We work with clients, communities and constraints. We balance ambitious design with planning policy, creative ingenuity with buildability, and the latest technology with the realities of budget and programme. We challenge expectations of what is possible.
While disparate in nature, scale, form and material, our projects are all characterised by a combination of pragmatic problem solving and idealistic ingenuity. We call this approach Pragmatic Idealism.
Awards include a RIBA National Award, Civic Trust Award, Dezeen Awards shortlist, AJ Small Projects shortlist, AJ Retrofit shortlist and a BD Young Architect of the Year finalist nomination.
Our work has been widely published, featuring in The Guardian, Wallpaper, Fast Company, Dezeen, the RIBA Journal, the Architects Journal, Building Design, Detail, Arquine and Afasia.
Our projects have included four coastal holiday homes in Kent designed as a continuous spiral of floorplates to maximise sea views, an extension to a barrel vaulted community centre which creates a wraparound winter garden, a mixed-use regeneration scheme for a former Debenhams in Folkestone, and a swimming lane in the Regent's Canal. Other projects include a footbridge for Network Rail, a public space in Arrecife for Lanzarote Council, a treehouse for Kew Gardens, and a playful sculptural installation reimagining play at Dulwich Picture Gallery.
Completed works include Bradbury Works and Woodberry Works, two affordable workspace projects for Hackney Co-operative Developments, widely recognised and published internationally. We also work with people to improve their homes. Our first completed building was a carefully detailed prefabricated glass house in Birmingham. Green House is a reconfiguration of a Hackney home, designed in close collaboration with a building conservationist client. Tile House is a rooftop extension clad externally in recycled plastic tiles and unified internally by a warm palette of Douglas fir. Rigg Studio creates an artist's studio that references the language of mid-century modernism.
We are currently working on a large student accommodation scheme in South London, improvements across three University of the Creative Arts campuses, and 48 mixed-tenure apartments with commercial space in Strood Kent. Also in progress, a mixed-use scheme in Surrey where pitched roof volumes increase density while retaining the character of the street, a house on stilts on the Thames designed around flood risk, and two neighbouring houses conceived as non-identical twins.
Founding Director
Alex studied at the Royal College of Art, graduating in 2009, before working at acclaimed practices in Copenhagen and London where he contributed to a series of award-winning buildings.
Alex founded [Y/N] Studio and has overseen every project the studio has undertaken across an unusually wide range of scales, sectors and contexts — from carefully detailed private homes to large housing schemes, workspace buildings, educational and cultural projects, public spaces, infrastructure and masterplanning.
Bradbury Works in Dalston, an extension and refurbishment of affordable workspaces for Hackney Co-operative Developments, won a RIBA National Award and Civic Trust Award. Woodberry Works, a second project for the same client, has been shortlisted for the AJ Small Projects Award. In 2022 [Y/N] Studio were shortlisted as finalists for the BD Young Architect of the Year Award.
Alex currently teaches at Canterbury School of Architecture, having previously held positions at Oxford Brookes University, the University of Westminster and London Metropolitan University. He speaks internationally about the work of the practice.
Team
[Y/N] Studio has been home to a diverse and talented group of people. Past and present team members include Alex Smith, Inas El Ferkhsi, Elena Gruber, Maegan Icke, Stanley Chick, Nathalie Huber, Edward Crooks, Michael Waters, Raffaela Swoboda, Ayse Cagin Bailey, David Lomax, Margherita Zompa, Carolina Borgatti, Daniel Ford, Ainhoa Valle, Ezmira Peraj, Luna Ozbek and Roxani Tseranidou.
[Y/N] Studio has been home to a diverse and talented group of people. Past and present team members include Alex Smith, Inas El Ferkhsi, Elena Gruber, Maegan Icke, Stanley Chick, Nathalie Huber, Edward Crooks, Michael Waters, Raffaela Swoboda, Ayse Cagin Bailey, David Lomax, Margherita Zompa, Carolina Borgatti, Daniel Ford, Ainhoa Valle, Ezmira Peraj, Luna Ozbek and Roxani Tseranidou.
Jobs
We are always interested to hear from talented people as we look to grow our team. At [Y/N] Studio every team member is expected to contribute design ideas and criticism — our projects evolve collaboratively, without single authorship, and we believe this leads to better architecture.
Please email your CV and a short portfolio to mail@ynstudio.eu. We review everything we receive and will be in touch if there is a suitable opportunity.
