01
Halcyon Ridge Retreat
Big Sur, CaliforniaWellness retreat
Concept2026
A retreat of stone pavilions set into a redwood canyon above the Big Sur coast, gathered around a long reflecting pool.
Wellness architecture · London · New York
Architecture fora more humanway of living.
We design thoughtful environments where architecture, nature, and wellbeing come together.
01The studio
51.52° N, 0.10° W
40.73° N, 74.01° W
We design places for rest, recovery and connection: retreats, spas, homes and hospitality shaped by light, landscape and the materials of their place.
- Studios
- London and New York
- Disciplines
- Architecture, interiors and landscape integration
- Sectors
- Hospitality, wellness, residential and workplace
02Philosophy
Spaces that help people feel better.
Wellbeing is not an amenity added at the end of a project. It is the result of hundreds of quiet decisions: where the light falls at seven in the morning, how a corridor slows your pace, what your hand meets when it reaches for a door.
- 01
Light as a material
We orient rooms to the path of the sun, so daylight sets the rhythm of the day rather than a switch on the wall.
- 02
A continuous landscape
Courtyards, gardens and deep thresholds soften the line between inside and out, keeping nature within sight and reach.
- 03
Honest materials
Stone, timber, lime and clay that age gracefully, feel warm to the touch and carry the character of their place.
- 04
Sensory comfort
Acoustics, temperature, texture and air are designed with the same care as form, so a space feels calm before it looks beautiful.
- 05
Movement and pause
Clear plans choreograph a journey, with places to arrive, gather, move and quietly withdraw.
- 06
Privacy and prospect
Rooms offer shelter and a view at the same time, so people feel protected without ever feeling enclosed.
These are design principles rather than promises. We develop each one with specialist consultants and with the people who will use the space.
Explore our philosophy03Selected projects
Places made for slowing down.
Retreats, bathing houses, homes and hotels, each beginning with its landscape and ending in a quiet room. Every project shown here is a concept study unless it is marked as completed.
02
Coombe House
Devon, United KingdomResidential wellness
Concept2025
A private home for rest and recovery in a Devon valley, with a garden room, a natural swimming pond and a living roof.
03
The Quarry Baths
Somerset, United KingdomThermal spa
Concept2026
A thermal bathing house carved into a disused limestone quarry, where daylight falls in slots down walls of cut stone.
04
Casa Dunas
Comporta, PortugalBoutique hospitality
Concept2026
A boutique wellness hotel of whitewashed courtyards among the umbrella pines and dunes of the Alentejo coast.
05
Stillwater Pavilion
Hudson Valley, New YorkMeditation and movement
Concept2025
A timber pavilion for yoga and meditation on the edge of a pond, with one wall of glass open to the forest.
06
Lightwell House
Clerkenwell, LondonWellness workplace
Concept2025
A Victorian warehouse reimagined as a workplace around a planted atrium, with daylight reaching every floor.
04Biophilic architecture
Designed with nature. Shaped around people.
We begin with the land: its light, water, planting and weather. Buildings then take their place within it, so the experience of nature becomes part of everyday life rather than a view through glass.
01Courtyards
A garden at the heart of the plan
Planted courtyards bring daylight, air and the turning of the seasons into the centre of a building, so every room can borrow a garden.
- Plans wrapped around a planted court
- Rooms lit from two sides
- Deciduous trees for summer shade
02Thresholds
Rooms that open to the landscape
Deep eaves, verandas and folding glass create a gradual passage between inside and out, sheltered enough to linger in.
- Eaves sized to the sun path
- Floors continuous from inside to out
- Glass that slides fully away
03Daylight
Light and shadow, choreographed
Clerestories, light wells and screened openings draw patterns of light across walls and floors as the day moves on.
- Clerestories for deep rooms
- Screens that filter low sun
- Pale, matte finishes that soften glare
04Water
Water as a quiet presence
Shallow pools and rills add reflected light and gentle sound, placed where they can be seen on approach and from places of rest.
- Pools placed on arrival axes
- Shallow edges for reflection and safety
- Moving water near places of rest
Photography shows reference spaces that capture the qualities we design for.
05The wellness experience
A journey that slows you down, step by step.
Follow an illustrative sequence through a retreat, from the first approach to the quietest room. Every step is a deliberate design decision.
01 / 05
Arrival
Through a calm landscape
A long, unhurried approach through native planting lowers the pace before the building has even come into view.
An illustrative sequence. Photography shows the atmosphere we design for.
06Interactive light study
Follow the sun through a single day.
Explore a concept model of a courtyard retreat. Drag to walk around it, then move the sun from first light to dusk, in midsummer or midwinter, and watch how the eaves, walls and trees shape the light.
The model is set on a California coastal site at 36° north. Times are shown as solar time, so noon is when the sun stands due south.
Preparing the model
Midsummer
09:30
05:0012:0020:30
07Materials and sensory design
Materials you can feel.
