Why “Cheap” Architectural Services Might Be the Most Expensive Decision You’ll Ever Make
by Sean Hill on May 17, 2025
We’ve all been tempted.
The Art of the Hidden Plot: 9 Unconventional Ways to Find Land for Development in the UK
by Sean Hill on May 17, 2025
At RISE Design Studio, we believe great architecture starts long before the first sketch. It begins with land - not just any land, but the kind of plot that speaks quietly of potential. A back corner of a garden. A forgotten brownfield site. A space between buildings waiting to tell a …
Building Back Biodiversity: What the 10% Net Gain Planning Rule Means for You
by Sean Hill on May 16, 2025
In every architectural project, we ask: can we leave a place better than we found it?
How to Choose a Builder (Without Losing Sleep or Money)
by Sean Hill on May 15, 2025
Hiring a builder is like choosing a climbing partner for a difficult ascent. It’s not just about who’s strongest or cheapest. It’s about who you trust to rope up with you and guide the project safely to the summit - your home, your business, your legacy.
Why We’re Designing with Swift Bricks: Architecture That Welcomes Nature Home
by Sean Hill on May 15, 2025
Every summer, for just twelve fleeting weeks, the skies above our streets are sliced by a flash of black, a cry like laughter, and the unmistakable curve of a swift in flight. They’ve crossed continents to be here. And all they ask in return is a place to stay.
RIBA Stage 5: From Dream to Built Reality - The Construction Chapter
by Sean Hill on May 12, 2025
At RISE Design Studio, Stage 5 is where we roll up our sleeves.
How to Reimagine a Victorian Home: A Modern Architect's Tale
by Sean Hill on May 9, 2025
In London, history is never far from home. You see it in the patterned brickwork, the generous bay windows, and the steep slate roofs that line the city's streets. Victorian homes, built during a century of enormous social and technological change, are now the canvas for another kind …
Reimagining the Everyday: Converting Offices to Homes Under Class MA
by Sean Hill on May 7, 2025
In a world reshaped by hybrid working and shifting urban priorities, the question isn't just can we convert offices into homes - it's how can we do it well?
Designing for Less Waste, Not More Tax: What the Landfill Reform Means for Architecture That Matters
by Sean Hill on May 7, 2025
At RISE Design Studio, we don’t just design buildings - we shape legacies. Every structure we create carries a question: What kind of future are we building toward? That question sits at the heart of our practice, and it’s why the UK government’s consultation on reforming Landfill Tax …
Rethinking Materials. Redefining Construction.
by Sean Hill on May 7, 2025
The construction industry is being squeezed from all sides—housing shortages, skills gaps, rising material costs. We’re expected to build more, build faster, and do it sustainably. The old ways can’t keep up. What’s needed now isn’t an upgrade. It’s a rethink.
