About Scenario’s Experience in Residential Architecture

Scenario Architecture is one of the top residential architecture studios in London. With experience spanning over more than a decade, we’ve created a portfolio of high-end projects across the capital, adding contemporary details to period homes and building distinctive, highly functional spaces. We established Scenario in 2007 with a vision to develop a uniquely collaborative architecture firm. Our boutique practice takes a considered approach to our clients’ habits, hobbies and aspirations, delivering highly functional contemporary living spaces that tell a story about the owners and not about the architects. Our landmark project Scenario House has been widely covered by the media and shortlisted for several prestigious architecture prizes, this includes the 2018 RIBA London Awards. It demonstrates our innovative and tailored approach to domestic architecture.  

Our Expertise and Approach

As one of the leading residential architects in London, our architecture firm is renowned for delivering bespoke architectural designs with a considered approach that puts our clients’ needs and aspirations first. We specialise in creating light-filled spaces which enhance every aspect of residential life, from house extensions and loft conversions to interior design and full new-build projects. Our experienced architects and interior designers work on a wide range of residential projects across London, including boroughs such as Hackney, Islington, Lambeth, and Lewisham. Whether you’re planning a rear extension, renovating a terrace or embarking on a bespoke home project, Scenario offers smooth planning and delivery from concept to completion.  We are experts in working with historic buildings and have extensive experience in securing planning permissions and navigating the local planning policy. Every project is approached with a strong focus on design quality and a deep understanding of residential architecture. This is supported by close collaboration with structural engineers and a thorough knowledge of building regulations. Our team of architects and designers is proud to serve London, offering bespoke architectural services that range from elegant extensions and loft conversions to complete design-and-build solutions. As an award-winning and RIBA chartered firm, we are recognised among the capital’s leading residential architects, renowned for creating beautifully glazed spaces that elevate and transform London homes.

Projects

Focal Shift fire place, first project as local architects in Shoreditch

Full renovation of a family home, exploring the connection between living spaces

The Scenario House, Stoke Newington during NLA Open house event

Starting your London project

London Architects Your London project

Most building projects in London require approval from the local authority. London 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 London-based renovation, restoration, addition or new-build.

Focal Shift fire place, first project as local architects in Shoreditch

Focal Shift fire place, first project as local architects in Hackney E9

The Scenario house, Hackney during NLA Open house event

2017

Your London Residential project

If you plan to take on a residential architectural project in London, we’re happy to help – whether you’re planning a home extension, renovation, or a new-build. We've created a brief illustrated overview to help you understand each stage of the process. Most London architecture projects require planning permission from the local council. With our successful record in securing planning permission on behalf of our clients, we can have advantage in homes, in and around the capital.

If you are thinking about starting an architectural project in London, 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 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 London.

Most projects need planning permission from your local council.

  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.  

Tip

Working with Scenario Architecture on your London project

London Architects Your London project

Our boutique studio specialises in residential architecture, offering bespoke services for home additions, renovations and new-builds. Based in Wandsworth, 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 London project

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 London, we 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.

Start your London project

Full-width extension opens to the beautiful garden of this Victorian property

Complete renovation and extension of a family home

A glazed roof draws daylight deep into the plan

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.

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, London 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.

London Architects In our clients words

scenario-architecture-testimonial-brendan 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-architecture-testimonial-simon 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.
scenario-architecture-testimonial-james 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

Scenario is a boutique architecture studio focused on high-end residential projects in London and beyond. Through our bespoke architecture service, we tackle domestic projects of every scale and complexity, from interior refurbishments to full renovations and new-builds.

Our approachable and highly skilled team will take you step-by-step through the challenge of designing your new space. We’ll collaborate closely with you from the initial drawings, detailed design and planning, guiding you through the tender and construction process and completing your house on time and on budget.

Technology & Innovation:

  • 3D Design & Visualisation Tools – for selecting finishes, fixtures, fittings, and simulating natural light in real time.
  • BIM (Building Information Modelling) – accurate, coordinated 3D models for reliable construction information.
  • Collaborative approach with consultants and contractors to save clients time and money.
Scenario Architecture is an RIBA Chartered Practice, which complies with the strict criteria of the Royal Institute of British Architects, covering insurance, health and safety, and quality management.

A Chartered Institute of Building case study featuring a Scenario project demonstrates the benefits of our advanced technology for domestic architecture.

