New Build Architect London

Appleby Blue Almshouse, Bermondsey

At Paytre Architects London, we find Appleby Blue Almshouse genuinely inspiring. It shows how carefully considered architecture can support later living without feeling institutional or isolated.

Designed by Witherford Watson Mann, with landscape by Grant Associates, the project reworks the traditional almshouse idea. It becomes something very current and urban. The courtyard, walkways and shared gardens create gentle, everyday encounters. They avoid forcing people into set “communal” moments.

What we like most is how the building sits in Bermondsey at 94–116 Southwark Park Road, SE16. The brickwork, proportions and stepped massing feel familiar alongside Victorian terraces and social housing. The detailing, however, is clearly contemporary.

That balance between recognisable street character and fresh design is exactly what we aim for in our own London new‑build work.

100 Kensington “Vertical Village”, West Kensington

100 Kensington is a scheme we watch closely as an example of high‑density living with strong amenity. As London grows taller, we are interested in how towers can still feel like neighbourhoods. They should be more than stacks of flats.

Here, the “vertical village” idea brings together homes, shared gardens, leisure spaces and new public realm along West Cromwell Road, on a prominent corner at 100 West Cromwell Road, W14.

The towers step around a landscaped podium, and outdoor spaces are lifted up and layered. Together, these moves show a more three‑dimensional way of thinking about city living.

For us at Payte Architects London, the key lesson is how large new builds can soften their impact. By breaking the massing into several volumes and anchoring them in generous planting and public space, the development has a better chance of feeling rooted in Kensington rather than simply imposed on it.

That sensitivity to context is central to how we approach densification on tighter London sites.

Hammersmith & Fulham Civic Campus, Hammersmith

The Hammersmith & Fulham Civic Campus is a project we reference often when we talk about adaptive reuse and civic place‑making. It is a reminder that “new build” does not always mean starting from scratch.

We admire how the design keeps the historic Town Hall at the heart of the scheme. At the same time, it opens the site up with new housing, a cinema, workspaces and public squares along King Street in W6.

The move from a closed civic enclave to an active urban campus aligns strongly with our own beliefs. We think buildings should invite people in and support different uses throughout the day.

From our perspective as London architects, the most impressive aspect is how the campus reconnects with its surroundings – King Street, the river, and the wider town centre.

It shows that large, complex projects can still respect heritage. At the same time, they can meet today’s expectations for sustainability, accessibility and community use. Those are exactly the conversations we bring to our own clients when we are working on significant sites in the capital.