APA make innovative and inventive contemporary architecture.
The practice is based in their award winning self-build studio.
Projects range from small scale residential additions and new build houses through to cultural foundations and corporate headquarters. The practice also undertakes funded government research as well as experimental research through international competitions projects.
All UK projects are managed in house from concept through to site completion. There is a strong focus on design innovation and projects are highly crafted with careful attention to detail, using contemporary materials and fabrication techniques. Larger scale and International projects are executed in collaboration with executive architects and other construction consultants to maintain the emphasis on a design led approach by the studio.
The work of the practice is widely published and exhibited. Recent publications include Architecture Today, A10 New European Architecture, Architect’s Journal and Grand Designs Magazine as well as online journals such as Dezeen and ArchDaily.
Practice work has been exhibited at the Royal Academy, Royal Institute of British Architects, New London Architecture, and the Architecture Foundation in the UK. Overseas exhibitions include the AIA Center, New York, the Aedes Gallery Berlin, the Architecture Zentrum, Vienna as well as other countries such as France, Korea & China.
The work of the practice has featured on Channel 4 TV programmes. Suburbanstudio has featured in George Clarkes ‘Amazing Spaces’ and Cut and Wrap House was focus of an episode of ‘Ugly House to Lovely House’.
The practice is lead by founding partners Abigail Ashton and Andrew Porter.
Abigail and Andrew both graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture UCL in 1994. They were jointly awarded the Bannister Fletcher Prize and Medal for best graduating students. They also both jointly won the RIBA Silver Medal for best national diploma student in 1994.
Their first project was in 1995 for the Petrie Museum Competition in Bloomsbury, London. They were awarded Second Prize by judges Richard Rogers, Enric Miralles and Itsuko Hasegawa. It was the first of many award winning competitions. They have practiced in partnership since this time.
From 1995 to 2000 Abigail and Andrew worked as Project Architects for Christine Hawley Architects primarily on the Kitagata Social Housing Project in Gifu, Japan. Funded by the Japanese government this was a £13m project for 108 apartments. They also were designers on a number of award winning competitions including the First Prize winning Salford Crescent Masterplan.
Between 2003 and 2010 they also founded and practiced as Metamode. The studio undertook a number of winning competitions and commercial projects in mainland China which included the Hakka Museum and Culture Park, Heyuan City and the A8 Tower, Shenzhen.
Since 2010 they have practiced solely as APA and the studio has focussed on award winning residential projects in the UK.
Abigail and Andrew have taught architecture at the Bartlett School of Architecture for over 20 years and have been invited critics and visiting professors at architecture schools across the US and Europe.