalist	8
Featured Projects	22
Total Projects	27

3. ARCHSTUDIO

Arch Studio devotes to using multi-perspective and rational means to intervene the development of contemporary urban living environment, finding a right balance between the connections of reality and nature, history and culture, creating a spatial environment that is full of the spirit of times and humanistic quality. In this complex and multivariate era, new creation is not from a sudden inspiration, but from careful study of the unique needs and restrictions of each project, from uninterrupted breakthroughs and challenges to the restriction boarder, from continuous improvements in the whole process from concept to construction details, from skillful transformation between exterior and interior, new and old, artificial and natural, to make space as the communication medium between people and people, people and the environment, and create a new livable dwelling.

Some of ARCHSTUDIO’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped ARCHSTUDIO achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	4
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	24
Total Projects	24

2. Neri & Hu

Founded in 2004 by partners Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu, NHDRO (neri&hu design and research office) is a multi-disciplinary architectural design practice based in Shanghai, China. NHDRO works internationally providing architecture, interior, master planning, graphic and product design services. currently working on projects in seven countries, NHDRO is composed of multi-cultural staff who speak over 20 different languages. The diversity of the team reinforces a core vision for the practice: to respond to a global worldview incorporating overlapping design disciplines for a new paradigm in architecture. NHDRO’s location is purposeful.

Some of Neri & Hu’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Neri & Hu achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	8
A+Awards Finalist	8
Featured Projects	26
Total Projects	21

1. MAD Architects

MAD works in forward-looking environments developing futuristic architecture based on a contemporary interpretation of the eastern spirit of nature. All of MAD’s projects — from residential complexes or offices to cultural centers — desire to protect a sense of community and orientation toward nature, offering people the freedom to develop their own experience. Founded in 2004 by Ma Yansong, the office first earned worldwide attention in 2006 by winning an international competition to design a residential tower near Toronto, expected to be completed in the end of 2012.MAD has been commissioned by clients of all backgrounds, leading to an intriguing combination of diverse project designs.

Some of MAD Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The Cloudscape of Haikou, Haikou, China
Harbin Opera House, Harbin, China
Chaoyang Park Plaza, Beijing, China
Courtyard Kindergarten, Beijing, China
Gardenhouse, Beverly Hills, California

Top image: The Cloudscape of Haikou, Haikou, China

The following statistics helped MAD Architects achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in China:

A+Awards Winner	11
A+Awards Finalist	6
Featured Projects	30
Total Projects	28

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

A Guide to Project Awards

Project completed within the last 3 years
A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
High quality, in focus photographs
At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
Inclusion of construction photographs

Reference

Architecture

25 Best Architecture Firms in London

By Zarkon Group,23/08/2023

London is a city that has been forced to redevelop constantly. Like many cities, it has accrued layers of history. However, events like the Great Fire and The Blitz have also torn holes in the urban fabric, necessitating moments of reflection and rethinking. Nowadays, Georgian, Regency and Victorian architecture are intermingled with hulking Brutalist structures and curving glass façades. From John Nash’s influential residential and urban plans to Alison and Peter Smithson’s radical housing proposals to the anonymous steel giants of Canary Wharf, the city has always been at the forefront of the latest city design trends.

Nowadays, the city remains home to preeminent architectural schools such as UCL’s Bartlett School of Architecture. In addition, London’s galleries and museums nurture a design culture with thought-provoking exhibitions about space and society, including the ever-popular Serpentine Pavilion. Meanwhile, as a global metropolis, the British city’s diversity is one of its great strengths. So it’s no wonder that the city is home to a bevy of heavyweight firms and up-and-coming studios whose names are known locally and abroad.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in London based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2023)
The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2023)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of London architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 24 best architecture firms in London:

25. Buckley Gray Yeoman

Formed in 1997, Buckley Gray Yeoman is an award-winning architecture and design practice based in Shoreditch, London. Directed by Matt Yeoman and Paul White, the firm provides pragmatic and deliverable solutions to complex design issues. Founded on the premise that outstanding results require careful planning and an intuitive approach, Buckley Gray Yeoman’s designs adapt and respond to the context of each project to create intelligent and enduring architecture.
The practice’s work is driven by the needs and ambitions of its clients.

Some of Buckley Gray Yeoman’s most prominent projects include:

Henry Wood House, London, United Kingdom
Channing School, London, United Kingdom
The Buckley Building, London, United Kingdom
C-Space, London, United Kingdom
Fashion Street, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Buckley Gray Yeoman achieve 25th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	8

24. Jamie Fobert Architects

Since its inception in 1996, Jamie Fobert Architects has had a reputation for innovative and inspiring architectural design in the residential, retail and arts sectors. The practice has demonstrated a consistent approach to resolving client ambitions and site complexities into a tactile architecture of volume, material and light.

Jamie Fobert Architects has garnered several awards, including the RIBA London Award 2014, the Manser Medal and the RIBA and English Heritage ‘Award for a building in an historic context’. The practice has won three major public commissions for cultural organisations: Kettle’s Yard Gallery; the Charleston Trust; and Tate St Ives.

Some of Jamie Fobert Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Jamie Fobert Architects achieve 24th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	8

23. Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) is an award-winning, international architectural practice based in London. Over three decades, RSHP has attracted critical acclaim with innovative projects across Europe, North America and Asia. The practice is experienced in designing a wide range of building types including: office, residential, transport, education, culture, leisure, retail, civic and healthcare. The quality of its designs has been recognised with some of architecture’s highest awards, including two RIBA Stirling Prizes, one in 2006 for Terminal 4, Madrid Barajas Airport and the other in 2009 for Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre, London. RSHP employs around 180 people in offices across the world – London, Shanghai, Sydney and Madrid.

Some of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners’s most prominent projects include:

Jean Prouvé 6×6 Demountable House, 1944, Adaptation 2015, Paris, France
One Park Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
International Towers Sydney, Barangaroo, Australia
Conservation and Storage Facility, Musée du Louvre, Liévin, France
Oslo Airport Competition, Oslo, Norway

The following statistics helped Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners achieve 23rd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	15

22. Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

At Allford Hall Monaghan Morris we make buildings that are satisfying to use and beautiful to look at; an architecture that is defined by the experience of users who should be able to understand and use each building with ease and enjoyment. We design very different buildings, for very different people to use in very different ways and, since our early days in the late 1980s, we have grown from four to over one hundred and fifty people and our budgets from a few thousand to tens of millions of pounds. Through our wide range of projects we search for the opportunities in every site, budget and programme and pursue a pragmatic, analytical and collaborative working method to produce a responsive, intelligent and delightful architecture.

Some of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Allford Hall Monaghan Morris achieve 22nd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	16

21. David Chipperfield Architects

David Chipperfield Architects was founded in 1985 and has offices in London, Berlin, Milan and Shanghai. The practice works internationally on cultural, residential and commercial projects providing full architectural and interior design, master planning, product and furniture design services for both public and private sectors. Our diverse built portfolio includes museums and galleries, libraries, apartments, private houses, hotels, offices, master plans and retail facilities. David Chipperfield Architects has won more then fifty national and international competitions and many international awards and citations for design excellence.

