About us
The ingredients for a quiet life are all there in Berkshire: wispy Tudor-era villages, scrubby riverside walking paths and vast tracts of rolling English green dotted with sheep. After all, It’s the preferred address of none other than the Queen.
The Royal Borough also has a great collection of houses dating back through the eras – and not only for the aristocratic. Our unique style of residential architecture suits the heritage homes dotted across this part of the country as it complements the postwar developments that cluster between green parks and hobby farms. Our home expansions, renovations and new-builds deliver efficient, light-bathed layouts that respect the local vernacular and address modern lifestyles.
At Scenario we work in close collaboration with our clients to fashion homes that work for them. We also nurture relationships with planning departments across England to realise the best solutions within a realistic budget.
Born in East London in 2007, our boutique practice unites our distinctive contemporary style with our appreciation for heritage architecture. From our very first commissions we have put our clients at the centre of our designs, collaborating closely, letting their ideas come to the fore. We believe that any highly functional contemporary home must be the product of a deep connection between architect and homeowner. Scenario’s tailor-made homes reflect their lifestyle, their stories, their dreams.
This is no more evident than in Scenario House. Shortlisted for a 2018 RIBA London Award, Scenario House models our commitment to breathing new life into period property with a fresh, customised approach.
all_large
Projects
Full renovation of a family home, exploring the connection between living spaces
The Scenario House, Stoke Newington during NLA Open house event
Starting your Fulham project
Fulham Architects Your Fulham project
.
Most building projects in Fulham require approval from the local authority. Fulham architects can help you through the process, collaborating with council officials to see through your application. Scenario Architects has successfully steered clients through the permissions stage.
We’ve drawn up an illustrated synopsis to help guide you through the planning process for a Fulham-based renovation, restoration, addition or new-build.
Focal Shift fire place, first project as local architects in Hackney E9
The Scenario house, Hackney during NLA Open house event
2017
Your Berkshire project
Whether you’re planning an extension, renovation or new-build, this illustrated synopsis will help you go through the motions of hiring a residential architect. Keep in mind that most architectural undertakings in Berkshire require planning and building approval from the West Berkshire Council. We can help you navigate that process, working alongside officials in West Berkshire to see through your application.
If you are thinking about starting an architectural project in Hackney, be it a renovation, or an extension to an existing property or even a new build house we are here to help.
We created a created a brief and illustrated overview of the process to help you understand what to expect through the various stages of a residential, extension, renovation or new build project in Hackney, E9.
Most projects would need planning permission, which in Stoke Newington, Clapton, Dalston, Shoreditch and all other Hackney Neighbourhoods will require obtaining planning permission from Hackney Council. Our extensive track record working with Hackney planning department and successfully securing planning permissions for our clients enables us to consider Hackney our home court.
TIP: To find out the actual track record which any architects you may be considering has with your local council, go to the planning application search page on your local council’s website and use the search by agent option.
To help you understand in more detail what is required for obtaining planning permission in Hackney E9 we created a helpful and clear guide which you can download below:
Tip
Working with Scenario Architecture on your Fulham project
Fulham Architects Your Fulham project >> Scenario Architecture
This guide is suitable for people who intend to make alterations to their homes that will require the consent of their local council.
It is based on our own extensive experience and explains in simple terms the UK planning process and how to successfully navigate through it.
We have put together this guide to explain, in a simple way, how to put in an application for planning permission in Stoke Newington. It is aimed at people who want to make alterations to their homes that will require the consent of their local council. We have over 10 years experience of doing planning permissions and hope we can share some clarity on the process, and the main points you will need to think about.
Our boutique studio specialises in residential architecture, offering bespoke services for home additions, renovations and new-builds. Based in Hackney, we practice across London and beyond.
A RIBA Chartered Practice, Scenario complies with the UK’s strict health and safety criteria. We collaborate closely with our clients throughout every stage of the process, from the design phase, through planning and construction. We aim to deliver every project on time and on budget.
