Joyful Architecture
"Unagru architect’s beautiful, elegantly detailed and very skillful adaptation of a simple terrace house into a place of comfort and tranquility. Thoughtful clients and developers, hire them without a second thought!" - Tony Fretton, renowned British architect during his visit to The Sponge in 2021
We are a dynamic and passionate architecture and urbanism practice, dedicated to creating beautiful and sustainable spaces. For us, architecture is a collaborative journey where creativity and innovation help us uncover and solve the right challenges. While we take pride in our technical skills, we also value clear and engaging communication.
We love coming up with bold ideas that inspire and energise spaces for living, working, growing, and learning. Our designs celebrate bright, naturally lit environments and open plans, making spaces feel connected and open. We believe in the power of well-designed spaces to transform lives, touching on often-overlooked layers of perception. Over the years, we’ve found that a well-managed design journey can be an exciting, experimental, and life-changing experience for both our clients and us.
We are deeply conscious of the impact our projects have on both the urban fabric and the environment, always aiming to enhance the cityscape and promote sustainability. We ensure that every element works perfectly, conserves energy, minimises waste, and keeps people at the core of the process.
Unagru new office at Hackney Downs.
Studio field trip to Lisson Gallery.
Sustainability
We’re deeply committed to sustainability, and our approach is all about embracing an ecological mindset. This means designing with nature, not against it, and seeing the complexity of ecological processes as a valuable asset. We bring this vision to life through four key strategies: Energy, Envelope, Embodied Carbon, and Environment.
Skylight at House for A Cellist
We are happy to be part of #1Company1Goal campaign, organised by Sustainability Institute to share our thoughts on advocating UN Global Goals.
We have chosen Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities as our focus, which aligned with our practice's ethos and interest in architecture and urbanism.
Watch the full video here.
Read more about our mission here.
Cork facade panel at Brighton Road
People
Davide di Martino
Director
RIBA ARB
M.Arch. IUAV University, Venice, Italy & ETSAB, Barcelona, Spain.
Ph.D. In Urbanism and Ecology
Davide graduated from architecture at University in Venice, Italy, after a year of study at ETSAB - The School of Architecture in Barcelona, Spain, and SUN - Second University of Naples.
He has a postgraduate Master's Degree in Design Within Historical Contexts and a PhD in Ecological Urban Design from the University Federico II in Naples, Italy. He has followed his projects and collaborated with larger architectural practices in Italy and Spain. He joined Ian Ritchie Architects in London in 2013, working on several residential schemes and competitions.
He founded Unagru Architecture Urbanism in 2018. He is passionate about unconventional spaces and ecology, sustainable design and natural light. Davide was also a Unit Leader at the Cardiff University on Architecture MA AD Master in Architecture Design Research in 2023.
Jamie studied at Manchester School of Architecture, gaining a First at BA and Distinction at MArch. He gained invaluable lessons in robust, timeless design from his time studying in Eramus exchange at IUAV, Venice. He got his coursework in early, preferring to visit and sketch 40 Italian and French cities instead. Social sustainability is critical to Jamie's work and he won the Hawkins\Brown award for the most socially sustainable project at his masters.
Before joining Unagru, he worked at Stanton Williams obtaining experience of regeneration in complex urban sites. He enjoys taking a contextual approach to architecture with emphasis on natural materials, sensitive detailing, and a careful modelling of light.
Before joining Unagru, Seb gained valuable experience contributing to both domestic and international projects while at Allies and Morrison. His creative approach to building and spatial design consistently unlocks value often overlooked by clients and developers.
Passionate about advancing self-build projects in the UK, Seb conducted in-depth research during his time at the Manchester School of Architecture, laying the groundwork for his current work. He is currently undertaking a self-build project on a gap site in London, embodying a hands-on approach to innovation and practicality.
Seb's interests extend beyond architecture into furniture design. His involvement in a year-long joinery project in Hackney highlights his dedication to craftsmanship and attention to detail.