Some of David Chipperfield Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The Hepworth Wakefield, Wakefield, United Kingdom
Cafe Royal, Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre, London, United Kingdom
Villa Eden, Italy
James Simon Gallery, Berlin, Germany
Nobel Center, Stockholm, Sweden

The following statistics helped David Chipperfield Architects achieve 21st place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	8

20. Eldridge London

London architectural practice Eldridge Smerin was established in 1998 and has since relaunched as Eldridge London. Architect Nick Eldridge’s vision continues to inspire the design and material quality of the practice’s recent projects in the UK and abroad defined by a series of cutting-edge houses including the Stirling Prize nominated Lawns project and the House in Highgate Cemetery. The practice has also completed a number of high profile retail, commercial and cultural projects including interiors for Selfridges Birmingham, Villa Moda Kuwait, O2’s Mobile Applications Development Centre, the Design Council Headquarters, The Business and Intellectual Property Centre and a restaurant at the British Library and the Globe Theatre’s Sackler Studios. The practice demonstrates a consistent approach to producing intelligent and unique solutions to specific client briefs and often constrained budgets with an unerring attention to detail from concept through to completion.

Some of Eldridge London’s most prominent projects include:

Cor-Ten House in Putney, London, United Kingdom
House in Coombe Park, Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
House in Epsom, Epsom, United Kingdom
House in Chelsea, London, United Kingdom
House in Highgate Cemetery, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Eldridge London achieve 20th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	6

19. FORM studio (previously FORM design architecture)

Architecture has the power to transform environments and quality of life. FORM studio aims to create places that can be inhabited and experienced by people in a natural and instinctive way. Enjoyable places with a tranquil sense of simplicity, which create a supportive and uplifting backdrop for life.

Individual solutions are developed for our clients which are an intelligent, inventive and sustainable response to the complex matrix of issues that shapes each project. Solutions with a lucidity and apparent simplicity which belie their underlying complexity. Listening, analysis, discussion and clarification are at the heart of an inclusive approach that recognizes the fact that some of the best ideas are generated in the space between people rather than by individuals.

Some of FORM studio (previously FORM design architecture)’s most prominent projects include:

Bermondsey Warehouse Loft, London, United Kingdom
Walcot Square mews, London, United Kingdom
Flatiron House, London, United Kingdom
Benbow Yard, London, United Kingdom
Narrow House, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped FORM studio (previously FORM design architecture) achieve 19th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	7

18. Studio Octopi

Studio Octopi is an award winning architecture practice based in central London and working across all sectors including private residential, arts, education, commercial fit-out and public swimming pools. The practice has completed numerous complex refurbishments including, Bradfield College’s 1,000 seat outdoor theatre and the expansion of the Delfina Foundation, London’s largest artist residency. In 2019 we completed a multi award winning contemporary art installation in collaboration with Turner Prize Mark Wallinger for the National Trust. We’ve also designed the offices of leading advertising agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi and MullenLowe Group ranging in size from 5,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet.

In 2015/2016 Studio Octopi raised over £200,000 on two crowdfunding campaigns for public swimming pools in London. Thames Baths C.I.C. (www.thamesbaths.com) is a self-initiated campaign to design and build a floating lido in Central London. Founded in 2013, the project has attracted global interest since raising £142,000 on Kickstarter. In 2016 Studio Octopi helped the community of Peckham, south east London to raise £60,000 via Spacehive to launch a campaign to rebuild the Peckham Lido. Studio Octopi undertakes private residential refurbishment and new build homes. In 2012 the practice completed a new house in Wiltshire to Code 4 on the Code for Sustainable Homes and in 2021 construction will commence on two new homes for Baobab Developments in Brighton.

Some of Studio Octopi’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Studio Octopi achieve 18th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	11

17. 6a architects

6a architects was founded by Tom Emerson and Stephanie Macdonald in 2001. They are best known for their contemporary art galleries, educational buildings, artists’ studios and residential projects, often in sensitive historic environments. 6a architects rose to prominence with the completion of two critically acclaimed public art galleries, Raven Row (2009), which won a RIBA Award in 2011 and the expanded South London Gallery (2010). Recently completed projects include a new 68-room hall of residence at Churchill College, Cambridge (2016), which garnered a RIBA Regional East Award (2017), and a new studio complex for photographer Juergen Teller (2016), which was winner of both RIBA London Building of the Year (2017) and a RIBA National Award (2017).

Some of 6a architects’s most prominent projects include:

Tree House , London, United Kingdom
Façade for Paul Smith, London, United Kingdom
V&A Gallery 40, London, United Kingdom
Photography Studio for Juergen Teller, United Kingdom
Cowan Court, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped 6a architects achieve 17th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	6

16. Levitt Bernstein

Some of Levitt Bernstein’s most prominent projects include:

Vaudeville Court, London, United Kingdom
Sutherland Road, London, United Kingdom
King’s School, Bruton, Somerset, United Kingdom
The Courtyards, Dovedale Avenue, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France

The following statistics helped Levitt Bernstein achieve 16th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	10

15. John McAslan + Partners

We create architecture that improves people’s lives. We do it like this: We aim for an architecture which is rational and poetic, robust and delightful; we tread carefully and build with conviction; we tackle problems head on and think laterally; we deconstruct a brief and let a design emerge from close examination of the pieces; we don’t necessarily take ‘no’ for an answer; we believe the power of architecture extends much further than the dimensions of individual buildings; we believe architecture is about making life better. We believe that buildings should be underpinned by a powerful idea; that the idea should be an intelligent and logical response to functionality and a sense of place; and the power of that idea should be embedded in the built form.

Some of John McAslan + Partners’s most prominent projects include:

UK Holocaust Memorial
Void Practice Rooms, London, United Kingdom
King’s Cross Station, London, United Kingdom
Library + Student Hub, Ambleside Campus, University of Cumbria, Cumbria, United Kingdom
Lancaster University Engineering Building, England, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped John McAslan + Partners achieve 15th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	13

14. Hawkins\Brown

The first time someone decided to mix sweet and salty popcorn, their guests must have been horrified. Minutes later though they would be guzzling the lot. That’s the thing about new combinations – you have to be a bit odd to consider them in the first place, but when they pay off you’re left wondering how you managed before they existed. Admittedly, this isn’t a usual sort of About page for an architectural practice, but we’re not a usual sort of practice. We believe that projects come alive through uncommon combinations of ideas and people. In fact, we think that’s the only way they really come alive at all.

Some of Hawkins\Brown’s most prominent projects include:

1235 Vine Street, Los Angeles, California
Corby Cube, Corby, United Kingdom
Student Village, Royal Veterinary College, Brookmans Park, United Kingdom
Beecroft Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
Park Hill, Sheffield, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped HawkinsBrown achieve 14th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	19

13. Bennetts Associates

Bennetts Associates creates sustainable and enduring architecture. As one of the UK’s leading practices, their diverse portfolio has been celebrated with more than 150 awards over 30 years and covers education, cultural and workplace projects in both the public and private sector, ranging from masterplans to small historic buildings. They are an employee-owned trust of 70 people with studios in London, Edinburgh and Manchester, and have recently earned Building Design’s Higher Education Architect of the Year 2019 Award. Bennetts Associates also leads in their field in sustainability – in April 2019 they became the world’s first architects to secure Science Based Target approval and commit to the UN’s Climate Neutral Now campaign.