Our skilled team works with the latest 3D design technology: real-time digital visualisations and virtual reality. We feel they are the most effective and efficient tools for seeing through our work, choosing fittings and simulating natural light.
This Chartered Institute of Building case study features a recent Scenario project, demonstrating the benefits of advanced technologies in designing for the domestic sphere.
Working with Scenario Architecture on your Hackney project
This guide is suitable for people who intend to make alterations to their homes that will require the consent of their local council.
It is based on our own extensive experience and explains in simple terms the UK planning process and how to successfully navigate through it.
We have put together this guide to explain, in a simple way, how to put in an application for planning permission in Stoke Newington. It is aimed at people who want to make alterations to their homes that will require the consent of their local council. We have over 10 years experience of doing planning permissions and hope we can share some clarity on the process, and the main points you will need to think about.
Established in 2007, Scenario Architecture is a boutique architecture studio focused on the high-end residential sector, working extensively throughout and around London. We specialise in every scale and type of domestic project, from interior alterations, through full renovations and refurbishments to new build homes. We offer a full bespoke architecture service tailored to fit your requirements and aspirations.
Our friendly and highly skilled team has the knowledge, experience and expertise necessary to take you step-by-step through the challenging and exciting journey of creating your new home. We will work together with you in close collaboration from initial design, through detail design and planning all the way to tender, construction and successful completion of your project on time and within budget.
Scenario Architecture is an RIBA Chartered Practice, which essentially means that we are compliant with the RIBA (Royal Institute of Chartered Architects) strict criteria, covering insurance, health and safety and quality management systems.
As early adopters of latest technology, we use as a standard for all projects a verity of innovative 3D design and visualisation tools to create and communicate design with our clients. Our experience shows that Real-Time visualisations and Virtual Reality tours are extremely powerful tools to streamline the process of choosing material finishes fixtures and fittings as well as simulating realistic natural light conditions.
When we produce accurate and reliable construction information we use the latest 3D BIM technology, (BIM stands for Building Information Modelling) which means that all project information is derived from a single accurate and coordinated 3D model. Using this cutting-edge technology collaboratively with other consultants as well as contractors has proven to save time and cost for our clients.
A case study featuring one of our projects was published by the Chartered Institute of Building, demonstrating the great benefits of this advanced technology specifically with domestic projects.
Scenario Architecture in London deliver design and architectural expertise for residential projects. We were established in 2007 by Ran Ankory and Maya Carni who both trained with the AA School of Architecture. Scenario have grown to an award-winning team of nine. We have been featured in Dezeen and Elle Decoration UK.
Our highly experienced team of architects Stoke Newington work with clients using innovative 3D and Virtual Reality technology that simulates your new home before the first brick is even laid. This simulation technique allows you to see beautiful scenarios, designed to fit your life. An organic process, it often influences the choice of materials and design methods.
If you are looking for a top architects Stoke Newington, we are based here and can help with your project. We are a RIBA Chartered Practice and we operate across the following areas and postal districts: Camden, Dalston, Hackney, Hampstead, Highgate, Haringey, Islington, East London, Knightsbridge, Kensington and Chelsea, Mayfair, Notting Hill, North London, West London, West Hampstead, Shoreditch, Southwark, Stoke Newington, N1, N6, NW3, N16 and E5.
Full-width extension opens to the beautiful garden of this Victorian property
Complete renovation and extension of a family home
Scenario is an established architecture practice focusing on contemporary residential design. We take on projects of every scale and scope, from home refurbishment, renovation and expansions to new-builds.
A genteel pocket of London, built around a dip in the Thames, Fulham is known for its peaceful residential streets and creative lore. Less industrialised than Hammersmith, to one side, and less swish than Chelsea, to the other, it enjoys a cosy neighbourhood feel with pretty workers’ cottages and pockets of green. Intimate streets with roomy Victorian and Edwardian terraces lead out to the river and Fulham Palace, an ancient bishops’ manor. These are the most attractive places to live in the area. The leafy roads leading towards Fulham Road and New King’s Road are the most fashionable. Fulham’s artisanal heritage – started with the weavers and glassworkers of the 17th century – continue today. Artisan studios occupy disused industrial buildings and a historic foundry. Hubs of design shops pop up all over the neighbourhood.
