Architecture studio
Contemporary architecture studio in Clerkenwell. Residential, commercial and adaptive-reuse projects built to outlast their first owner.
Book an appointmentArchitecture studio
Buildings that feel older than they are because they were built properly. Northline Atelier designs residential, commercial and adaptive-reuse projects across London. We combine modern principles with materials that age well, so every space gains character instead of losing it.
Selected work
Selected residential, commercial and adaptive-reuse projects across London. Each one was photographed after occupation, so the rooms show real use rather than styling, and the materials show how they age.
A top-floor apartment in a former printworks opened up with a single rooflight and a brass-lined kitchen. The green joinery matches the original window frames.
A narrow house rebuilt around a central courtyard, bringing daylight into the middle of the plan. Bedrooms stack above a brick-paved garden room.
A photography studio and client space carved from a corner warehouse, with a forest green ceiling, polished concrete floor and a brass-edged meeting nook.
A mews house behind a Victorian terrace, restored externally and re-planned internally around a new staircase and a roof terrace over the garage.
A failing shopfront on a conservation street brought back with cast-iron columns, timber windows and a brass sign. Planning permission took one round.
A warehouse split into two live-work units while keeping the trusses, brickwork and loading bay doors intact. Both tenants moved in within a month.
Approach
Our process begins with a measured survey and a conversation about how the building is used. Only then do we draw, choosing materials for how they age rather than how they photograph.
Services
Our services cover the full life of a project, from the first conversation through construction and the months after handover. You can hire us for a single stage or the complete sequence.
An initial visit to walk the site, understand the brief and talk honestly about budget, timing and what is possible.
Learn moreFeasibility studies, planning drawings, technical packages and tender documents for residential, commercial and adaptive-reuse projects.
Learn moreWeekly site visits during construction, contractor questions answered and details resolved before they become expensive mistakes.
Learn moreRapid response when a site issue threatens the programme, from weather damage to unexpected structural conditions.
Learn moreWe return after handover to check how doors, windows and finishes are settling, and to note what needs adjusting.
Learn moreBespoke joinery, fitted furniture and one-off details drawn to fit the exact quirks of an existing building.
Learn moreProcess
Every project moves through the same clear sequence, but the time spent at each stage depends on the building, the brief and the planning authority. We keep you informed at each gate.
We walk the site, measure the existing building and talk about what needs to change and what must stay.
We test massing, daylight and budget before any design work begins, so the direction is grounded from the start.
Drawings, design statements and pre-application advice are handled in-house, with responses to council requests managed directly.
Detailed packages for builders include schedules, specifications and junction drawings that reduce guesswork on site.
We help you compare builder quotes and visit site weekly during construction to keep the detailing accurate.
After completion we return after six months to check how the building is settling in and to make small adjustments.
Visit
Clients
We ask clients for feedback after handover, once the building has been lived in long enough to know what really works. These are some of the things they tell us.
01Private client, Clerkenwell“They listened to how we actually live, then designed around it. The loft feels larger without adding any floor area.”
02Restaurant owner, Shoreditch“The fit-out stayed open two days ahead of schedule. Northline handled the planner and the builder with the same patience.”
03Developer, Hackney“Their adaptive-reuse proposal saved the facade and doubled the usable square footage. That is not easy to do.”
04Homeowner, Kentish Town“Six months after moving in they came back to check the doors had settled. I have never had an architect do that.”
05Studio director, Islington“The material palette they proposed cost less than our original specification and looks better after a year of use.”
06Landlord, Southwark“They turned a vacant warehouse into two lettable units without stripping the character. Tenants moved in within a month.”
People
Owns the relationship end to end.
Keeps every job running on schedule.
Your single point of contact.
Books you in and keeps things on time.
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Questions
The questions we hear most often before a first appointment, answered with the facts we can confirm and the decisions that stay yours until we have seen the site.
Yes. We work on extensions, loft conversions and full refurbishments, as well as larger new-build and commercial work.
The initial consultation is a conversation about your site and budget. We quote the next stage before any paid work begins.
A small extension usually takes 6-9 months from first visit to completion. Larger projects depend on planning and procurement.
Yes. We prepare and submit planning and listed-building applications, and respond to council requests without extra handoffs.
We can work with your builder, producing the technical drawings and site visits they need to price and build accurately.
It is the conversion of an existing building for a new purpose while keeping its structure and character. We specialise in this.
We test costs at feasibility stage and choose materials for longevity, not display. This usually saves money over the life of the building.
Appointment
Book an appointmentCome to the studio or arrange a call. Bring your site, your timeline and your questions.