Residential / Architectural visualisations
A contemporary home for a family, bringing natural materials, generous glazing and garden spaces together.
Independent architecture
Good design.
Better places.
Creative thinking.
Practical delivery.
We design homes, workplaces and spaces for care. Thoughtful architecture, shaped around people, place and the realities of building.
Explore our work
Featured project / Private residentialThe RopesOuseburn
Architecture with people at its heart.Established 2011
01 Selected work
Different briefs.
The same care.
A home that fits its owners. A place to work well. A historic building with a new chapter. Each project starts with understanding what matters.
Commercial / Warehouse conversion
An existing warehouse reimagined for wine storage, display and client entertaining.
Care & later living / Lanchester
An award-winning scheme of 38 later living apartments and a doctors’ surgery for Karbon Homes, delivered with Galliford Try.
Later living / Gateshead
42 independent living apartments and 12 bungalows for Housing 21, with Esh as contractor. Accessible and adaptable homes compliant with M4(2).
Private residential / Whitley Bay
A contemporary extension designed and detailed by Edwards Architecture, connecting open-plan living with the garden.
Care & later living / Leeds
70 extra care apartments for Torsion Care, with landscaped outdoor spaces and welcoming communal interiors.
Private residential / Whitley Bay
A contemporary bespoke extension bringing kitchen, dining and garden together through generous glazing and natural light.
Care & heritage / Durham
A more accessible, dementia-friendly environment within a Grade II listed building.
Residential / Ponteland
A bespoke family home balancing traditional character with contemporary living.
Workplace / Derwentside Homes
A naturally lit workplace organised around a shared central atrium.
Heritage & residential / Longhirst
Careful restoration and conversion of a Grade II* listed house, alongside the conversion of the existing convention centre into individual townhouses.
Private residential / Ouseburn
Seven contemporary townhouses in Ouseburn for Modo Bloc, combining brick, timber cladding and generous glazing.
02 The practice
Imagination.
With rigour.
Good architecture takes both a clear idea and the care to carry it through.
Founded by Russell Edwards in 2011, our practice is based on the Fish Quay in North Shields. We bring creative design, technical knowledge and a practical understanding of construction to every commission.
We work closely with clients, consultants and contractors, keeping the brief, budget and programme in view as a design develops. From an initial feasibility study to a coordinated construction package, our focus is on places that work well for the people who use them.
Talk to the practiceHomes & housing
Bespoke homes, residential developments and affordable housing. Designs shaped around everyday life, the site and its wider neighbourhood.
Care & later living
Care environments, supported living and accessible homes. Thoughtful layouts that support dignity, independence and ease of use.
Workplaces & commercial
Offices, fit-outs and commercial projects. Practical, adaptable spaces that reflect the way an organisation works.
Heritage & reuse
Refurbishment, conservation and sensitive adaptation. Giving existing buildings a useful future while respecting their character.
Recognition
Recognition
- 2024UK Housing AwardsHighly Commended
- 2024LABCBest Small Social Housing Development
- 2023Northern Housing AwardsBest Approach to Modular Housing
- 2021LABCBest Small New Housing Development
- 2019RICS AwardHighly Commended – Residential
- 2018Constructing Excellence National AwardInnovation
- 2018Constructing Excellence Regional AwardInnovation
- 2018Constructing Excellence Regional AwardOffsite Project of the Year
03 Our approach
From possibility
to place.
A clear route through the RIBA Plan of Work, with our services tailored to your project and agreed appointment.
Talk through your plans01Understand & define
We listen to your ambitions, test what the site can offer and identify the constraints early. Feasibility, the brief, budget and programme provide the foundation for informed decisions.
Focus A clear brief and an achievable starting point.
02Explore & develop
We develop and review design options with you, coordinate specialist input and shape a proposal around its setting. Drawings and visualisations help communicate the design and support the planning process.
Focus A coordinated design and planning information.
03Coordinate & resolve
We turn the design into a coordinated technical package, working with engineers and specialists to resolve materials, junctions and construction requirements. Design reviews and BIM coordination help identify issues before work reaches site.
Focus Technical drawings, details and coordinated information.
04Support & deliver
Our agreed construction-stage services support the design as it is built, with clear communication between the project team. Handover and in-use feedback help carry the original intentions into the completed building.
Focus Construction support, handover and learning in use.
PDPrincipal Designer
Our highly trained and experienced staff provide Building Regulations Principal Designer services for projects in England, combining technical knowledge with a disciplined approach to design coordination and compliance. We plan, manage and monitor design work, coordinating with designers and the Principal Contractor to support compliance with the relevant Building Regulations.
Rigorous reporting and tracking underpin our service. We maintain structured compliance records, track design changes and outstanding actions, and report progress and concerns clearly to the client and project team.
- Compliance reportingRecorded design reviews, compliance evidence and issues requiring resolution.
- Design & action trackingTracked changes, clear action owners and monitored progress towards closure.
- Team coordinationClear communication and regular reporting across the design and delivery team.
PHPassivhaus
We have experience in Passivhaus design, with Passivhaus-qualified designers within our team. We bring this knowledge into the design process, helping clients explore their ambitions for energy performance and develop an approach suited to their project.
Focus Experienced guidance from qualified designers, with energy performance considered from the outset.
04 Start a conversation
What could your
next place be?
An early idea, a challenging site or a brief ready to move forward. Tell us what you have in mind.
Find us on the Fish Quay
5 Brewhouse BankFish Quay, North Shields
NE30 1LLGet directions (opens a new tab)