One of the biggest housing booms in Victorian London played out in Fulham. The area’s tall, sturdy, generously proportioned houses make safe and attractive prospects for a family home, with nooks and crannies to exploit and decent-sized gardens in which to extend. Because the layout of the typical Fulham home is part of London’s residential architectural canon, Fulham architects – and of course architects from across the capital – are well versed in their potential.
Victorian renovations are more compassionate today than they’ve ever been, with homeowners striving to preserve architectural elements like decorative cornicing, ceiling roses, skirting boards and dada rails. Sash windows are being replaced by specially made wood reproductions and wood-burning fireplaces recouped after being sealed off for decades. Paint companies like Farrow & Ball have built multinationals out of replicating the de rigueur colours of Victorian times. And new tile ceramicists are bringing back traditional motifs with contemporary silhouettes, for front gardens and foyers. Hardwood floors have made a comeback, with timber salvage and reproduction going strong.
Most renovations focus on transforming the core of the home, and revolutionise the kitchen and bathrooms in the process. To recoup the extra floor area today’s families have become accustomed to, Fulham architects are extending into voids in the lofts and side returns common in Victorians. Small period kitchens can open up into the side return without eradicating period features; in the recovered space, a corner can be reserved for a powder room or utility room. Ditto the loft: pushing up the ceiling and pushing out dormer windows can make new space available for an en suite bathroom.
With extending out into dead space comes the welcoming in of natural light. Upward-facing Velux windows become possible once the upper floor is properly extended and the main floor pushed out beyond the confines of the original footprint. If a second-storey extension is permitted in your plans, an internal void can bring natural light from the top floor downwards, and vice versa.
all_large
1
Full-width extension opens to the beautiful garden of this Victorian property
Complete renovation and extension of a family home
Fulham Architects In our clients words
We wanted to renovate our house in a conservation area in central London. Given this involved a complete demolition and new build with an extra floor on top, getting planning approval was always going to be tricky. Scenario did an amazing job on the new house 'envelope' and throughout the planning phase. We couldn't have wished for better from them and having succeeded in gaining planning approval owe them a very big 'thank you'. 
Scenario designed a kitchen extension for us, and we are delighted with the results. The process was well organised, planned and delivered, and the whole team were a pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend them for their design, planning and project management skills. 
Worked with these guys on the internal development of our office. From start to finish they were great. They got what we wanted first time and really made working with them very easy. Their aftercare has been great too helping us deal with something that they were not involved with in the first place. Will highly recommend them to anyone. See all Google reviews
Working with Scenario Architecture
We specialise in domestic architecture on all scales and scopes. Our boutique studio in London offers a bespoke architecture service with a team of experienced, highly skilled architects to tackle your refurbishment, full renovation or new-build. Our RIBA Chartered Practice complies with the strict health and safety criteria of the Royal Institute of British Architects. We use innovative 3D design technology on all our projects for the most accurate up-to-the-minute visualisations. This Chartered Institute of Building case study, featuring a Scenario project, demonstrates the benefits of advanced 3D technology for residential design.
We collaborate with all our clients from the drawings phase through construction, and we strive to deliver all our projects on time and on budget. If you are looking for an architect in Berkshire, look over our online portfolio of residential projects.
In our client's words
Dalston is less a defined London territory than it is a neighbourhood of like-minded people. Roughly defined in the west by the A10, the city’s oldest Roman-dug road, it floats between Clapton, Hoxton and Islington. But more than its geographical location, it expresses itself with its liberal, tolerant, international attitude.