Some of Bennetts Associates’s most prominent projects include:

The Royal College of Pathologists, London, United Kingdom
Storyhouse, London, United Kingdom
Jaguar Land Rover Advanced Product Creation Centre, Gaydon, United Kingdom
Bennetts Associates’ London Studio, London, United Kingdom
London Fruit and Wool Exchange, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Bennetts Associates achieve 13th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	18

12. Alison Brooks Architects Ltd

Founded in 1996, Alison Brooks Architects has developed an international reputation for delivering design excellence and innovation in projects ranging from urban regeneration, masterplanning, public buildings for the arts, higher education and housing. ABA’s award-winning architecture is born from our intensive research into the cultural, social and environmental contexts of each project. Our approach enables us to develop pioneering solutions for our buildings and urban schemes, each with a distinct identity and authenticity. Combined with rigorous attention to detail, ABA’s buildings have proved to satisfy our client’s expectations and positively impact the urban realm. Our approach has led ABA to be recognized with both national and international awards including Architect of the Year Award 2012 and Housing Architect of the Year 2012.

Some of Alison Brooks Architects Ltd’s most prominent projects include:

The Smile, London, United Kingdom
Lens House, London, United Kingdom
Newhall Be, Harlow, United Kingdom
Quayside, Toronto, Canada
Severn Place, Cambridge, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Alison Brooks Architects Ltd achieve 12th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	5

11. AL_A

Some of AL_A’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped AL_A achieve 11th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	11

10. Steyn Studio

Steyn Studio is a collaborative architecture practice. We believe that design has the power to solve problems, inspire, and improve lives and work hard everyday to realize this ambition. We always aim to do this honestly and with the freedom to creatively explore meaningful design solutions. Designs that make a real difference to the end-user and the client; culturally and commercially.

Some of Steyn Studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped AL_A achieve 10th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	4
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	4

9. Studio Seilern Architects

Some of Studio Seilern Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Andermatt Concert Hall, Andermatt, Switzerland
El Gouna Plaza, Hurghada, Egypt
G.W.Annenberg Performing Arts Centre, Reading, United Kingdom
Boksto Skveras, Vilnius, Lithuania
Kensington Residence, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Studio Seilern Architects achieve 9th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	9

8. bureau de change

Some of bureau de change’s most prominent projects include:

The Interlock, London, United Kingdom
Homemade, London, United Kingdom
Folds House, London, United Kingdom
Slab House, London, United Kingdom
Step House, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped bureau de change achieve 8th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	16

7. Hopkins Architects

Some of Hopkins Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, Colby College, Waterville, Maine
Buhais Geology Park Interpretive Centre, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Eton Sports & Aquatics Centre, Windsor, United Kingdom
Khor Kalba Turtle and Wildlife Sanctuary, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
London 2012 Olympic Velodrome, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Hopkins Architects achieve 7th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	11
Total Projects	18

6. Haworth Tompkins

Photo: Philip Vile – © Haworth Tompkins

Acclaimed projects include the Everyman Theatre, winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2014, Young Vic Theatre, Royal College of Art campus in Battersea, Coin Street housing development and the London Library, for which they received the prestigious American Institute of Architect’s Excellence in Design award. The studio is currently working on a number of highly anticipated schemes including the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Fish Island Village, Bristol Old Vic and Kingston University.

Some of Haworth Tompkins’s most prominent projects include:

National Theatre ‘The Shed’, London, United Kingdom
Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Dovecote Studio, Snape, United Kingdom
Open Air Theatre, London, United Kingdom
Park View School, Birmingham, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Haworth Tompkins achieve 6th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	10

5. Adjaye Associates

Adjaye Associates, founded in 2000, comprises a multicultural global team. The practice has studios in Accra, London, and New York with work spanning the globe. Adjaye Associates’ most well-known commission to date, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), opened in 2016 on the National Mall in Washington DC. Further projects range in scale from private houses, bespoke furniture collections, product design, exhibitions, and temporary pavilions to major arts centers, civic buildings and master plans.

Some of Adjaye Associates’s most prominent projects include:

Winter Park Library & Events Center, Winter Park, Florida
130 William, New York, New York
Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, Skolkovo, Russia
Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library, Washington, DC
Silverlight, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Adjaye Associates achieve 5th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	3
Featured Projects	13
Total Projects	31

4. Squire and Partners

In addition, the practice has a series of dedicated teams for model-making, computer generated imaging, illustration, graphics and an established interior design department, which has created a number of bespoke product ranges. Squire & Partners’ approach responds to the unique heritage and context of each site, considering established street patterns, scale and proportions, to create timeless architecture rooted in its location.

Some of Squire and Partners’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Squire and Partners achieve 4th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	11
Total Projects	48

3. Heatherwick Studio

Some of Heatherwick Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Coal Drops Yard, London, United Kingdom
Maggie’s Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
Bombay Sapphire Distillery, Hampshire, United Kingdom
1000 Trees Phase 1, Shanghai, China
Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town, South Africa

Top image: Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Heatherwick Studio achieve 3rd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	11
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	20
Total Projects	13

2. Foster + Partners

Some of Foster + Partners’s most prominent projects include:

Ombú, Madrid, Spain
Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar
The Pavilion at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
House of Wisdom, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Apple Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped Foster + Partners achieve 2nd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	6
A+Awards Finalist	8
Featured Projects	42
Total Projects	91

1. Zaha Hadid Architects

Some of Zaha Hadid Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Beijing Daxing International Airport, Beijing, China
KnitCandela, Ciudad de México, Mexico
Leeza SOHO, Beijing, China
Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku, Azerbaijan
Striatus 3D Printed Bridge, Venice, Italy

The following statistics helped Zaha Hadid Architects achieve 1st place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	17
A+Awards Finalist	11
Featured Projects	62
Total Projects	64

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

A Guide to Project Awards

Project completed within the last 3 years
A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
High quality, in focus photographs
At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
Inclusion of construction photographs

Reference

Architecture

20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco

By Zarkon Group,15/08/2023

Unlike many cities, San Francisco’s most iconic structure is not a building but a bridge. While the Golden Gate looms large in popular culture, it casts a shadow over some of the hilly city’s more iconic buildings. Likewise, although bay windows may rival the bridge’s iconic status, the city’s eclectic mix of Queen Anne and Victorian homes with modern architecture is less often remarked upon as noteworthy in and of itself. Yet, designing and building with heritage in mind is just one of many challenges that the city’s architects rise to in any design (steep hills and a meandering waterfront representing other prominent hurdles).

