Practice — Tuckey Design Studio

Tuckey Design Studio explores the cultural, social and emotional connections formed with buildings over time.

We seek to transform structures, through adaptive reuse of existing buildings or sustainable new construction, into places that serve their occupants for generations.

We produce buildings that are rooted in their environment, layering modern interventions with a sensitive, tactile approach to architecture that aims to preserve historic fabric and define new spaces for living, working, learning, and enjoying.

Sustainable New Build
Regeneration & Adaptation
Interior Design
Conservation

Our Team

We are currently a team of 23 crafting, drawing and designing from our west London and Swiss studios, as well as a small office in Tokyo.

Jonathan Tuckey

Director

Jonathan founded his design practice in 2000 having previously worked for David Chipperfield Architects and Fletcher Priest Architects.

Having originally studied Anthropology, the varying ways spaces and places can be reused and remodelled has been a constant area of interest for Jonathan’s design practice and a recurring theme during his extensive teaching experience.

Jonathan studied under and taught alongside Fred Scott and has long been one of the UK’s leading advocates for remodelling and radically transforming old buildings for modern uses.
Cristina Moglia

Practice Manager

Cristina is responsible for the day-to-day running of the studio. An energetic organiser, Cristina enjoys working with creatives and draws on her experiences at large architecture practices to ensure smooth operations at Tuckey Design Studio.
Ryuta Hirayama

ARB - Senior Associate

Ryuta joined Tuckey Design Studio as a project architect in 2009. He studied both Fine Art and Architecture in Tokyo, completing a Masters in Architecture at Westminster University.

Since joining the practice, Ryuta has lead projects Urban Barn, several Malin+Goetz stores, Egg and Trevarefabrikken in Norway, bringing a strong sense of precision and detail to each one.

Ryuta oversees the practice’s operations in Japan from our small Tokyo office.
Elena Aleksandrov

ARB - Associate

Elena holds a Masters in Architecture from the Politecnico di Milano University. After working for architects in Italy and Portugal, Elena joined the practice in 2017. She has a passion for remodelling existing buildings in historical contexts and a keen interest in the interpretation of vernaculars in modern architecture.
Emaad Damda

ARB, RIBA - Associate

Emaad graduated with two first class honours degrees from the University of Bath, after which he worked on a wide range of projects with Alison Brooks Architects and Studio Weave before joining Tuckey Design Studio.

Emaad is passionate about the making of buildings and takes great pride in his attention to detail and thoughtfulness of materials. He relishes the opportunity to be on site, and is currently leading the Rammed Earth House project through construction, a pioneering new-build design in Wiltshire.
Catarina Kohut

ARB, RIBA - Associate

After graduating from Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa in 2011, Catarina has worked in Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland before joining the practice in October 2013. Appointed as an Associate in 2018 in recognition for her outstanding design and leadership skills, Catarina has worked on several key projects at Tuckey Design Studio from conception to completion including the King’s Cross Gasholders, fashion boutique Egg’s outpost at Dover Street Market, and the practice’s own office building in Kensington which was converted from an existing Victorian pub.

As an Associate, Catarina also takes on other significant roles within the office’s management team. An avid traveller, Catarina has a keen interest in the history of the built environment and its role in shaping contemporary life.
Fraser Biggins

Prof Dip Arch

Fraser joined Tuckey Design Studio in 2015, assisting on a range of projects including the Ironmongers Quarters in Hackney and the transformation of a Victorian pub into the practice’s new office.

Recently, Fraser has completed construction on the Wachthuus restaurant in Switzerland and is now working on remodelling an Austrian farmhouse. Fraser has a BA from Northumbria University and graduated from London Metropolitan University with a Professional Diploma in Architecture. His interests lie in making, craft and construction.
Emma Carroll

MArch

Emma graduated from University College Dublin with first class honours in 2020, going on to work for Donaghy + Dimond architects in Dublin before joining Tuckey Design Studio. Before completing a Masters in Architecture, Emma gained experience working with Metropolitan Workshop and O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects.

Emma is particularly interested in architecture’s capacity to express the values and priorities of society. This interest manifests itself in an intention to make architecture which is relevant, considered and sustainable.

Since joining the practice, Emma has been integral in the realisation of the Rammed Earth House as well as designing schemes for a conservatoire in south London and primary school in Kent.
Joel Donoghue

MArch

Joel studied his undergraduate at the University of Liverpool and then went on to work at Lynch Architects. He completed his Masters in Architecture at Kingston University, in which his dissertation explored the architecture of the bricolage.

His interest within this subject looks at how the architect can continuously add to the built context to provide overlapping layers of memory and culture.
Isabella Laffeaty

MArch

Isabella studied her BSc at The Welsh School of Architecture with first class honours, before graduating Master of Architecture at Kingston School of Art in 2023 with distinction. Her masters thesis was nominated for RIBA Silver Medal, featured on Dezeen and was awarded a RIBA London Award in 2023.

Isabella’s interest in heritage architecture carried through to her thesis project, which proposed the careful adaptive reuse of historic industrial warehouses into a community dance facility and courtyard garden. Before joining Tuckey Design Studio, she worked at AOC Architecture on the Grade 2* Edwardian Cinema Paignton Picture House, and is a member of SPAB.
Annas Mojaddidi

MArch

Annas studied a Masters in Architecture at Kingston University, graduating with a distinction in 2018. His final year thesis project was nominated for the RIBA Silver medal award and focused on designing a community church in East London to explore the idea that architecture can evoke a spiritual experience.

