01Our story
We design places for rest, recovery and connection: retreats, spas, homes, hotels and workplaces where the building quietly supports the people inside it.
Our name comes from the French serein, the fine rain that falls from a clear sky at dusk. It describes a rare, quiet moment where weather, light and stillness meet, and it is the feeling we try to build into every project.
We work as a small, senior team, closely with our clients and with the engineers, landscape architects, ecologists and craftspeople who make each project possible. We draw by hand, build models, test materials in daylight and visit every site in person.
02Founding vision
We started the studio with a simple conviction: that wellbeing is not an amenity added at the end of a project, but the result of hundreds of careful decisions made from the very first sketch.
That means beginning with the land and its light, choosing materials for how they feel as well as how they look, and planning buildings around the rituals of the people who will use them. It also means being honest: we describe wellbeing strategies as design intent, and we bring in specialists wherever evidence matters.
03Architectural approach
Every project starts with conversations, site visits and a written brief in your own words.
Ideas are explored in sketches and physical models before they are refined on screen.
Materials are sampled, handled and reviewed on site, in real light.
A partner leads each project from the first conversation to the final detail.
04The team
Founding PartnerLondon
Elena founded Serein to design buildings that feel calm before they look impressive. She leads the studio's design direction and spends as much time as she can on site, watching how light and weather move through a place before a single line is drawn.
Partner, New YorkNew York
Julian leads the New York studio and our work across North America. He is happiest where hospitality meets landscape, shaping how a guest arrives, settles in and finds their own way to stillness.
Design Director, InteriorsLondon
Mira leads interiors and the sensory side of every project: texture, acoustics, temperature and the quality of light in a room. She believes the most luxurious spaces are often the quietest ones.
Associate, Landscape and SiteNew York
Samuel reads a site before the studio designs for it, tracing water, sun, soil and planting. His work makes sure our buildings sit within their landscape rather than on top of it.
05Collaborators
06Our studios
London
Clerkenwell, London EC1
+44 20 7946 0321london@sereinarchitecture.comMonday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 GMT
New York
Hudson Square, New York, NY
+1 212 555 0148newyork@sereinarchitecture.comMonday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 ET
07Working with us
Every project is led by a partner, from the first conversation to the final detail.
We share what drives budget and programme early, so decisions are made with open eyes.
We present wellbeing strategies as design intent, never as guaranteed outcomes, and bring in specialists where evidence matters.
We favour materials and details that age gracefully and are straightforward to care for.
Start a project
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.