As Silicon Valley has grown, making property prices skyrocket, architects are increasingly pressed to address rising inequality and the affordable housing crisis. At the same time, they have responded to the growth of wealth and business by designing campuses, offices, masterplans and the like. The urban issues that San Francisco faces are both daunting and complex, but the high caliber of local firms makes the city well-suited to rise to the occasion.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in San Francisco based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2023)
The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2023)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of San Francisco architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 20 best architecture firms in San Francisco:

20. Fougeron Architecture

Fougeron Architecture is a nationally recognized design firm whose work exhibits a strong commitment to clarity of thought, design integrity, and quality of architectural detail. The firm’s decidedly modernist attitude is the result of founder Anne Fougeron’s vision to create a practice dedicated to finding the perfect alignment between architectural idea and built form. Her work can be defined by three basic tenets:

Architectural space is modulated by the quality and character of natural light,
Innovative use of structure becomes the architectural ornament, and
Exploration into the visual and tactile nature of materials enhances how people engage a building.

Ms. Fougeron’s keen interest in crossing disciplinary boundaries has led the firm to develop a collaborative design process that capitalizes on her relationships with craftsmen and artists who are experts in their fields.

Some of Fougeron Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Fougeron Architecture achieve 20th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	39

19. MWA Architects

At MWA Architects, we approach each project with a holistic design vision because we know that our work can create a positive and lasting impact for both people and the environment. Our primary markets focus on humanity’s essential needs — housing to support our well-being and access to healthy infrastructure – however, we pursue various project types all integral to a thriving community. The common thread in all of our work is that we deliberately take on challenging projects with complex and diverse stakeholder needs as these opportunities can often inspire meaningful change. A West-Coast-based firm, founded in 1988, we strive to create a legacy of beautiful and sustainable architecture that positively impacts the world.

Some of MWA Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Brooklyn Basin Township Commons, Oakland, California
San Francisco International Airport Terminal 2, San Francisco, California
Renaissance Commons, Portland, Oregon
Oak Harbor Clean Water Facility & Windjammer Park, Oak Harbor, Washington
Palo Alto Dewatering & Loadout Facility, Palo Alto, California

The following statistics helped MWA Architects achieve 19th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	17

18. STUDIOS Architecture

STUDIOS believes in the transformative power of design to lift the trajectories of individual lives and entire communities. We’ve seen it happen again and again since our founding, back when the first tech boom was just a spark. As those early innovators changed the way we all live, learn and work, we changed the way they thought about space — as a strategic resource for expressing their unique vision and fueling extraordinary success.
While our impact and expertise have expanded, our flexible approach to design remains fundamentally the same. We push boundaries, guided by the wisdom of close client partnerships and the confidence needed to take big and small steps forward together.

Some of STUDIOS Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

Kearny Point Building 78 Annex, Kearny, New Jersey
Dow Jones, New York City, New York
IAC Building, Interiors, New York City, New York
200 Fifth Avenue, New York City, New York
Nike – New York Headquarters, New York City, New York

The following statistics helped STUDIOS Architecture achieve 18th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	8
Total Projects	47

17. Studio O+A

At Studio O+A, our work process combines creativity and flexibility with the technical expertise to realize appropriate solutions for our client. Because our professionals are trained and experienced in all aspects of corporate planning and design, we exercise a degree of control that carries projects from concept to finish with consistency and economy.

Some of Studio O+A’s most prominent projects include:

adidas East Village Expansion, Portland, Oregon
Slack, San Francisco, California
Vara, San Francisco, California
McDonald’s Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois
Facebook HQ, Palo Alto, California

The following statistics helped Studio O+A achieve 17th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	11

16. OPA

Ogrydziak Prillinger Architects is a progressive San Francisco-based office that has been globally recognized for projects ranging in scale from institutions to private homes, as well as interior and object design. Founded in 2004, OPA is an idea-driven office committed to finding design solutions that both expand the possibilities inherent in architecture and resonate within their particular context.

While every project originates as a response to specific requirements of site, program and client, it evolves as an exploration of its own internal potential rather than reflecting a predetermined architectural style. In all the work, there is an emphasis on shaping and choreographing spatial experiences through the consideration of movement, perception and formal logic.

Some of OPA’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped OPA achieve 16th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Finalist	5
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	9

15. Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture

Motivated by a conviction that landscape design has the power to alter perception and ultimately initiate a deeper respect for the environment, ACLA designs spaces that offer opportunities for users to forge new relationships with their surroundings. Through an iterative process, we find simple responses to complex problems, and seek to elevate experiences through layering and choreography of movement. The trust we build with our clients through long-term partnerships is an important foundation of our work, as each new project expands our expression of design and craft.

Some of Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

Windhover Contemplative Center, Stanford, California
Richardson Affordable Apartments, San Francisco, California
Los Altos Residence, Los Altos, California
Telegraph Hill Residence, San Francisco, California
Birmingham Residence, Detroit, Michigan

The following statistics helped Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture achieve 15th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	13

14. Cass Calder Smith Architecture + Interiors

We believe that masterful design is unique, relevant and timeless. We really like iconic architecture that is conceptually interesting and also reveals an attention to detail, materiality and authenticity. We admire boldness balanced with simplicity, innovation balanced with functionality and power balanced with precision. We see ourselves as well-traveled creators with a conviction that a talented and experienced team that conscientiously listens is a valuable ally. We are professionally motivated to connect the aspects of artistic ambition, problem solving, environmental responsibility and style within demanding requirements.
‍
We are an award-winning multidisciplinary firm dedicated to design excellence. We were founded in 1992 by Architect Cass Calder Smith and are now comprised of four principals that include Barbara Vickroy, Taylor Lawson and Tim Quayle.

Some of Cass Calder Smith Architecture + Interiors’s most prominent projects include:

Print Lounge, New York City, New York
Diane Middlebrook Studios, Woodside, California
Stairway to Heaven, San Francisco, California
Aptos Retreat, Aptos, California
Mill Valley Residence, Marin County, California

The following statistics helped Cass Calder Smith Architecture + Interiors achieve 14th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	22

13. Rapt Studio

We’re into branding, design, and the spaces that bring them together.
We love connecting things. Sites, design, and strategy — we think it’s better when they all come together.
We’re a group of designers, builders, thinkers, and fans of culture who love creating inspiring spaces, digital places and everything in between. In short, we help companies stand out and stand for something.

Some of Rapt Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Vans Global HQ, Costa Mesa, California
Make, Carlsbad, California
Basalt, Napa, California
J Dawgs, Salt Lake City, Utah
Dropbox HQ, San Francisco, California

The following statistics helped Rapt Studio achieve 13th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Finalist	7
Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	28

12. Mork Ulnes Architects

With offices in San Francisco and Oslo, Mork Ulnes Architects approaches projects with a combination of Scandinavian practicality and Northern California’s ‘can-do’ spirit of innovation.

Some of Mork Ulnes Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Skigard Hytte, Fåvang, Norway
Mylla Cabin, Oppland, Norway
MOOSE ROAD RESIDENCE, Ukiah, California
MEIER ROAD BARN, Sonoma, California
Troll Hus, Placer County, California

The following statistics helped Mork Ulnes Architects achieve 12th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	4
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	9

11. S^A | Schwartz and Architecture

S^A | Schwartz and Architecture is a modern architecture and interior design studio established by Founder + Principal Neal J. Z. Schwartz, FAIA in 1997. Our expertise is in guiding clients through a highly interactive design process tailored to their personalities, budgets and needs. Rather than imposing a pre-conceived aesthetic, we begin our work by thoughtfully analyzing the particular opportunities posed by any site and constraint. We remain involved at every stage of design and construction and thrive working with fixed schedules and resources.