Annas enjoys craftsmanship and the iterative process of design, especially alternating between sketching and model making to develop projects. Before completing his masters, he worked on notable Tuckey Design Studio projects including Egg and MALIN + GOETZ Covent Garden.
Joe Murray

ARB

Joe studied at Kingston University, where he graduated with a distinction and was nominated for the RIBA Silver Nomination. His final year project was published on the Building on the Built Student Archive.

Before joining Tuckey Design Studio, he worked at Lynch Architects for a number of years. He is passionate about craft and making physical models as an architectural design tool. Outside of architecture, Joe enjoys making ceramics, cycling and walking his Irish Terrier, Ned.
Yael Shmueli-Goetz

PhD

Yael retrained as an interior designer at KLC School of Design, graduating with distinction. She then went on to work for two design studios before joining the team in 2021.

Yael holds a PhD in Psychology and was a Senior Research Fellow for 20 years at the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families and University College London. Yael shares the ethos and aesthetic of the studio; the marrying of old with new, craftmanship, and materiality. She is in her element when creating design schemes that enhance and complement the practice’s architecture.
Olimpia Presutti

ARB

Olimpia completed her Diploma at the Architectural Association, where she focused on the architectural and cultural identity of the urban context.

As well as having worked independently, she gained experience at Studio Fuksas and David Chipperfield Architects, contributing to the development of projects such as the Royal Academy and the Lah Contemporary and developing her interest in both refurbishment and new built.

Among her experiences, she was also able to expand her interest on the climate emergency working at UNA Studio/ UNLESS, where she took part in the “Antarctic Resolution’ exhibition shown at the 2021 Venice Architectural Biennale.

At Tuckey Design Studio, Olimpia has lead projects such as the restoration of listed terraces at Hans Road in central London and the remodelling of a statement Lake Como Villa.
Francesca Schiavello

MSc Arch USI

Francesca has a Masters from the Accademia di Architettura of Mendrisio, in Switzerland. During her studies she focused on reuse and urban regeneration projects with a sustainable approach.

Before joining the practice in 2021 Francesca gained experience on different scales of design, from interior design to landscape, in practices between Belgium, such as 51n4e, Italy and Switzerland. Alongside her work as an architect she realises lamps and has joined Homo Faber in 2024, which promotes globally fine craftsmanship.
Dan Stilwell

MArch

Dan travelled from the south of England to study Architecture, completing both a BA and Masters in Architecture at London Metropolitan University. During his studies, he was involved in furniture design and several public realm projects, with an emphasis on empowering others to become practitioners in self-building across Italy, Norway and the UK.

Since joining the practice, Dan has been instrumental in the design and completion of the Trevarefabrikken hotel in Norway, Malin+Goetz Canary Wharf, and most recently the restoration of a Victorian Knightsbridge terrace.

He is passionate about craft, seeking out innovative ways of combining traditional techniques with modern technologies, whilst focusing on ease of buildability and economy of material use.
Amy Brown

BA (Hons)

Amy graduated from Kingston School of Art with first class honours. She then went on to work for Brinkworth Design before joining Tuckey Design Studio.

Alongside her degree, she gained experience working for architecture studio Gundry & Ducker. Amy is interested in architecture’s potential for social change, alongside collaborative, community-driven projects which respond to their physical, historic, and social contexts. She enjoys using hand drawing and model making to explore various schemes with a focus on sustainability and accessibility.
Caolán Laverty

BA (Hons)

Caolán studied at Queen’s University Belfast for his undergraduate degree with first class honours, for which he received the regional RIBA, RSUA Bronze Medal. His final third year project, a refuge shelter within a 16th Century Oratorio in Genoa, strengthened his passion for working within existing fabric with social and spatial sensitivity.

He believes in the vitalness of model-making, hand-drawing and sketching as generative and communicative design tools. Outside of Architecture he enjoys literature, music and crafts of all kinds.
Will Polito

BA (Hons)

Will graduated from Oxford Brookes School of Architecture with First Class Honours, with his final third year project receiving a nomination for the RIBA Bronze Medal. The project proposed a strategy of phased adaptation for the regeneration of a former cattle market, within a historic town in Oxfordshire. This adaptation aligned with the growth of a new mixed-species woodland on the outskirts of the town, enabling an investigation into the relationship between sustainable forestry practices and local architectural development.

Prior to his studies here, Will received a First Class Honours in Fine Art: Painting from the Edinburgh College of Art. Will continues his passion for painting in time outside architecture.
Arran Semple

Head of PR & Illustrator

Arran joined Tuckey Design Studio upon completing his BA Illustration degree with Distinction at UAL Camberwell College of Arts. His final year project concluded with a publication which analysed the architectural tension within London’s Square Mile.

Prior to his graduation he spent time studying Fine Art in Geneva and over the past few years has exhibited work with The Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh. Arran is a keen on-location sketcher and enjoys uncovering urban fabrics through observation and writing. Away from architecture he can be found in the cinema, running around London’s parks and strolling through exhibitions.
Georgia Anderton

Studio Assistant

Georgia graduated from The University of Aberdeen with an MA in Psychology. She joined Tuckey Design Studio as a Studio Assistant, making sure the practice is maintained and runs smoothly.

Outside of architecture, Georgia has a real passion for cooking and baking. Prior to joining the team, Georgia ran a small start-up bakery business based in Edinburgh, specialising in doughnuts.
Atif Butt

Accounts Manager

Atif joined the Tuckey Design Studio team in 2009. He is an all-round accountant with specialised experience in the property, technology and professional service sectors. He has in-depth knowledge of financial accounting and statutory accounts preparation, taxation, management accounting and reporting for commercial decision making.

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