Our palette is chosen for touch, sound and temperature as much as for appearance. These are the materials we return to most often, refined for every project and its climate, budget and use.
01 / 08
Honed limestone
Honed, warm ivory
Soft, luminous and calm underfoot.
- Aesthetics
- A quiet, even tone that glows in low sun and shifts gently through the day.
- Durability
- Hard-wearing when sealed and maintained, and it develops a soft patina rather than wearing out.
- Sensory character
- Cool to the touch in shade, pleasantly warm wherever the sun has reached it.
- Best suited to
- Floors, bathing halls, thresholds and walls that run from inside to out.
A sample palette. Every specification, finish and source is confirmed for each project before it is described to a client.
08Expertise
From first sketch to final detail.
Engage us for a single study or for the whole journey. Every service is led by the studio, with specialist consultants brought in where a project needs them.
- 01
Wellness architecture and master planning
Whole-site thinking for retreats, resorts and wellness destinations, from the first arrival to the last quiet room.
- 02
Spa and retreat design
Bathing houses, thermal suites and retreats designed around ritual, rhythm and rest.
- 03
Biophilic architecture
Buildings that keep people in close contact with daylight, planting, water and the seasons.
- 04
Wellness interior design
Interiors with calm acoustics, tactile materials and light that changes gently through the day.
- 05
Concept development and feasibility
Early studies that test what a site can hold before major commitments are made.
- 06
Landscape and site integration
Architecture that settles into its land, shaped by sun, water, wind and existing trees.
- 07
Material and sensory design
A deliberate palette of texture, temperature, sound and scent for every space.
- 08
Visualisation and documentation
Sketches, models, renders and technical drawings that explain a design and allow it to be built.
09Design process
A clear path from idea to place.
Every engagement follows the same considered sequence, adapted to the scale and stage of your project. We are clear about what the studio delivers and where specialist consultants join the team.
Stage 01
Discovery and brief
We listen first: your ambitions, your guests or family, your budget and the experience you want to create.
Led by the studio
- Written project brief
- Initial programme and schedule
- Fee proposal
With consultants
Delivered by the studio. No external consultants are usually needed at this stage.
Stage 02
Site and research
Sun paths, prevailing winds, views, ecology, planning context and the stories of the place.
Led by the studio
- Site analysis
- Constraints and opportunities report
With consultants
Measured surveys, ecology and planning advice from specialist consultants
Stage 03
Concept design
Big ideas tested quickly through sketches, physical models and early visualisation.
Led by the studio
- Concept report
- Massing models
- Mood and material direction
With consultants
Delivered by the studio. No external consultants are usually needed at this stage.
Stage 04
Spatial planning and materials
Plans refined around journeys and daily rituals, with materials sampled and tested in real daylight.
Led by the studio
- Developed plans and sections
- Material palette
- Sensory design strategy
With consultants
Delivered by the studio. No external consultants are usually needed at this stage.
Stage 05
Design development
Structure, services, landscape and interiors coordinated into one resolved design.
Led by the studio
- Developed design package
- Design input to cost plans
With consultants
Structural and building services engineers, cost consultants and landscape architects
Stage 06
Technical documentation
Drawings and specifications precise enough to price, permit and build.
Led by the studio
- Planning or permit drawings
- Tender package
- Specifications
With consultants
Engineers and specialist suppliers, coordinated by the studio
Stage 07Where offered
Coordination and delivery
We stay close through construction, reviewing details and protecting the design intent.
Led by the studio
- Site visits and design reviews
- Responses to contractor queries
- Completion review
With consultants
Construction by your appointed contractor, with contract administration by arrangement
Every project begins with a conversation.
Let's discuss your project10Drawings and visualisation
From first line to final light.
Every project moves through sketches, drawings, models and visualisations. Switch between the stages of a single concept, or compare the first sketch with the final image.
Halcyon Ridge, first sketch
The first study of the pool axis, drawn to test how low the roofs could sit against the canyon.
11Working with us
What you can expect from us.
Quiet confidence comes from how a studio works, not from what it claims. These are the commitments we make to every client.
- 01
Personally led
Every project is led by a partner, from the first conversation to the final detail.
- 02
Clear on cost and time
We share what drives budget and programme early, so decisions are made with open eyes.
- 03
Honest about wellbeing
We present wellbeing strategies as design intent, never as guaranteed outcomes, and bring in specialists where evidence matters.
- 04
Built to last
We favour materials and details that age gracefully and are straightforward to care for.
12Journal
Notes on architecture and wellbeing.
Essays from the studio on light, materials, landscape and the design of restorative places.
13Studio
Thoughtful design. Lasting spaces.
A small, senior team working between London and New York. We draw by hand, build models, test materials in daylight and visit every site in person, and every project is led by a partner from the first conversation to the final detail.
Start a project
Have a space in mind?
Tell us about your project, your site, and the experience you want to create. Let's explore how thoughtful architecture can bring your vision to life.