Some of S^A | Schwartz and Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped S^A | Schwartz and Architecture achieve 11th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	8
Total Projects	23

10. Mark Cavagnero Associates

Mark Cavagnero Associates is a San Francisco-based architecture firm focused on cultural, commercial, education, and civic projects. Since its establishment in 1988, the firm has completed a wide range of architectural and master planning projects, including large and small scale institutional, non-profit, commercial, and residential projects. The firm provides a full range of services, from programming, master planning, site planning and conceptual design, through construction documents and administration.

Some of Mark Cavagnero Associates’s most prominent projects include:

UC San Francisco, Joan & Sanford I. Weill Neurosciences Building, San Francisco, California
Quest Diagnostics Next Generation Lab, Clifton, New Jersey
Confidential Investment Firm, California
Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, California
San Francisco Conservatory of Music – Ute and William K. Bowes, Jr. Center for Performing Arts, San Francisco, California

The following statistics helped Mark Cavagnero Associates achieve 10th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	5
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	9

9. Klopf Architecture

Klopf Architecture brings the outside in. Our firm creates warm, modern designs that admit natural light and allow openness to nature. Our design approach weighs many factors to create custom designs with just the right level of connection to the outside world: clients’ goals and lifestyle, site orientation, views, climate and neighborhood context. Our primary goal is to create spaces people love to inhabit.

Specializing in new warm, modern net-zero energy houses, we are widely recognized for our work remodeling and adding to mid-century modern and Eichler homes. We believe in bringing these wonderful homes back to life for another generation to love, or creating new, green modern homes that provide the same level of warmth and connection to nature that follow a similar philosophy.

Some of Klopf Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Klopf Architecture achieve 9th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	47

8. Arterra Landscape Architects

Arterra is a full-service landscape architecture firm specializing in contemporary, sustainable design. We collaborate with our clients and their design team, providing imaginative solutions and clear communication. The Arterra Team is a diverse and slightly quirky group of creative and nerdy individuals. We are dedicated to the art and the craft of our profession. We consider it an honor and a privilege to do the work we do — and we do it well.

We share ideas and inspiration in our beautiful, open studio space, where design ideas come to life. We are dedicated to doing sustainable work and living sustainable lives. Our greatest achievement is creating a meaningful and sustainable landscape legacy.

Some of Arterra Landscape Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Dry Garden Poetry, Santa Cruz, California
The Painterly Approach, Belvedere Tiburon, California
Farm to Table, Woodside, California
Inspired by the Land, Healdsburg, California
Taronga, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Top image: Art House, San Francisco, California

The following statistics helped Arterra Landscape Architects achieve 8th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	3
A+Awards Finalist	4
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	15

7. Aidlin Darling Design

With a shared interest in exploring design across a wide range of scales, programs, and disciplines, partners Joshua Aidlin and David Darling started Aidlin Darling Design around a woodshop in 1998. With an emphasis on designing for all of the senses, they have cultivated a diverse and collaborative studio that acts as the creative hub for an extended network of builders, fabricators, artists, engineers, chefs and other collaborators. The firm’s work explores a closely held conviction that design can enlighten the human spirit by engaging all of the senses.

Some of Aidlin Darling Design’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Aidlin Darling Design achieve 7th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	21

6. Jensen Architects

At JENSEN we are passionate about creating buildings and environments that enrich the experiences of organizations and individuals. Guided by a responsibility to achieve the most using the fewest resources and to engage a broader cultural perspective, we develop solutions that embody each client’s values and larger purpose.

Our wide-ranging portfolio — encompassing arts, education, residential, workplace and retail — is underpinned by an abiding interest in how we live and work today, and the pleasure we take in collectively solving design challenges through research, unconventional thinking and a focus on craft. The economy and directness in our work reflects not only a clear concern for ecological sustainability but also a deep appreciation of the inherent beauty that emerges when functional, experiential and environmental goals are efficiently and gracefully resolved. We are recognized for innovative applications of proven building systems and materials and valued for our collaborative approach to design and construction.

Some of Jensen Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Stanford Residence, Stanford, California
The Shed Healdsburg, Healdsburg, California
Blue Bottle Morse Building, Oakland, California
Turner Residence, Larkspur, California
SFMOMA Rooftop Sculpture Garden, San Francisco, California

The following statistics helped Jensen Architects achieve 6th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	15
Total Projects	25

5. Form4 Architecture

Form4 Architecture believes in returning a sense of humanity to Modernism through emotional meaning and poetic design. The San Francisco-based award‐winning firm measures success by our contributions to society through a 2nd Century Modernist approach that balances expressive design, rigor, empathy and sustainability to create captivating buildings and spaces that resonate with people and enhance their lives.

Some of Form4 Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Form4 Architecture achieve 5th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	7
Featured Projects	12
Total Projects	26

4. Feldman Architecture

Feldman Architecture is an innovative residential and commercial studio known for creating buildings that sit lightly on the earth: beautiful, healthful, and soulful spaces that enhance our clients’ lives, our communities and the environment.

Some of Feldman Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

Mill Valley Cabins, Mill Valley, California
Slot House, Los Altos, California
The Sanctuary, Palo Alto, California
Sunrise, Healdsburg, California
Surf House, Santa Cruz, California

The following statistics helped Feldman Architecture achieve 4th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	20
Total Projects	37

3. IwamotoScott Architecture

IwamotoScott Architecture is an award winning architecture and design firm established by Lisa Iwamoto and Craig Scott. Based in San Francisco, the firm has gained national and international recognition for innovative design with projects around the country and overseas. Committed to pursuing architecture as a form of applied design research, IwamotoScott proceeds from the belief that each project can achieve a unique design synthesis.

IwamotoScott’s client list includes arts organizations, educational institutions, media firms, commercial developers and private clients. Our projects consist of work at all scales including urban design, buildings, interiors, full-scale fabrications, museum installations and exhibitions and theoretical proposals. IwamotoScott has received over eighty design awards and honors.

Some of IwamotoScott Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

Pinterest HQ, San Francisco, California
Pinterest HQ2, San Francisco, California
Heavybit Industries, 325, 9th Street, San Francisco, California
City View Garage, Miami Design District, Miami, Florida
Pinterest NY – Scissor Stair, New York City, New York

The following statistics helped IwamotoScott Architecture achieve 3rd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	5
A+Awards Finalist	7
Featured Projects	13
Total Projects	39

2. Salter

Salter consults on over 900 worldwide projects each year with headquarters in San Francisco and branch offices in San Jose, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Seattle. In 1975, Charles Salter founded the company on principles of sound engineering, scientific process, inquisitive problem solving, and personal integrity. His motto was simple: to be better every day. Having grown from 1 engineer to a team of 50 that includes acoustical, audiovisual, telecommunications, and security experts, that commitment remains the same.

At Salter, our legacy is 45 years of award-winning projects. We are a team of Professional Engineers, LEED Accredited Professionals, Certified Technology Specialists, Registered Communications Distribution Designers, Fellows of the Audio Engineering Society and Fellows of the Acoustical Society of America.