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

Why Your Home Deserves a Qualified Architect 

London offers one of the widest ranges of residential housing, with exceptional potential for improvement. Yet starting a project can feel daunting, given the historic character of many homes and the complexity of planning and development regulations. Turning straight to a builder or home-extension specialist can risk overlooking the unique character and individuality of your home. Why use a qualified architect?
  • Avoid unforeseen problems during construction.
  • Uncover hidden potential in your property.
  • Select materials with consideration for quality and sustainability.
  • Save money in the long run and add value to your home.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) offers a project database of over 40,000 case studies to help match you with a specialist in your style, area, and budget. With an experienced architect guiding you, you’ll have a property you’ll love to live in for years, or one that will hold a strong market value, from party walls to kitchens and planning approvals to builder coordination.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

10 Expert Tips to Win Planning Permission on a Garden Plot

Your garden could be the perfect site for a self-build, particularly as the land is already yours. Building on your own plot saves you the time and frustration of searching for suitable land elsewhere, and it allows you to remain in your home throughout the construction process. If your garden isn’t large enough, many homeowners across the country have successfully carved out plots from existing gardens. But what rules and restrictions apply to this kind of build? And what specific considerations should you keep in mind before moving forward? If you’re planning to build in your garden, there are several important things to consider. Your design must avoid reducing your neighbours’ privacy, light, or views. Safe access to the site is essential, and both the construction process and the finished building should minimise disruption to those around you. Local planning policies can also present challenges, particularly when it comes to issues such as the safe disposal of foul and surface water. With this in mind, here are some of the key considerations to address in order to secure the planning permission you’ll need to move your project forward.  

Space

One of the main issues when using a garden plot is whether there is enough space to add in additional property. If you’re considering developing towards the side of your property, then you will also need to think carefully about whether the look of the street will be changed. A new house ought to fit in with the pattern of the surrounding buildings. A lot of garden plot schemes get rejected for planning permission because they will be too cramped in the space. Careful design by an architect, such as Scenario Architecture, can make the best use of a narrow plot, using tricks like designing the new building to appear as part of the larger adjoining house, for example as an outbuilding. There’s no minimum plot size, but the right design can make all the difference.  

Local Vernacular

When choosing the right design and materials, the same principle of “fitting in” applies. You don’t have to copy the surrounding houses, and a lot can depend on the tastes of the council, or even the individual officer who deals with your application.  

Privacy

The new house must not overlook the neighbours, including their windows as well as their garden. Some councils stipulate a minimum separation distance to maintain privacy. In most areas, this is a minimum back-to-back distance for new properties of 20m to 22m. Privacy problems can be dealt with in your design, which is where your architect comes in. An architect can preserve privacy by arranging rooms carefully, or by using high-level glazing to obscure views in certain directions. If you have a side-garden plot, you might want obscured bathroom windows on the side nearest the neighbours.  

Overshadowing

Unless the new property is built on the north side of an existing building, overshadowing can be a problem. A common issue with narrow side-garden plots, for example, if the front of the design jutting forward further than the neighbour’s house. If your design blocks natural light from your neighbour’s patio that used to be a sun trap, your project might be rejected. If the loss of light to the neighbouring houses is severe, you might fall foul of light legislation too.  

Outlook

If a new building intrudes on another property’s open outlook, it may be seen as a loss of amenity. However, outlook is not the same as a view and is generally not considered when granting planning permission, unless it leads to issues such as overshadowing or loss of light.  

Trees

Removing trees can be an issue on a garden plot, especially if they contribute to the character of the street. Neighbours and local councillors are often unhappy about the removal of trees that enhance the area, even if it’s necessary for your project. Careful landscaping can help preserve as many trees as possible and reduce potential objections. If your building is near significant trees, you may also need a tree survey as part of your planning application.  

Ecology

If there are protected species on the plot, such as bats living in the trees, then you can run into problems in getting planning permission. If there are signs of any protected species on the plot, you will need an ecological survey.  

Drainage

Think about how your garden plot will be drained. In an ideal world, you will be able to link to a public sewer via the driveway, and surface water can go to soak-aways. You will need to think about this kind of thing early on in the planning process, so that you can include some suitable solutions with your planning application. If you can’t access the public sewer, you will need to make sure you have space for a private system.  

Access

You must provide a safe entrance and adequate parking, with enough space to turn a car around. You will also need to account for any noise and other disturbance from vehicles that will cause an issue for the neighbours. A drive that is squeezed between neighbouring houses probably won’t be accepted, unless both properties have no windows on the walls overlooking the driveway.  

Local Politics

Applications for garden plots can be affected by local politics. Gaining the support of your neighbours early in the process can make a significant difference — especially if they are on, or have connections to, the parish, town, district, or borough council.