2026 AJ Small Projects, Finalist
2024 RIBA Awards, National Winner
2024 Civic Trust Awards, Winner
2024 BCIA Awards, Finalist
2024 AJ Retrofit & Reuse Awards, Shortlist
2023 Dezeen Awards, Shortlist
2023 BD Young Architect of the Year, Finalist
2023 AJ Awards, Workplace, Highly Commended
2023 AJ Awards, Refurb, Shortlisted
2023 Housing Design Awards, Shortlist
2023 Arch Daily, Building of the Year, Shortlist
2023 Don't Move Improve, Longlist
2023 GAGA Award, Highly Commended
Selected Press
2025 Woodberry Works Architects Journal
2025 Staines Road East Architects Journal
2024 Bradbury Works RIBA Journal
2024 Bradbury Works Detail Magazine
2024 Bradbury Works BauNetz
2023 Bradbury Works Architects Journal
2023 Bradbury Works Building Design
2023 Bradbury Works Dezeen
2023 Bradbury Works Afasia Archzine
2023 Bradbury Works Arquine (Mexico)
2023 Gingerbread City Sky News
2023 Green House RIBA Journal
2023 Green House Dwell
2023 Green House Divisare
2018 Profile Architects Journal
2012 Lidoline The Guardian
2012 Lidoline Fast Company
2012 Lidoline Londonist
2012 Lidoline Architects Journal
all press
2026
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04/26
Bradbury Works Tour with Hackney Society and LSA
On Saturday 25 April, we hosted a tour of Bradbury Works as part of a series of building visits organised by Hackney Society, supported by the London School of Architecture’s Part 0 programme.
Led by Studio director Alex Smith, the visit brought together local residents alongside Part 0 participants for a walk through of the building.
04/26
Woodberry Works Shortlisted for AJ Small Projects Awards 2026
Woodberry Works, our prefabricated affordable workspace project, has been shortlisted for an AJ Small Projects Award. We’ll present to the jurors later this month. Fingers crossed.
04/26
Bradbury Works Tour for LSA and Hackney Society
On Saturday 25th April [Y/N] Studio director Alex Smith will be giving atour of Bradbury Work.
04/26
New website
We have just launched our new website.
3/26
Trellis House Site Progress
Work is progressing on trellis house. The project is due to complete in the next few months.
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12/25
Seasons Greetings
2025 has been a blast We worked on some lovely projects with great clients and friends. We hope to see you all again in 2026.
12/25
Dulwich Estate Refurbishment
Design work has begun on the whole house renovation of a side century home in the Dulwich Estate. We look forward to developing this further in 2026.
11/25
Non Identical Twins
We recently obtained planning permission for two neighbouring properties. The properties are designed to be similar but retain their individual characteristics to suit each client.
10/25
Tile House
Our rooftop extension for a Victorian terraced house clad in recycled plastic tiles in Hackney is now complete. The ground floor works of Tile House which features dark coloured quarry tiles will start on-site in 2026.
10/25
Trellis House
[Y/N] Studio started on site with a house extension in Waltham Forest features timber cladding that acts as a trellis for climbing plants. The project is due to complete in 2026.
09/25
Open House Festival
Bradbury Works is part of Open House 2025. On Saturday 20th September [Y/N] Studio director Alex Smith will be giving two tours. Numbers are limited. Check out the listing here.
Link here →
09/25
Student Accommodation
We are developing a proposal for 250 student rooms in South London. The linear block is arranged to create the best conditions for each room. The form is modulated to suit the context and create five distinct roof terraces, each with it's own unique character.
08/25
Woodberry Works in the Press
Our project in Woodberry Down, Hackney, London has been featured in the Architects Journal.
Link here →
07/25
[Y/N] in the AJ
Our scheme in Sunbury on Thames, Surrey, has been featured in the Architects Journal.
Link here →
07/25
144 Staines Road East submitted to planning
We have recently submitted a planning application for three apartments and 327 square metre convenience store space near Kempton Park Racecourse in Sunbury on Thames, Surrey.
05/25
Woodberry Works Complete
Our Woodberry Works project in Woodberry Down for Hackney Co-operative Developments is now complete and will welcome tenants over the next few months. The project will provide new, flexible and affordable workspaces.
03/25
Oversite Development
We are continually developing our in-house communication capabilities. As part of this process we worked up some images of a scheme undertaken last year with featuring profiled metal mesh clad residences over an existing three storey brick building.
01/25
Work has commenced on Woodberry Works
Our Woodberry Works project has started on site and is well underway.
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12/24
Seasons Greetings and Happy New Year
This year our Christmas card features our gingerbread house, exhibited as part of the Gingerbread City exhibition in London. We look forward to seeing everyone in 2025.
09/24
Open House Festival
Bradbury Works is part of Open House 2024.
On Saturday 14th September [Y/N] Studio director Alex Smith will be giving two tours. Numbers are limited. Check out the listing here.
Link here →
08/24
RIBA National Award Winner 2024
BIG news! Bradbury Works has won a RIBA National award — one of only 26 winners this year. We are over the moon. Well done to the team.
Link here →
07/24
Coopersale Road starts on site
We are excited that our roof extension project has now started on site.
07/24
AJ Retrofit & Reuse Award
ShortlistBradbury Works has been nominated for an AJ Retrofit and Reuse Award in the Positive Addition (Under £5m) category.
Link here →
07/24
BCIA Awards Finalist
Bradbury Works has been nominated for a British Construction Industry Award in the Retrofit of the Year category.
Link here →