Welcome to Mae

Creativity-led. Community-led. Drawing on the DNA of the neighbourhood, we create welcoming places for people.
We design policy as well as buildings. Inspired by our founder’s work at CABE, our thinking advances best practice.
We manage complexity. With carefully crafted architecture, we turn challenging sites into buildings with a distinct identity.

Alex Ely takes part in Melbourne School of Design's online event 'From Here; For Now' Research News

'From Here; for Now' is an international programme of talks in collaboration with Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne.

The talk was streamed live to a global audience as part of 'Space that can be occupied, where some things can be done'. Alex Ely discussed our research publication 'From City to Room: a manifesto for better living', representing the importance of integrated thinking in solving today's urban, social and environmental challenges.

June 2020 Read more

Agar Grove 1c wins planning consent Project Update

Agar Grove 1c, the second phase of Mæ's collaborative scheme with Hawkins\Brown for the London Borough of Camden has successfully achieved planning permission.

Following consultations with residents, the scheme draws on the built context of the area, with terraces, villas and mansion blocks facing public spaces.

The largest Passivhaus scheme in the UK, Agar Grove Estate won The Mayor’s Award for Sustainable and Environmental Planning at the London Planning Awards in 2019.

June 2020

Caudale shortlisted for RIBA Regional Awards 2020 Project Update

Caudale, part of our Regent's Park Infill Sites scheme, has been shortlisted for an RIBA Regional Award. The project provides high quality replacement housing for local residents displaced by the path of High Speed 2 in the Regent's Park area.

The RIBA been celebrating outstanding work for over 180 years. Their awards and prizes are regarded internationally as a mark of excellence, recognising the best architecture, architects, and research.

Winners will be announced later in the year.

June 2020 Read more

Helen Clark joins a panel of experts to launch Be First's new design guidance Research News

As authors of new design guidance for Be First, our associate Helen Clark joined a panel of experts at a webinar in partnership with NLA launching the new publication alongside discussions around Barking and Dagenham’s new build programme.

The new design guidance will steer Be First’s ambitious development programme over the next 20 years. The panel discussed Be First's approach to improving design quality and heard how they intend to apply these principles in Barking and Dagenham.

May 2020

Split-level living takes shape at Agar Grove Project Update

Our passivehaus project for the London Borough of Camden at Agar Grove is making good progress on site. Phase 1b will complete in late 2020 and will deliver mixed-tenure homes including our split-level apartments inspired by the work realised by the borough's own architecture department run by Sydney Cook in the 1960s. Split-level living featured heavily in these projects by the likes of Peter Tabori, Neave Brown and Benson & Forsyth.

April 2020 View Project

Staying connected whilst socially distant Project Update

As we change our working methods due to the current lockdown we are finding creative ways to continue to engage with the communities we design for and reach out to local residents.

For our College Green, Croydon scheme we have been conducting consultation using Webinars, online forums, one-to-one telephone consultations and mail shots. We are keen to ensure that we stay connected – whilst isolated – and with an impressive turnout we’ve been able to respond to questions and follow up specific concerns; allowing us to develop our design ideas and keep shaping communities for London.

April 2020

Sugar House Island R2 topped out Project Update

Sugar House Island is a new mixed use development comprising 1200 homes, retail, leisure and office spaces and winner of the New London Award for Masterplans and Area Strategies - a category that champions placemaking and area-wide regeneration. R2 is one of a number of urban blocks by Mæ. It has been designed for manufacture and assembly (DfMA). The generously planned apartments are constructed using factory produced wall panels ensuring a high degree of quality control, reducing assembly time, minimising waste and improving safety.

March 2020 Read more

200225 Ricsawards Shortlisting Regents Park

Regent's Park Infill Sites shortlisted for RICS Social Impact Awards Project Update

Our Regent's Park Infill Sites scheme has been shortlisted for a RICS Social Impact Award.

The project demonstrates how empty or underused sites can be used for new homes whilst improving the public realm and amenity, enriching the lives of both the new and the existing residents.

The RICS Social Impact Awards recognise examples of where the built environment has had a direct positive social and environmental impact on society.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in June.

February 2020 Read more

Alex Ely interviewed for The Leadership Council podcast Practice News

The Leaders Council of Great Britain and Northern Ireland talks to leadership figures from across the nation in an attempt to understand this universal trait and what it means today.

Alex Ely, our Founding Director, was invited to discuss leadership and his thoughts on how he approaches this responsibility at Mæ.

Lord Blunkett, chairman of The Leaders Council, said the podcast is an opportunity to 'sit down with someone who really gets how their industry works and knows how to make their organisation tick. Someone who's there day in day out working hard and inspiring others. That's what leadership is all about.'