Richard John Andrews Ltd was conceived as an architecture and design practice in 2017 following the completion of a self-build project, ‘A Cork House’ by practice owner and director; Richard John Andrews.
Living in Forest Gate since December 2015, Richard has built both a professional and social network over the past 6 years, enabling the practice to go from strength-to-strength. This success has resulted from various collaborations with local businesses and clients of Forest Gate, whilst also developing wider links with the surrounding community of Newham.
Building upon the studio’s ethos of promoting collaboration, Richard expanded the practice. Piloting a second self build project, in order to create a self-contained professional work space, titled ‘The Light Shed’, the studio at the bottom of Richard’s garden has hosted the studios team of 2 for the past few years. This ‘homegrown studio’ approach has allowed our studio to develop a more holistic, sustainable and flexible approach to architectural practice, culminating in collaborations with freelance designers, artists and emerging design talent which continues to challenge and broaden the studios understanding of the industry we love and plan on helping to better.
One way Richard has challenged the norms of the industry within the studio is by implementing a 4-day week without a reduction in pay. From Richard’s own experience, this essential downtime not only promotes wellbeing in the workplace but also at home.
Interestingly, the 4-day week has also proven to increase productivity in the studio whilst flexible working has allowed for a reduction in each employee’s carbon footprint. The studio’s balanced approach to work and personal life is reflected in our professional relationships resulting in a real passion and respect for understanding our diverse clientele. Focusing on their needs, we provide a highly bespoke, tailored and long lasting service with a very personal touch.
Our studios design process nurtures a strong client-creative relationship that results in honest architectural statements that embody a highly crafted approach to materiality, form and spatial experience. We enjoy understanding the needs of each individual client, who we cannot only get to know professionally, but also find out how they go about their everyday lives; what makes them tick, their unique ‘do's and don'ts’, as well as where their passion lies!
We find that this collaborative process achieves unique results which have lots of character and personality injected by all involved.
As a studio, Richard John Andrews Ltd champion the use of innovative materials within projects such as cork insulation, recycled aggregates and timber and ply structures (as featured within ’A Cork House’, ‘The Light Shed’ and opening soon ‘Forest Gate Works’). We are engaging in sustainable processes and ‘retrofit first’ projects, aiding London in becoming a zero carbon city by 2050.
The next chapter of Richard John Andrews is currently on the horizon with the opening of our new office, for our team of 4, and co-working space: Forest Gate Works, located in Arch 362 on Winchelsea Road, Forest Gate. With 48% of our clients based in Newham, we want to further cement ourselves within the Forest Gate community. Embodying our studio ethos, our new office will further encourage collaborations between local professionals through daily and monthly passes.The co-working space will be open 5 days a week and as a studio, we would love to see the space be used as a hub for the local community hosting events, meetings, exhibitions and running workshops on weekends.
If you would like to check out more of our projects or get in touch, please feel free to email via hello@richardjohnandrews.co.uk, visit our website via https://www.richardjohnandrews.co.uk/ or follow our Instagram via @richardjohnandrews @forestgateworks. Alternatively, feel free to drop into Forest Gate Works and someone from the team will be happy to have a chat!
Photography copyright Richard John Andrews Ltd and Chris Snook Photography.
