GRID has been immersed in the Build to Rent movement since 2014.We were the first practice to complete a purpose designed BtR project at Vantage Point. It is this experience, as well as in depth understanding of the sector, that means BtR clients keeping coming back to us. Services The services we offer span from masterplanning to the interior design of the apartments and amenity spaces. We also develop brand standards and technical specifications for developers and operators. We design bespoke BtR projects for clients like Quintain Living, Vertus, Packaged Living and John Lewis & Partners. We also design BtR buildings within bigger mixed-use developments for organisations like Muse and Hammerson to take to the market post-planning. We have projects across major cities in the UK and Ireland. Planning All BtR developers and operators differ in the type of product they provide, however there is a common operations-led approach that all follow. Their models respond to price point and location and so our thorough understanding of their business model and analysis of the site context is a prerequisite to developing a successful project. While residential rental accommodation is different to for-sale housing it sits under the same planning use-class as private for sale or affordable housing. Rental design cannot conflict with housing guidance and good practice, and so we accommodate all requirements. Branding Brand Guidance, like the hospitality industry equivalent, is key to multi-building ownership and management. Brand guidance allows standardisation, customer recognition and economical procurement. GRID is involved with marketing and brand consultants in developing BtR Operator’s aspiration for design and interiors. Our technical expertise is vital in influencing key decisions that affect building layout and finishes at an early stage. BIM GRID is committed to BIM and we have invested in developing our capability since 2012. Now the whole practice operates in REVIT from feasibilities to interior fit outs. Our clients benefit from accurate costing and comparisons during design, construction and in use. The model data is used, and developed, through to building handover for managing maintenance, operations and eventually interior refreshes and component replacement. Construction With guidance and standardisation comes specification. We develop technical standards by undertaking intense interrogation of finishes and appliances to ensure compliance, performance, maintenance, and longevity. Buildability, and in many cases off-site manufacture, are also key tasks undertaken in developing rigorously considered proposals. Operating Maintenance, and particularly on-going energy costs, are more important to an operator than a traditional house builder. Our experience working with developers and alongside operators means that we know what will work in practice. We think not only about the residents and their arrival, use of amenities and enjoyment of their apartments. We also consider the people and activities that make the buildings work from concierge to gym operator, to maintenance team to refuse collectors. For GRID a successful BtR project is one where the residents enjoy the buildings, amenities and interiors, but also works like clockwork so that residents don’t even know how it operates.

Assael is an award-winning, London-based practice that offers a cohesive suite of architecture, interior design and landscape architecture services to a range of developers, investors and local authorities.

Established in 1994, Assael Architecture Limited (AAL) began as a specialist architectural practice with seven employees. Over the past three decades, the company has grown to a team of more than 90 staff and expanded to include several specialist subsidiaries. The practice focuses on residentially led mixed-use developments across multiple sectors, including hospitality, commercial and masterplanning, with the aim of creating vibrant communities.

With over 30 years of experience delivering successful residential-led mixed-use developments, Assael is recognised as a leader in the design of Build to Rent communities. This expertise in operationally led design has also been applied to numerous co-living developments across London. Notable projects include Blackhorse Mills in Waltham Forest for Legal & General, Union Wharf in Greenwich for Essential Living, Sunday Mills in Wandsworth for DTZ Investors and Florence Dock for DTZ Investors.

The practice’s expertise is frequently sought to unlock the potential of complex and constrained sites in sensitive urban locations. Through extensive research and development, Assael has become recognised as a pioneer in the Build to Rent and co-living sectors, delivering many operational and award-winning schemes. To date, Assael has designed more than 100,000 homes across over 3,000 projects, a number that continues to grow.

Over the past three decades, the practice’s work and culture have been widely recognised through industry awards. These include Housing Design Awards, New London Architecture Awards and The Sunday Times’ Architect of the Year Award, which it has won three times. It was also named AJ100 Employer of the Year in 2017, received Building Magazine’s Good Employer Award for the fourth time in 2018, and won the AJ’s Business Pioneer of the Year Award in 2015.

Beyond project delivery, the practice’s influence extends through research and thought leadership. Co-founder Russell Pedley is widely recognised as a pioneer in the UK Build to Rent sector. His independent research into successful developments in the United States and the publication of Best Practice Guides have helped shape design standards for the sector across the UK.

Sustainability is embedded in Assael’s values and, in 2024, the practice achieved internationally recognised B Corp certification.

An established, award-winning architectural practice based in Central London. With a staff of 90 and growing, we offer a powerful combination of development understanding, design flair and construction know-how.