Asli Aktu
Asli is an Architect at Dowen Farmer Architects. Having graduated from Oxford Brookes and The Bartlett she brings a passion for innovative, thoughtful design and creative collaboration. Before joining DFA, Asli worked at Allies and Morrison, contributing to large-scale masterplans across thee UK and the Middle East, alongside commercial and community-focused projects, many involving listed buildings and heritage-sensitive contexts. She also led public engagement initiatives, including youth workshops and retrofit proposals. When she’s not in the studio, she’s likely off getting her passport stamped and exploring new places, or in search of the perfect flat white.
Aaria Anand
Aaria is a part 1 architectural assistant at Dowen Farmer Architects. Having recently graduated from the Manchester school of Architecture with a First class honours, she is keen to learn how to utilise design as a way of creating a more equitable and sustainable future. Being from India, issues of culture, heritage and identity have been pivotal in informing her designs. In her free time you will find Aaria exploring new restaurants around London, or convincing friends to join her on last minute plans.
Paul Bailey
Paul has experience in a series of large studios including BDP, where he was a senior project runner involved in a number of complex large scale schemes. Key sectors of experience include Residential, Education, Healthcare, Science & Technology, R&D, Retail and Heritage. Projects include designs for new lab and research facilities at the John Innes Centre, 900 bed student housing scheme, refurbishment and extension of a listed prominent School in Kent. Also involved in both the Restoration and Renewal project at the Palace of Westminster and delivering stakeholder engagement for the Parliamentary Estate Masterplan. Paul, like his dog Fez, is F A S T (2h30m mara PB!), and has won a number of local races, most recently taking home a crate of Stella for his efforts.
Olivia Baylis
Olivia is a Part II Architectural Assistant at Dowen Farmer Architects. She completed her Master’s degree at the Royal College of Art and her undergraduate studies at the University of Edinburgh. Prior to joining the practice, she worked at an architectural office based in the Barbican, gaining experience across a diverse range of projects including social housing and conservation. In her academic work she explored how architecture can embrace and respond to environmental conditions and used fabric as an architectural medium, a material interest that resonates with her pursuits beyond practice, where she enjoys dressmaking, sketching, and baking.
Camille Bongard
Camille is an Associate at DFA. She graduated both part I and II from the Architectural Association, where she was awarded a RIBA President Bronze Medal Commendation. Prior to joining DFA, Camille has gained international work experience in NYC, Paris and Hong Kong where she has tackled complex projects of various scales, ranging from interior renovations to the design of large cultural and housing developments. She has then worked as an independent architect in Switzerland, focusing on high-end residential properties and commercial projects. Beyond her passion for architecture, Camille is also an art enthusiast. She has curated various exhibitions exploring new technologies and alternative realities in the art and architecture world. If she’s not in the office you’ll likely find her travelling the world, enjoying London’s food scene, or hitting the ski slopes.
Ruairi Boyle
Ruairi is an Associate at DFA. Having completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Edinburgh, Ruairí worked as a Part 1 with McKeown and Shields in Northern Ireland, followed by an additional year in Edinburgh with Comprehensive Design Architects. Following this, he moved to Oxford to complete his Masters in Architecture at Oxford Brookes University, where his final project, which aimed at tackling Paris’ Hidden Homeless, was nominated for the RIBA South student prize. Throughout his masters Ruairí worked with Troy Planning + Design and played an important role in their design team, before leaving to join Goldstein Heather in April 2020, where he played a key part in the studio’s growth, leading two of the studio’s largest projects in Bromley town centre, Elmfield and Bromley High Street. In 2024, Ruairí brought his wealth of experience and expertise to DFA, where he continues to contribute his creativity and vision to the team. Ruairi is also uniquely a Guinness World Record holder for participating in the worlds longest 'Rock the Boat'.
Matthew Borne
Matthew is a Part II Architectural Assistant. He completed his Master's degree at the London School of Architecture and his undergraduate degree at Ulster University, where he was nominated for the RSUA Bronze Medal Award. Alongside his education, Matthew has worked in some of the UK's leading practices, building experience across residential, housing, education and urban design, working on projects from early concept through to construction and completion. His work is driven by an interest in the relationship between design, visual communication and the practical realities of delivering architecture. It is grounded in a sensitivity to place, exploring a site's character and locality while looking to the past to inform its role in contemporary society. Alongside practice, Matthew has been closely involved with the European Architecture Students Assembly (EASA), acting as National Contact for Northern Ireland and taking on a leading role within the organisation. His involvement in EASA reflects his belief in architecture as more than a profession: a social and collaborative practice shaped by sharing ideas, meeting people and making things happen.
