Unknown Works is an award-winning design studio based in London. The studio’s work spans the fields of architecture, urban design, immersive events, exhibition design, installation art, graphics, and digital media.
We work at all scales; from the creation of cultural and commercial buildings, residential projects, urban design, and infrastructure projects to multi-media performances and immersive interventions. We apply architectural thinking to fields beyond, exploring bold ideas through critical research using writing, exhibitions, film, and illustration.
UW is fascinated by the human condition, the development of cities, the interactions of social and urban environments, and the mechanics of space distribution. From inception to completion, our goal is to uncover the hidden potentials of a project's brief and context in order to arrive at a solution that is architecturally refined, when required, disruptive, and always progressive. We strive to benefit people and places through stimulating projects that have a positive lasting impact.
Unknown Works (UW) is an emerging leader in sustainable design and innovation, winning the RIBA Sustainable Development Award in 2021. UW’s commitment aligns with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and addresses local sustainability targets, actively contributing to climate resilience and environmental health. Known for creating one of the first external mass timber structures in the UK, UW’s research-driven designs emphasize environmental harmony.
UW’s commitment to low-carbon design has led to partnerships that develop standards of sustainability across institutions and private residences alike, implementing real circular economy and integrating repurpose and reimagination into both materiality and design function.
With Passive House Accreditation, UW has developed specialised design tools focused on carbon targeting, particularly vital for our projects set in rural environments. UW understands that effective design integrates thermal proofing from a project’s inception, viewing it as essential to achieving a net-zero carbon future.
The studio specialises in community-driven design and place-making and has extensive experience in navigating complex regulatory landscapes, including collaborations with entities like Natural England to address requirements for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and heritage properties.
UW designs respond to the surrounding landscape, and always intend to merge architecture with nature or the urban environment.
Sustainability is core to the practice, emphasising innovative material use, detailed testing, and field research. Through sustainable residential designs and collaborations with renewable energy and mobility partners, Unknown Works remains at the forefront of ecological responsibility in design, contributing to the industry’s progress toward a more sustainable future.
Our practice target is Net Zero Carbon 2030 and we pride ourselves in a small carbon footprint.