The working-class population that first settled here in the 19th-century, rippling out from the Regents Canal, converted farmland into industrial sites and small Victorian cottages. They were joined by immigrants from multiple countries and religions, together building up a modest community outside the confines of the City of London. After a postwar slump, the neighbourhood came alive toward the end of the last century. Artists began settling here, spilling out from Hoxton and Shoreditch, seeking inexpensive post-industrial workspace, artistic freedom and places to exhibit their art. As per the rules of gentrification, young professionals and families followed. They’ve transformed the old warehouses, factories and stables into appealing and spacious homes. And in the brownfields between them, architects have designed experimental contemporary homes, creating housing where none existed while pushing the boundaries of their craft.
Live-work spaces, purpose-built apartment blocks and modern terrace housing have sprung up among the historic brick and contemporary timber constructions, giving the neighbourhood a dynamic and unpredictable character. People of all cultures and brackets live side-by-side, and businesses are popping up to serve them. They combine to make Dalston an area of great potential, for people who seek a multicultural atmosphere and an unconventional lifestyle.
If you’re a fan of heritage housing, look to the streets radiating east off Stoke Newington High Street and Kingsland Road. Streets like Forest Road and Richmond Road, leading to Gayhurst Community School and London Fields, are chock-a-block with tall, broad Victorian family homes and repurposed factories. With the old brick and ironwork maintained, new residents are slowly fixing them up and maximising their potential. Further north, Shacklewell Lane, Sandringham Road and St Marks Rise are attracting new buyers to the grand tree-lined streets. Homes here rise to four storeys, many of them in need of an upgrade. Buyers seeking a fixer-upper, or a tired family home on which to put a personal stamp, would have lots of opportunity here. At the heart of this enclave sits St Marks Dalston, one of the largest neighbourhood churches in the country – larger in area than Southwark Cathedral. Its Gothic rose window and French-inflected tower, built a century ago, dominate the road.
Loft extensions are more of a rule than an exception in Dalston, as are side-return kitchen extensions. Local architects like Scenario are well versed in the expansion and renovation process here, and manoeuvre their designs successfully through the planning and heritage departments. The results are often stripped-back, light-filled versions of the original Victorian architecture, offering vast entertaining spaces and private nooks for growing families.
Further Reading
There’s a reason the Queen lives in the so-called Royal Borough of Berkshire. Her rambling weekend pad – built in the 11th century for William the Conqueror no less – oversees and overlooks some of the prettiest green vistas among England’s affluent Southeast. From the Thames River valley, along its long lateral border, to the North Wessex Downs, monopolising the west, Berkshire is long on natural beauty.
It’s got architectural splendour in spades, too. Windsor Castle, itself a hodgepodge of styles introduced over centuries, has informed the surrounding areas for all of its existence. Eton College, just across the river, came along in the 15th century to educate the country’s elite and spawned an entire village of handsome residential streets. The Palladian sprawl of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, near the Hampshire border, followed three centuries later and taught Princes William and Harry. The Ascot Racecourse was founded in 1711, putting its quiet town of red-brick Gothic churches and modest stone cottages on the map.
The county is awash with independent schools where aristocrats mix with children of industry. These are interspersed with folksy towns and villages of two-storey family homes, High Street shopping, atmospheric pubs and independent restaurants. But to find a quieter life and get distance from “down from Londoners”, most head westward on the M4, which bisects the county, and settle within the North Wessex Downs. You might have to circumvent Highclere Castle, erstwhile setting for the Downton Abbey TV series, to do so, but once you’ve cleared Highclere, as it were, the county turns up big skies, family farms, village greens with ancient stone churches and fields of bouncy alpaca. Out here, around 90 minutes from London by car and a bit less by high-speed train, the residential landscape is a mix of heritage housing and more contemporary 20th-century additions. This means you’ll likely be able to find an affordable house that doesn’t require complicated strategies to achieve planning permission when you want to alter it. Hungerford is popular, for its good-sized postwar houses and access to genteel country life. Goring, on the River Thames, offers a wider range of period properties with larger gardens, just a quick connection from Reading. Closer to London and just off the M4 is Wokingham, which has a fascinating Saxon history, old-fashioned High Streets, excellent state schools and a village, rather than a suburban, feel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Design a Home That Boosts Wellbeing
Your home should be a space that has a positive effect on your health and wellbeing. It's the place where you spend a lot of your time, where you relax at the end of the day, where you have family time, and where you eat and sleep. It should make you feel happy and contribute to your overall wellness, both in terms of your physical health and how you feel mentally and emotionally. Many elements in your home can play a part in this and if you're designing a new home, you can consider the different things that may help it to boost your wellbeing.
