DMFK Architects

DMFK Architects We are an award winning, London based Architectural practice set up in 1998 by Julian de Metz, Paul Forbes and Ben Knight. We currently employ 22 architects.

Our specialist area is working within and around existing buildings with projects ranging in size from £500k up to £10m. We work across a range of sectors including many Listed Buildings bringing to each project an open, modest, and collaborative / inclusive attitude. As such we have designed art galleries, mixed use schemes, media communities, fitout projects and all forms of residential architecture; winning an RIBA Award in 2008 for consultation led new build residential social housing.

His Majesty King Charles III visited the newly restored Voysey House in Chiswick, headquarters of Sanderson Design Group...
01/06/2026

His Majesty King Charles III visited the newly restored Voysey House in Chiswick, headquarters of Sanderson Design Group, to mark the wallpaper brand’s centenary as a Royal Warrant holder, an honour first granted in 1924 and renewed by His Majesty last December.
 
Director Joshua Scott had the opportunity to meet His Majesty and discuss the work that went into the acclaimed restoration of the historic building.
 
Designed in 1902 by celebrated architect C. F. A. Voysey for Arthur Sanderson & Sons, the Grade II* listed building is one of the Arts & Crafts movement’s most distinctive commercial works. Its heritage led our restoration of the iconic building in 2024: outside, striking white glazed brick and Portland stone façades were carefully repaired and fitted with ultra-thin double glazing that halves U-values without altering the building’s appearance. Inside, Staffordshire blue quarry tiles, finely crafted joinery and a richly researched bottle-green colour palette – Voysey’s original tone, uncovered through detailed paintwork analysis – reconnect the building to its Arts & Crafts roots.
 
It was a privilege to play a part in this building’s story. Congratulations to Sanderson Design Group, CEO Lisa Montague, and the team at Dorrington on a truly special occasion.

dMFK is heading to Edinburgh! Joshua Scott and Hollie Welch will be representing dMFK at BCO’s Festival of Enlightenment...
28/05/2026

dMFK is heading to Edinburgh!
 
Joshua Scott and Hollie Welch will be representing dMFK at BCO’s Festival of Enlightenment this June, taking in some of the best workplace design from tours, plenaries, and workshops across Edinburgh.
 
They’ll be looking to connect with new and familiar faces, and bring back fresh thinking to the studio. If you’d like to meet while you’re there, we’d love to hear from you.

Photography by .j.wong

dMFK is heading to Edinburgh! Joshua Scott and Hollie Welch will be representing dMFK at BCO’s Festival of Enlightenment...
28/05/2026

dMFK is heading to Edinburgh!
 
Joshua Scott and Hollie Welch will be representing dMFK at BCO’s Festival of Enlightenment this June, taking in some of the best workplace design from tours, plenaries, and workshops across Edinburgh.
 
They’ll be looking to connect with new and familiar faces, and bring back fresh thinking to the studio. If you’d like to meet while you’re there, we’d love to hear from you.

Photography by Jonny Wong

Discussions, Downstairs at dMFK · a breakfast Q&A with Mayor of London candidate Peter Murray OBE. Join us for our secon...
26/05/2026

Discussions, Downstairs at dMFK · a breakfast Q&A with Mayor of London candidate Peter Murray OBE.
 
Join us for our second instalment of Discussions, Downstairs at dMFK, this time with Peter Murray, founder of the London Festival of Architecture and co-founder of the NLA. In this Q&A session, we’ll be getting to the heart of his policies as he ramps up his campaign for Mayor of London in 2028.
 
He is keen to hear from those within the sector about what they would do to deliver more affordable homes, stop young people moving out of London, and support his campaign to - in his own words - GET STUFF DONE!
 
📅 Wednesday 17th June
⏰ 8.15–9.30am
📍 Downstairs at dMFK
🔗 Book your tickets at the link in our bio.
 
Come armed with your questions and ideas.

Investing in the next generation of talent is vital to the future of our industry, and creating space for learning, exch...
22/05/2026

Investing in the next generation of talent is vital to the future of our industry, and creating space for learning, exchange and inspiration is a powerful place to start.
 
We recently welcomed students and graduates to our Charlotte Street HQ for our third Open Studio, hosted in collaboration with Sana Tabassum, founder of .scale, a platform supporting architecture students and graduates.
 