Some of Salter’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Salter achieve 2nd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	4
A+Awards Finalist	10
Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	42

1. Gensler

Gensler is a global architecture, design and planning firm with 53 locations and more than 7,000 professionals networked across Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East and the Americas. Founded in San Francisco in 1965, the firm serves more than 4,000 clients across more than 29 practice areas spanning the work, lifestyle, community and health sectors. Gensler designers strive to make the places people live, work and play more inspiring, more resilient and more impactful.

Some of Gensler’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Gensler achieve 1st place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	8
A+Awards Finalist	28
Featured Projects	49
Total Projects	163

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

A Guide to Project Awards

Project completed within the last 3 years
A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
High quality, in focus photographs
At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
Inclusion of construction photographs

Reference

Architecture

30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea

By Zarkon Group,18/06/2023

South Korea’s architectural language has developed over centuries, undergoing many evolutions and stylistic variations — many influenced by wavering politics. From the Japanese occupation to the devastating Korean War, South Korea’s urban fabric has endured many moments of unrest. The remains from times of political strife now stand alongside the nation’s contemporary architecture.

The nation’s pre-modern architecture is heavily influenced by Buddhism and Chinese design. South Korea’s mountainous landscape is home to traditional sloped-roof dwellings, temples and palaces attributed to past dynasties. Take the Changdeokgung Palace and the Haeinsa Temple, for example. These two relics are among South Korea’s 15 World Heritages Sites.

Alongside the tradition found in South Korean architecture is an astute interest in modern architecture and technology. Following the Korean War, the divide between North and South brought forth independent architectural styles. Once the dust from the wars settled and capital increased, Korean architecture flourished. A new sensibility was found — one that rejects pragmatism and encouraged experimentation and sophistication. South Korean architects began studying abroad and fusing their international perspectives with cultural tradition to breed a distinct Korean spirit. And Seoul, South Korea’s capital, has become an international stage for large-scale and impressive architectural feats.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in South Korea based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2023)
The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2023)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of South Korea architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in South Korea:

30. UTAA

Managed by principal director Byungyong Choi and principal architect Changgyun Kim, UTAA is a Seoul-based architecture firm that has been practicing since 2009. Their work is rooted in honesty, clarity and experimental organization.

Some of UTAA’s most prominent projects include:

Rest Hole in the University of Seoul, Seoul, South Korea
Black Box, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, South Korea
Boseong House, Boseong-gun, South Korea
Pinocchio, Pocheon-si, South Korea
Cinema House, Paju-si, South Korea

The following statistics helped UTAA achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	5

29. Z_Lab

Z_Lab is a design group to create a place and space based communication with region and reflects the individual’s desire and will. We must achieve a balance of individual aspirations and regional universality in terms of the design and local identity. We create a new experience for staying out through space and personalized lifestyle brand.

We would like to contribute to give a new experience for many people beyond the geographic boundaries based on the place and space. So that our results can be created with a private transfer to local and sustainable value for the future to create a positive business model based on the person and region.

Some of Z_Lab ‘s most prominent projects include:

Zer0place, Seosan-si, South Korea
Creativehouse, Seoul, South Korea
Pyeongdae Panorama, Jeju-si, South Korea
Yuwolbyulchae, Jeju-si, South Korea
blindwhales, Jeju-si, South Korea

The following statistics helped Z_Lab achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	5

28. ANM

Founded in 2009 by Hee Jun Kim, ANM is a Seoul-based architecture firm that emphasizes diversity and distinction while creating realistic and honest architectural relationships.

Some of ANM’s most prominent projects include:

Monk’s Cabin (Zen Room for a Buddhist Monk), Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea
House in Jeju, Jeju-do, South Korea
D Church, Yeoju-gun, South Korea
Yangpyeong House, Yangpyeong-gun, South Korea
Coffee House_Dong am, Yangpyeong-gun, South Korea

The following statistics helped ANM achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	6

27. Oh jongsang

Based in South Korea, Oh jongsang is a architecture firm specializing in religious and residential architecture.

Some of Oh jongsang’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Oh jongsang achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	10

26. HyunjoonYoo Architects

Founded by Hyunjoon Yoo, HyunjoonYoo Architects is a Seoul-based architecture firm specializing in public and residential architecture of all scales.

Some of HyunjoonYoo Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped HyunjoonYoo Architects achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	6

25. DIOINNO ARCHITECTURE PLLC

DIOINNO Architecture PLLC is a Seoul and Buffalo-based firm founded by architects Jin Young Song, AIA.

Some of DIOINNO ARCHITECTURE PLLC’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped DIOINNO ARCHITECTURE PLLC achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	25

24. D.LIM Architects

D·LIM is an architectural group led by its two principals, Yeonghwan Lim and Sunhyun Kim. The Seoul-based firm was founded in 2007 and specializes in private, public and corporate architecture.

Some of D.LIM Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall, Seoul, South Korea
H&M Seoul Hongdae Store, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Stardom Entertainment Office, Seoul, South Korea
Coconut house, Seongnam-si, South Korea
CJ Nine Bridges “The Forum”, Seogwipo-si, South Korea

The following statistics helped D.LIM Architects achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	5

23. YounghanChung Architects

Younghan Chung architects is an architectural studio based in Seoul. The firm seeks for new typology of living in the dense and uniform picture of the city and studies experimental and creative design processes through the relationship of various phenomena of the city.

Some of YounghanChung Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped YounghanChung Architects achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	5

22. Architecture Studio YEIN

Based in Gangneung-si, South Korea, Architecture Studio YEIN in a boutique firm specializing in residential architecture. The firm was founded by Yesun Choi in 2003.

Some of Architecture Studio YEIN’s most prominent projects include:

Sushi-Hu, Noam-dong, Gangneung-si, South Korea
BomBom Boutique Hotel, Gangneung-si, South Korea
Haemutje House, South Korea
Dried Persimmon House, Yeondang-gil, Gangneung-si, South Korea
The Pencil, Hongje-dong, Gangneung-si, South Korea

The following statistics helped Architecture Studio YEIN achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	14

21. Lee Eunseok+KOMA

Atelier KOMA is an architecture practice in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. The firm was founded by Lee Eun Seok and specializes in residential, commercial, cultural and religious architecture.

Some of Lee Eunseok+KOMA’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Lee Eunseok+KOMA achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	4

20. WISE Architecture

WISE Architecture was established in 2008 by Young Jang and Sook Hee Chun. The specializes in small but meaningful projects that focus on the materiality of everydayness in Seoul.

Some of WISE Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

BOX MOBILE GALLERY, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
ABC Building, Seoul, South Korea
Dialogue in the Dark Bukchon, Seoul, South Korea
Red Mirror Strips, Seoul, South Korea
Mu;M Building, Korea

The following statistics helped WISE Architecture achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	6

19. JMY architects

‘Architecturing’ has two main meanings. First, it refers to the basic posture and method of constructing in a present progressive sense rather than the resultant object of an architecture. Second, it also describes the object of design as ‘a work of organizing a space’ rather than the external form. There is no end if architecture is confronted with difficulty.