Hire an Architect
Firstly, you should be sure to hire an architect if you want to design a home that will improve your wellbeing. While a builder can create some plans for you to choose from, the result could be that your home is not unique to you and the way you live. An architect works with you to design a home that perfectly matches your needs. When you hire Scenario Architecture, we can suggest ideas for your home to boost wellbeing in your home, suggesting creative designs that work for you.Bring in Natural Light
Getting plenty of natural light into your home is a fantastic way to boost wellbeing. People are drawn to natural light, and it makes us happier and healthier when we can bask in it. If your home is dark, it can make it feel small and claustrophobic. Natural light connects you to the outdoors and helps you to experience the ebb and flow of the sun. Installing lots of windows and glass doors helps to bring in more natural light, as does having skylights or glass roofs and orienting your home so that it faces in the best direction. At the same time, it's important to prevent overheating if you're going to have a lot of glass.Make It Feel Secure
Feeling safe at home is vital. Your home is your sanctuary, so it's important to think about how it can be a secure place for you to be. Of course, there are elements such as the security of your doors and windows to think about, but you can also consider how to create a feeling of safety and security in another way. While you might have open spaces that help light to flow through your home, it's also necessary to have cosy, more enclosed spaces where you can feel safe. You need to have zones where you can retreat more into your home, gather as a family and enjoy privacy and comfort.Create a Healthy Atmosphere
The design of your home affects the air quality, the humidity, and the temperature. In the UK, we want our homes to be airtight so that they are well-insulated, particularly in the winter. However, this means that we need a way to deal with moisture and prevent high humidity levels. This problem can be solved using mechanical ventilation and heat recovery units, which ensure air is circulated to remove excess moisture and keep things fresh. Managing the internal temperature of your home is also important, and this can be done in a variety of ways. Installing modern and energy-efficient heating products keeps your home warm, as does making choices such as installing triple-glazed windows to help regulate your home's temperature.Use Natural Materials
The use of natural materials is a great way to design a home that boosts wellbeing. Natural materials are better for the air quality in your home. Whereas some artificial materials might give off toxins that affect the health of your home, natural materials such as timber and stone help to make your home healthy. They can also simply help to give your home the right feel. They make your home feel more connected to nature, bringing the outdoors inside and even giving your home a brighter and more lively feel.Join Inside and Outside
Being more connected to nature and the outdoors can help to improve our wellbeing. No one wants to feel like they are trapped in their home or that they are cut off from the outside world. Joining indoor and outdoor spaces means that you get to enjoy the outdoor space that you have even when you're indoors, and you connect yourself to the wider surroundings too. This is especially important if you have attractive views surrounding your home and want to make the most of them. Glazed doors that can be opened up but still show you the outdoors even when they're closed are an excellent way to achieve a blending of indoor and outdoor spaces.Use Colour Carefully
Your choice of colour is significant when it comes to designing the interiors of your home. From the moment you're selecting materials to when you're decorating internally, you can think about how colour affects how you feel about your home. There aren't necessarily any clear rules about which colours you should choose. Some people may find bright colours invigorating while others could find them too loud. Your use of colour can make a difference to your wellbeing because different colours can be suitable for different rooms and the kind of atmosphere and ambience you want to create.Create Privacy
While open spaces are a good addition to your home, it's also important to have privacy within your home. If you're designing a family home, you need everyone to have their own space and to create acoustic insulation to prevent sound carrying. Even if you're not building a home for your family, you will want to create privacy for when you have guests, as well as privacy from the outside world. Hallways connecting different rooms help to create privacy and also provide a better flow through your home.When you design a home that boosts wellbeing, you can feel happy and healthy at home. Hire an architect to help you if you want a unique home designed just for you.