Mae News

Dual Cities 01

Dual Cities published Practice News

Our Agar Grove project is featured in ‘Dual Cities – Social Housing in London + New York’ – a new RIBA book supported by AIA New York Chapter, authored by Paul Karakusevic and Mike Althorpe. The book also includes an essay by Director Alex Ely 'London Dwelling Standards- Enabling the Equitable City'.

The book explores social housing design and delivery through the parallel experiences of London and New York

Opening up a new global dialogue and offering a practical guide to the past, present and future of housing, Dual Cities features commentary pieces from experts on both sides of the Atlantic unlocking policy and delivery mechanisms and includes 40 illustrated historic and contemporary housing case studies from a range of practices in both cities.

July 2025 Available to buy here
250613 Daventry Award Mae

Planning Award 2025 for Daventry House Project Update

Daventry House has won the Award for Planning for Senior Living in the Planning Awards 2025. For 12 years, The Planning Awards have acknowledged the transformative power of planning and placemaking.

This award recognises a project that "the judges feel most clearly demonstrates how professional planning work has enabled high quality senior living, by providing housing particularly suited to ageing people."

June 2025 Read more
250514 Daventry House Mae Riba Awards

RIBA London Award for Daventry House Project Update

Daventry House has won a 2025 RIBA London Award.

The jury says "The central success of the project lies in how the architects have succeeded in meeting the client’s commitment to delivering homes that adhere to HAPPI principles. This notable project enables residents to relocate from nearby Penn House bedsits to larger one-bedroom homes in their neighbourhood, retaining the many social links and bonds which are so fundamental to living happily in later life."

For over 50 years, the RIBA Awards have championed and celebrated the best architecture in the UK and around the world.

Successful projects reflect changes and innovations in architecture, but at their core display a commitment to designing and developing buildings and spaces that improve and enhance people's lives.

May 2025 Read more
250326 Ihda25 Payal Ceurvels

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
250321 Conference Poster Crop

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
250319 Nwa Talk

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
Agar Grove Updated05

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
250213 Ribaawards Mae Daventry

Daventry House shortlisted for RIBA Regional Award 2025 Project Update

Daventry House has been shortlisted for the RIBA London Awards 2025.

RIBA Regional Director of London, John Nahar said the shortlisted projects "capture and celebrate the city’s diverse cultural identity, contributing to inclusive and sustainable communities" and "not only improve the physical environment but also enhance the quality of life for all of us".

All projects shortlisted for RIBA Awards will be visited by a regional jury, and the winning projects will be announced later this spring.

February 2025 Read more
250129 Housing Standardisation

Housing standardisations: who designs our homes and how do we live? Practice News

Alex Ely will be joining a roundtable debate as part of the exhibition 'Housing Standardisation: Who Designs Our Homes and How Do We Live?' at the Building Centre. The exhibition explores recently built housing in England, Chile, China, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Spain, analysing their diverse housing systems and provisions through 37 in-depth case studies of affordable homes. It focuses on the experiences and everyday lives of residents, examining how design governance, housing standards, socio-cultural expectation, and home use shape perceptions of ‘well-designed’ and ‘affordable’ homes – and how these are highly contextual.

January 2025 Book here