Occasionally, the numerous theories and results of architectures and cities deceive our mind and disturb the liberal thoughts of our brain. Since our knowledge and experiences are limited, an attitude of learning something new and emptying our mind everyday is required. Pure intellectual curiosity, positive thinking, and attitude that can stand up to the challenges we face will broaden our knowledge and deepen our thought. It is architecturing of JMY architects to enjoy learning and doing so.

Some of JMY architects’s most prominent projects include:

Woljam-Ri House, South Korea
[5X17] Daecheong-dong Small House, Busan, South Korea
[Sky ground] Sinsa-dong Office Complex, Seoul, South Korea
[Cheonggye-ri House] Where mountains, lakes and sky meet, apparatus at the boundary and gap, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea
[EARNEST CAPE] The Hill where the sky and the sea take a break, Ulsan, South Korea

The following statistics helped JMY architects achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	7

18. ON Architecture INC.

Based in Ulsan, ON Architecture INC. is an architecture firm that explores the function of architecture within the social and cultural phonema.

Some of ON Architecture INC.’s most prominent projects include:

Y-HOUSE, Ulsan, South Korea
Tower House, Gimhae-si, South Korea
Min Hwi Jeong, Ulsan, South Korea
Project Floor Area Ratio Game, Ulsan, South Korea
Double house, Ulsan, South Korea

The following statistics helped ON Architecture INC. achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	5

17. aoa architects

Architecture is nothing. However, architecture is more significant than any others like air in our life. Architecture is not a hero. Architecture is just a stage of our living. We do not want architecture to say a lot of showing language to come forward from the surroundings. As people live healthier within clean air, we want architecture to be a clean, pure and honest artifact that holds human life silently. We do not believe architecture will change the world and we do not work in order to change the world through architecture. For now, we, aoa architects, are about to construct the architecture with architecture itself without a metadiscourse beyond architecture.

Some of aoa architects’s most prominent projects include:

ㄷHouse (digeut-jip), Eumseong-gun, South Korea
Chubby Cat House, Seoul, South Korea
villa mangwon – stacked house, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Malefemale House, Seoul, South Korea
villa Jeju, Seogwipo-si, South Korea

The following statistics helped aoa architects achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	6

16. Archium

Archium Architects has been practicing architecture in the Seoul region since 1986. The firm specializes in commercial, residential and cultural design.

Some of Archium’s most prominent projects include:

Persona, Seoul, South Korea
Bauzium Sculpture Gallery, Gangwon-do, South Korea
Gilmosery, Seoul, South Korea
Khmeresque, Battambang, Cambodia
Himalesque, Jomsom, Nepal

The following statistics helped Archium achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	7

15. HAEAHN Architecture

HAEAHN Architecture has been continuously striving to design valuable urban environmental projects based on creativity and innovation since its establishment in 1990. HAEAHN has been in alliance with H Architecture, New York, USA since 2011 and established several overseas offices which have greatly contributed to its extensive growth in becoming a world standard architectural design firm.

Some of HAEAHN Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped HAEAHN Architecture achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	23

14. ArchiWorkshop

We are Architects, who think, create, enjoy and share everyday Architecture. The title ‘ArchiWorkshop’ has two meanings. One is ‘workshop of artisans’, and the other is the meaning of ‘attacking and defending to each other through discussion’. From a result perspective of view, architecture is a visual work. But at the same time, its origin accompanies philosophy and rational thinking. For that reason, we discuss and converse as much as sketching and this approach allows us for more influential operations and results. We, ArchiWorkshop, think, create, enjoy and share everyday architecture. Our ‘Everyday architecture’ has meaning of high level of architecture, namely, architecture with healthy environment and expansion of this architecture culture to more people to share.

Some of ArchiWorkshop’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped ArchiWorkshop achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	11

13. SsD

SsD is an architecture firm that approaches design as a convergent, interdisciplinary venture. Minimum form takes maximum effect with the goal to bridge the utopian and the pragmatic. Instead of separating aspects of architecture, landscape, history, social systems, and codes into their constituent disciplines, these agendas are simultaneously explored so that each discipline symbiotically gains from the other. In this way sustainability emerges as an integrated rather than additive result.

Some of SsD’s most prominent projects include:

Simgok, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, South Korea
Songpa Micro-Housing, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Oasis Place
Big Dig House, Lexington, MA, United States
Braver House, Newton, MA, United States

The following statistics helped SsD achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	10

12. Yong Ju Lee Architecture

Yong Ju Lee, AIA is the principal of Seoul-based Yong Ju Lee Architecture. He has been working for stimulating design for everyday life in multiple scales and media.

Some of Yong Ju Lee Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

Myeonmok Fire Station, Seoul, South Korea
Root Bench, Seoul, South Korea
Hoehyeon Community, Seoul, South Korea
Dispersion, Suwon, South Korea
Wing Tower, Seoul, South Korea

The following statistics helped Yong Ju Lee Architecture achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	8
Total Projects	9

11. OBBA

Office for Beyond Boundaries Architecture (OBBA) was founded in 2012 by Sojung Lee and Sangjun Kwak to look at various issues that arise in the rapidly changing contemporary society and the gaps between them from an integrated perspective rather than an individual perception and to pursue multiple options and mixed solutions. All projects undertaken by OBBA start with a critical view of people, architecture, and all the everyday things that interact with them. This means starting by addressing real-world problems that we are facing, rather than simply pursuing a utopian ideal.

OBBA is interested in the boundaries of each field and the boundaries between them, noticing new relationships that are not yet realized, developing expertise in various fields, speaking languages, and being a Boundary Crosser, freely crossing the boundaries of each field and trying to break away from conventional thinking. In addition, OBBA does not limit itself to one field, architecture, but crosses a wide range of scales and explores various topics to discover new possibilities.

Some of OBBA’s most prominent projects include:

The Vault House, Hadong-gun, South Korea
Beyond the Screen, Seoul, Korea, Republic of
The Floating Island, Bruges, Belgium
The Oasis, Yongin-si, South Korea
The Illusion, Seoul, South Korea

The following statistics helped OBBA achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	8
Total Projects	7

10. L’EAU design Co.,Ltd.

L’EAU Design is a group seeking after such environment as falling under comprehensive sense and attempt the relationship with architectural design. ‘Environment’ includes meanings of social and cultural conditions that influence in human lifestyle as well as ecological and build environment.

L’EAU Design, since its establishment in 2000, has been pursuing a total design focused on architecture and urbanism, renovation and interior design, enviroment design in order to architecturally design diverse concerns amid the better ‘human environment’, which is based on our research about social and cultural background of human.

Some of L’EAU design Co.,Ltd.’s most prominent projects include:

Matryoshka, South Korea
Tropism of wild flower, Seoul, South Korea
Song-chu Bending Band, Yangju-si, South Korea
Jeju BAYHILL POOL & VILLA _ EGOISTIC CROPPING, Yeraehaean-ro, Seogwipo-si, South Korea
Cosmos Intime, Gwangju, South Korea

The following statistics helped L’EAU design Co.,Ltd. achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	22

9. stpmj

stpmj is an award winning design practice based in new york and seoul. The office is founded by seung teak lee and mi jung lim with the agenda, “provocative realism”. It is a series of synergetic explorations that occur on the boundary between the ideal and the real. it is based on simplicity of form and detail, clarity of structure, excellence in environmental function, use of new materials, and rational management of budget. To these we add ideas generated from curiosity in everyday life as we pursue a methodology for dramatically exploiting the limitations of reality. From new perspectives, our work is nuanced yet bold and represents a reaction against architectural clichés.

