Mae News

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The dialectic between modernism and tradition in the work of Mæ Practice News

Director Alex Ely will be giving a talk about the links between modernism and tradition in the work of Mæ for Docomomo UK on 8th April 2025 19.00-21.00 at the Alan Baxter Associates Gallery, 75 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EL.

At the fascinating intersection of modernist innovation and historical continuity, Mæ's architectural practice weaves a compelling narrative of urban evolution. Drawing inspiration from Frederick Gibberd's revolutionary new town paradigms, the ground breaking spatial compositions in postwar social housing, the humanist approaches of Alvar Aalto and the social consciousness of Bruno Taut, this discourse explores the delicate balance between progress and heritage. At its heart, this exploration reveals how Mæ is forging a new path in sustainable and socially responsible design. Their work demonstrates how architecture can simultaneously honour its modernist inheritance while addressing our most pressing contemporary concerns: environmental sustainability, social equity, and cultural enrichment.

For tickets follow the link below:

April 2025 Read more
Mae Book News

Towards a Resilient Architecture Research News

Our new publication 'Towards a Resilient Architecture' is out now. Published by Quart the book is a rallying call to create more resilient cities, diverse neighbourhoods, responsible buildings, and high quality homes. The projects features work by Mæ from the last 21 years of practice.

December 2022 View Article
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Inside House Development Awards judging Practice News

Mæ Associate Payal Ceurvels has been invited to join the judging panel for this year's 'Inside Housing Development Awards'.

The Inside Housing Development Awards celebrate the UK’s most outstanding residential developments over the past year, highlighting the innovation and resilience driving the sector forward. With governments across the UK focused on increasing delivery, the Inside Housing Development Awards flag the schemes and teams crucial to success: delivering quality, sustainable housing and transforming communities.

March 2025 Read more
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Architectural Association MArch Jury Week Keynote Practice News

Founder Director Alex Ely will be giving a keynote lecture to kick-off the annual MArch Jury Week, which marks the culmination of six of the Taught Postgraduate Programmes. The talk will follow the Housing and Urbanism MArch jury at 6.30pm on Monday 6th January 2025. Titled Spatial systems for society the lecture will explore spatial systems at different scales, from the city as ecosystem to the cellular structure of the home as explored in the work of Mæ. The talk is available to view here.

January 2025 AA MArch Programme
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Sustainable Development X Urban Conservation conference Practice News

Director Alex Ely will be speaking at the 'Sustainable Development X Urban Conservation' conference on Thursday 27th March. The event will explore innovative and practical approaches which demonstrate how urban conservation and sustainable development can work in harmony to improve places for people and planet.

Sustainable development and the need for growth need practical reconciliation. Conservation and responsible management must be balanced against affordability, and the ongoing requirements of growth and renewal. Alex will explore how doughnut economy principles can align with urban development.

March 2025 Read more
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The Future of Architecture talk Practice News

Mæ Associate Nadine Wagner will be participating in the KADSA lecture series. The Kent Architecture and Design Student Association is the official student organisation from the Kent School of Architecture. Throughout the year KADSA organise speakers from diverse backgrounds and experiences to complement the school's weekly lecture series: Aiming to inspire all students by showcasing the work and success of carefully selected speakers.

Nadine will speak about her work delivering some of our award winning, low carbon, and environmentally driven projects and creating resilient architecture.

March 2025
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CIBSE Project of the Year Award 2025 for Agar Grove 1b Project Update

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineering has Awarded Agar Grove 1b its Project of the Year 2025.

In a competitive field, the judges praised Agar Grove 1b for its exemplary application of design best practice on a large scale. They highlighted the focus on building performance and commitment to the local community. The project, part of the UK’s largest Passivhaus housing scheme, includes 34 council and 23 private homes.

Our design partners Max Fordham adopted a passive-first M&E design, achieving 70% energy efficiency. Resident surveys showed high satisfaction, and the design considered overheating risks, passive ventilation and noise mitigation for optimal comfort.

The judges said it was important to recognise Agar Grove 1b as a trailblazer for large, complex housing projects. ‘It’s precisely in these more challenging, larger-scale environments where our industry’s most meaningful progress can be made,’ they said.

February 2025 Read more
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Daventry House wins AJ Mixed-use Award Project Update

Daventry House, has won the Mixed-use Project (up to £75million) Award in the AJ Architecture Awards 2024. The project delivers 60 homes for later living above a 1300sq.m business enterprise centre. It was praised by the judges as a 'great example of human-centred design'.

‘Westminster City Council and Mæ show this is a new standard that social housing can strive to be,’ The project was praised by judges as a ‘visceral embodiment’ of the borough’s corporate strategy to promote a fairer economy across this central area of the capital, which is characterised by great inequality and rich diversity. They went on to say ‘This is an example of a local authority really putting their money where their mouth is.’

December 2024 AJ Architecture Awards 2024
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Studio International interview Practice News

Founder Director Alex Ely has been interviewed for Studio International magazine.

Studio was first published in April 1893 under the title The Studio: An Illustrated Magazine of Fine and Applied Art. It rapidly established itself as one of the most successful fine art periodicals in the English-speaking world.

Among others, it featured the work of the illustrator Aubrey Beardsley and the architects Charles Rennie Mackintosh and CFA Voysey.

In the interview with Veronica Simpson, Alex explores the secret to making buildings that other architects admire and envy, but which are dedicated to the greater good.

April 2024 Read more