top of page
Unagru_dedraft_portraits-2-0935.jpg

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Spurhouse-8119.jpg

Unagru new office at Hackney Downs.

About Unagru Architecture Urbanism Landscape Interiors

Studio field trip to Lisson Gallery.

Sustainability
 

About Unagru Architecture Urbanism Landscape Interiors

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.

About Unagru Architecture Urbanism Landscape Interiors

Cork facade panel at Brighton Road

People
 

Spurhouse-7892_edited_edited_edited.jpg
Spurhouse-7924 (1).jpg

Davide di Martino

Director

dv@unagru.com

RIBA ARB

M.Arch. IUAV University, Venice, Italy & ETSAB, Barcelona, Spain. 

Ph.D. In Urbanism and Ecology

Jamie Kelly

Architect

jamie@unagru.com

ARB

M.Arch. Manchester School of Architecture, UK

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. 

Seb Ferrao

Architect

seb@unagru.com

ARB

M.Arch. Manchester School of Architecture, UK

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.

Unagru_dedraft_portraits-2-0894HR (1).jpg

Amparo Dominguez Soler

Architect

amparo@unagru.com

RIBA ARB

M.Arch. IUAV University, Venice, Italy & ETSAB, Barcelona, Spain. 

Ph.D. In Urbanism and Ecology

Spurhouse-7936.jpg

Nicole Woodman

Business Development

nicole@unagru.com

BA (Hons) Graphic Design, University of Northumbria, UK

Unagru_dedraft_portraits-2-0875 (1).jpg

Sophie Dakin

Office Manager

mail@unagru.com

LLB Law, University of Leeds, 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
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
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
bottom of page