Amparo Dominguez Soler
Architect
RIBA ARB
M.Arch. IUAV University, Venice, Italy & ETSAB, Barcelona, Spain.
Ph.D. In Urbanism and Ecology
Nicole Woodman
Business Development
BA (Hons) Graphic Design, University of Northumbria, UK
Amparo studied to Masters level at the Schools of Architecture in Valencia and Barcelona. Having moved to London in 2018, Amparo gained previous experience at Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands and Adjaye Associates.
In addition to her professional dedication to architecture, Amparo is involved in cultural dissemination, being one of the promoters of Open House Valencia. She also collaborates in the writing, design and editing of several publications - Espai Verd: A Sustainable Habitat, The Architecture of Fernando Moreno Barberá, Antonio Escario 1935-2018- for Cuadernos TC.
Amparo loves discovering the insights and history of every project, particularly respecting how great design can make a huge positive impact on clients.
Nicole holds a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design from the University of Northumbria.
Nicole joined Unagru in 2023 bringing with her a wide range of experience from over 30 years working in international practices, including SOM, David Chipperfield Architects, Farrells and Hawkins\Brown, mainly in the areas of public sector tendering, marketing and business development.
Sophie graduated from The University of Leeds with an LLB in Law, and after having pivoted her career to manage fashion and textile design studios, Sophie joined Unagru as Office Manager in 2024.
Sophie strongly admires Unagru’s commitment to sustainability as she is also the Founder of an ethical fashion brand.
Recognition and Awards | |||
---|---|---|---|
AJ Small Projects Award | Finalist | 2023 | House for A Cellist |
The Designer Awards | Winner | 2022 | House for A Cellist |
Open House | Featured | 2022 | House for A Cellist, Peckham Courtyard, Oswyth Road |
Build It Awards | Winner | 2022 | House for A Cellist |
Open House Festival London | Featured | 2021 | The Sponge, House for A Cellist |
Built It Awards | Shortlisted | 2021 | The Sponge |
Don't Move, Improve Awards | Shortlisted | 2021 | The Sponge |
Open House Festival London | Featured | 2019 | InsideOut Courtyard, The Boat and Pavilion |
Open House Festival London | Featured | 2018 | The Boat and Pavilion |
Sorso Waterfront Competition | Third Prize | 2012 | |
Grosio Sports Centre Competition | Shortlisted | 2011 | |
AAA Architetti Cercasi Milan Competition | Shortlisted | 2010 | |
Concorso Eugenio Campania Region | Special Jury Prize | 2008 |
Publication | |||
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The Architect's Journal | House for A Cellist | ||
Design Milk | House for A Cellist | ||
Archdaily | House for A Cellist | ||
Interiors Korea | House for A Cellist | ||
Grand Designs Magazine | House for A Cellist | ||
DomusWeb IT | House for A Cellist | ||
The Design Story | House for A Cellist, Peckham Courtyard, The Sponge | ||
Nest Magazine | Loop House | ||
The Architect's Journal | Loop House | ||
Build It Magazine | Peckham Courtyard | ||
Homebuilding & Renovating | Peckham Glass Box | ||
Rethinking The Future | The Boat & Pavilion | ||
DesignRaid | The Boat & Pavilion | ||
Rethinking The Future | The Colander | ||
Not A Paper House | The Sponge | ||
Don't Move, Improve Magazine | The Sponge | ||
Grand Design Magazine | The Sponge |
Research | |||
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AAA Architetti Cercasi competition submission | Future Magazine, published in English, Spanish, and Chinese | ||
Academic Publications | Please visit Academia.edu profile (Davide di Martino) | ||
Bonifica e riciclo della Piana Campana | In Press. PPC Piano Progetto Città: Zero Waste 27-28, 2013. | ||
Pollution ecologies: from reclamation to restructuring | In Press. The Next Urban Question. Roma: Officina Edizioni. | ||
Urban wetlands as performative, multifunctional design devices: the wetland scenario | Planning Stormwater Resilient Urban Open Spaces, Clean: Napoli. 193 - 204 |