Some of stpmj’s most prominent projects include:

Invisible Barn, Truckee, CA, United States
Shear House, Yecheon-gun, South Korea
Stratum House, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
The Surface, Gwacheon-si, South Korea
Dissolving Arch, Jeju-do, South Korea

The following statistics helped stpmj achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	10
Total Projects	10

8. JOHO Architecture

JOHO Architecture is a Seoul-based architecture firm ran by principal Jeong Hoon Lee. Interpreting architecture as a part of the humanities, JOHO Architectrue bases their philosophy on creating new identity and discourse in contemporary cities. In addition, architectural materials are set as a unit of ‘geo-metry’ and designs are developed through the grouping, addition and subtraction of these units. This ‘material_metry’ refers to the reinterpretation of a material’s meaning within the context of a site.

Some of JOHO Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

Namhae Cheo-ma House
The Curving House, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Casa Geometrica, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Time Stacking House, Seoul, South Korea
Platform-L Contemporary Art Center, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

The following statistics helped JOHO Architecture achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	12

7. BCHO Architects Associates

Founded in Seoul, Korea in 1994, BCHO Architects started as a design build office with a focus on simple structures and strong regard for nature. Since 1998 the practice focus is architecture and furniture, however we work very closely with contractors and multiple fabrication specialists in various disciplines; including stone masons, product designers, wood workers, potters, lighting engineers, furniture and graphic designers and artists. We also have multiple professional collaborators in Montana, Massachussetts, California, Hawaii and Peru. BCHO Architects believe that buildings, furniture and art are made, not created. Each architectural project, encompassing various scales and programs, explores the phenomenon of light and space, fabrication and construction methods , recycling and reusing, and a broad sense of sustainability (social/cultural/physical) which uses our collective creative energy to reduce our buildings demand for grid energy.

Some of BCHO Architects Associates’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped BCHO Architects Associates achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	10
Total Projects	11

6. Suh Architects

With every project, Suh Architects is defined by the marriage of function and verve. It does not adhere to a predetermined style, and expects its architecture to outlast current trends. Buildings must not only make sense spatially and in an intangible way, but also keep the rain out, heat in, and stay within budget. The firm is well-aware that this sort of harmony is only made possible by maintaining consistent standards and fully understanding its clients’ needs.

Its founder, Eulho Suh, is directly involved in the design and execution of each project from its initial conception, through planning, construction, and completion. With every project, spatial clarity and human scale are foremost; subsequent details are held to the highest standard of execution.

Some of Suh Architects’s most prominent projects include:

HYUNDAI SONGPA, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
JEONBUK HYUNDAI MOTORS FC CLUBHOUSE, Bongdong-eup, Wanju-gun, South Korea
GENESIS SUJI, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, South Korea
GENESIS STUDIO, Hanam-si, South Korea
HYUNDAI MOTORSTUDIO, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

The following statistics helped Suh Architects achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Winner	4
A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	8

5. UNITEDLAB Associates

Founded in 2015 by Sang Dae Lee, UNITEDLAB (UL) is multi-disciplinary design studio providing a comprehensive suite of architecture, landscape, and urbanism services. UL has locations in New York City and Seoul. Our multi-disciplined approach reflects our belief that diverse perspectives enable a broader view that guides the design process and enriches creative insight. UL is passionate about understanding how the rich interplay of society and ideology has shaped the built environment, and in turn, how the shaped environment affects its inhabitants. We call it SCAPE.

SCAPE views the interactions between social landscapes and urban patterns as a living system that is comprised of the built environment and people. Beyond a careful observation of the physical domain, factors such as societal influences, ideologies, economics, and metaphysical idiosyncrasies inform our design work and research. Additionally, UL analyzes, researches, designs, and envisions scenarios for future cities. By bridging the boundaries between theory and practice, UL is challenging the notion of traditional typologies.

Some of UNITEDLAB Associates’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped UNITEDLAB Associates achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Winner	5
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	4

4. Mass Studies

Photography (C) Yong-Kwan Kim - © Mass Studies

Mass Studies was founded in 2003 by Minsuk Cho in Seoul, Korea, as a critical investigation of architecture in the context of mass production, intensely over-populated urban conditions, and other emergent cultural niches that define contemporary society. Amid the many frictions defining spatial conditions in the twenty-first century, namely past vs. future, local vs. global, utopia vs. reality, and individual vs. collective, Mass Studies focuses on the operative complexity of these multiple conditions instead of striving for a singular, unified perspective. For each architectural project, which exist across a wide range of scales, Mass Studies explores issues such as spatial systems/matrixes, building materials/techniques, and typological divergences to foster a vision that allows the discovery of new socio/cultural potential.

Some of Mass Studies’s most prominent projects include:

Daum Space.1
Southcape Owner’s Club – Clubhouse, Yeosu, South Korea
Bundle Matrix: S-Trenue, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Missing Matrix Building: Boutique Monaco, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Ann Demeulemeester Shop, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

The following statistics helped Mass Studies achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	9

3. Moon Hoon

Moon Hoon is a Korean architect based in Seoul. Moon Hoon is known for his playful and artistic architecture that often experiments with color and geometry.

Some of Moon Hoon’s most prominent projects include:

Two Moon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Vi-sang House, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Busan Times, Busan, South Korea
Simple House, Jeju-si, South Korea
Wind House, Jeju-si, South Korea

The following statistics helped Moon Hoon achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	16
Total Projects	12

2. IROJE KHM Architects

IROJE KHM Architects is an award-winning architect’s office in Seoul, Korea. Kim Hyo Man, the principal of IROJE KHM Architects is architect, concurrent professor of graduate school of architecture and editorial adviser of an architectural magazine.

Some of IROJE KHM Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Ga On Jai, Kwangmyŏng, South Korea
HWA HUN, South Korea
Kyeong Dok Jai, Goyang-si, South Korea
Tetris Nursery, Dobong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
STELLA FIORE, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, South Korea

Top image: Flying House by IROJE KHM Architects, Incheon, South Korea

The following statistics helped IROJE KHM Architects achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	16
Total Projects	20

1. Studio Gaon

studio_GAON is a Seoul-based architecture practice founded by architects Lim Hyoungnam + Roh Eunjoo Architect. The firm specializes in residential, cultural and commercial design.

Some of Studio Gaon’s most prominent projects include:

Jetavana Buddhist Temple, Nam-myeon, Chuncheon-si, South Korea
Casa Gaia, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si, South Korea
House of January, House on the Demarcation, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, South Korea
House of San-jo, Buk-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
Lucia’s earth, Kongju, Korea, Republic of

The following statistics helped Studio Gaon achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in South Korea:

Featured Projects	28
Total Projects	41

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

A Guide to Project Awards

The blue “”+”” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.

Project completed within the last 3 years
A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
High quality, in focus photographs
At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
Inclusion of construction photographs

Reference