At this Open Studio, our team shared insights and tips gained from practice on what a studio might look for in a portfolio, and how to best present design thinking, practical and technical skill, and creative process on paper.
 
It was a pleasure to welcome such an enthusiastic group of emerging talent, offering both practical guidance and encouragement for navigating the often-challenging phase between academic and professional life. We look forward to continuing to support the next generation of talent.

Photography by .photography

“If you want to attract the best talent and you’re asking them to come in for the majority of the working week, it’s abo...
20/05/2026

“If you want to attract the best talent and you’re asking them to come in for the majority of the working week, it’s about understanding how you can enrich someone’s day.”
– Joanna Ball, Associate Director at dMFK.
 
Our retrofit of 170 Piccadilly makes the office a place of high-quality experiences and interactions, while rescuing and restoring a piece of valued architectural heritage.
 
Thank you to for featuring our transformation of Grade II Listed Egyptian and Dudley House into a premium, carefully layered workspace for GPE, fully rooted in the site’s rich history and its exceptional Mayfair location.
 
Read the full feature at the link in our bio.

dMFK is a finalist in three categories at this year’s Mix Awards!🏆 Design Practice of the Year – 50+ Employees🏆 Project ...
14/05/2026

dMFK is a finalist in three categories at this year’s Mix Awards!

🏆 Design Practice of the Year – 50+ Employees
🏆 Project of the Year – Workplace Interiors 35–70k sqft – 170 Piccadilly for GPE
🏆 Project of the Year – Workplace Interiors 5–10k sqft – RASCAL
 
As Design Practice of the Year in 2025, we are thrilled to again be nominated for 2026, alongside a number of our standout projects from the past 12 months.
 
We’re proud to be recognised alongside other impressive entries for our work and our continual growth as a practice.
 
Good luck to all the finalists!
interiors

13/05/2026

“There’s a massive potential in the built environment to elevate people’s daily experience through good buildings. Given that we spend most of our work life in offices, they’ve got to be damn good.”
- Julian de Metz, Director at dMFK

Less than 24 hours after dMFK won a London Award, sat down with BCO Chief Executive Samantha McClary for the Workspace Unwired podcast.

The episode digs deep into why the best workplace design is ultimately about the human experience, as much as technical compliance and standards. We also take a look at 170 Piccadilly, a workplace shaped by hospitality and the home, to explain why, in an industry increasingly driven by quantitative data and digital tools, a space led by human feeling, community and the analogue, still wins out.

Listen to the podcast now at the link in our bio.

Photography by and

Our work at Hamilton House is proof that even a heritage retrofit can align with ambitious sustainability targets. Our d...
08/05/2026

Our work at Hamilton House is proof that even a heritage retrofit can align with ambitious sustainability targets.
 
Our designs focused on values-first development, bringing the building up to date and in-line with the demands of modern office tenants. Newly installed VRF systems have enabled Hamilton House to become fossil-fuel free, and energy use sensors throughout the building conduct half-hourly data analysis to reduce further consumption. Other light-touch interventions like local lighting control improvements also work toward lowering energy use.
 
Through thoughtful planning and incisive, light-touch upgrades, Hamilton House proves that working buildings hard puts high sustainability targets in reach even for heritage buildings.

When crafting the material library in our downstairs extension, we wanted our library to be a rotating display of sample...
07/05/2026

When crafting the material library in our downstairs extension, we wanted our library to be a rotating display of samples, constantly incorporating new, innovative materials into its display. At the same time, it had to be highly functional, able to accommodate our expanding studio and growing material banks.
 
In our collaboration with , we created a full-wall bespoke joinery installation. The tone and gently patterned texture of the stained wood mimics our joinery upstairs, working to bring the floors together as one coherent whole. Backed with oak pegboards, our sample library is fully customisable: pegs can be moved around to create different configurations for any kind of sample.
Shifting constantly with new projects, materials, and arrangements, the tactile experience of the library has become a natural starting point for conversation with clients and collaborators, designed for handling, exploration, and play.
 
Along the left wall of our extension, Zen Joinery has also designed lightweight custom focus booths, lined with recycled acoustic panels from The Collective. The installation delivers precision and calm, a space that supports hybrid and focused work.
 
This highly successful collaboration represents dMFK’s ongoing interest in creating beautiful, flexible and functional spaces that work hard and age well.
 
Photo credits: Ed Reeve

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76 Charlotte Street
London
W1T4QS

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+442074351144

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