Andrew Brown
Andrew leads the workplace, digital, and visualisation stream across the studio, bringing deep specialist expertise to every commercial project. With extensive knowledge in BIM, 3ds Max, Adobe Suite and other advanced platforms, Andrew enables DFA to rapidly test and refine design concepts throughout the design and delivery. Andrew’s ability to translate complex technical requirements into clear visual outcomes ensures clients can confidently engage in the design process and see their workplace vision come to life in real time. Even at peak project intensity, Andrew remains the calmest person in the room, which is both reassuring and slightly suspicious. Andrew also heads up the 'beige' department, as a serious food lover of all nutritious delicacies, any shade of yellow, from pasties to penne.
Brian Chang
Brian is a Part II Architectural Assistant who completed his Master of Architecture at the Manchester School of Architecture (First Class Honours), following his Bachelor's degree at the University of Hong Kong. He has experience across both large international practices and smaller design-led studios, having worked at Aedas and NT-AR on commercial and high-end residential projects across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Brian combines strong digital skills with a hands-on interest in physical prototyping and fabrication. During his Master's studies, he worked as a 3D Printing Teaching Assistant in Manchester, supporting digital fabrication and model production. Outside of architecture, Brain is a keen tennis player, devoted food enthusiast, and passionate traveller.
Miruna Cismas
Miruna is a Part I Architectural Assistant at DFA, having completed her undergraduate at Newcastle University, where she found a passion for co-design and socially conscious architecture. Growing up in Romania and volunteering on community projects in Asia, she has a real interest in how socioeconomic contexts shape architecture. Outside of work, Miruna can be found trying just about every sport (ranging in skill anywhere from GB level to needing to be rescued from a wave pool), or planning which country she can consume her next Hugo Spritz in.
Ben Clifton
Ben is a Part II Architectural Assistant. He completed his Master's degree at Newcastle University, where his final project was nominated for the RIBA President's Silver Medal. His academic work explored the relationship between architecture, artificial intelligence and representation, creating an installation that repeatedly observed, interpreted and redrew a decaying structure. He is particularly interested in how digital tools can support the design and coordination of complex buildings. Outside the studio, Ben can be found cycling around London, visiting exhibitions or trying to convince his miniature dachshund, Winston, to walk in the direction he intended.
Charlotte Cole
Charlotte is a Part I Architectural Assistant, having completed her undergraduate at the Bartlett. There she leaned towards big physical model-making and atmospheric theory-led design. She believes good architecture is built from ideas as much as bricks, and is drawn to buildings that are crafted, communal, and a little bit peculiar. Following this, she worked at FBM Architects helping out with projects like the new Museum of London before heading off travelling. While knee-deep in mud, she picked up a couple of traditional building techniques as well as recipes. However, by her own admission, her attempts to learn to cook have not gone quite so well as her adobe houses. Outside of architecture, Charlotte is mildly obsessed with tennis, and can usually be found wandering around an art gallery, at the pottery studio, or with her nose in a book.
Peter Cotton
Peter is a Part II Architectural Assistant at DFA and a graduate of The Bartlett and the Royal College of Art. His work explores architecture through a dialogue between computational tools, craft, and making. He has experience in building conservation, delivering large-scale restoration projects across the North East, including work on culturally significant sites such as Durham Cathedral and Brancepeth Castle. His design process is concerned with playful invention and material sensitivity, shaped by close collaboration with craftspeople and on-site practice. Outside of the office, he can often be found at the pub, planning his next cycling trip with his friends. Having completed a very wet coast to coast in the south of England, his sights are now set on cycling the length of Britain.
Farida Doss
Farida is a Part I Architectural Assistant at DFA. She recently completed her undergraduate studies at Central Saint Martins, graduating with First Class Honours. Raised in Cairo, her interests range from urban design and its relationship to the city to vernacular architecture and the use of natural building materials. Her approach to architecture is grounded in its ability to merge conceptual and historical research with material and construction. She has gained professional experience in both Cairo and London, including building conservation and exhibition design. In her spare time, Farida can often be found curating a good playlist and testing it out on long walks.
James Dowen
James is a Co-Founder and Architect at DFA with experience gaining planning for and delivering a variety of complex residential and retail projects across the UK. Prior to DFA, James gained commercial, masterplanning and mixed-use experience at Benoy Architects. Having studied at the University of Newcastle and gaining First Class Honours for both undergrad and masters degrees, as well as winning several design awards including the “HB Saint- William Bell Memorial Prize” and nominated for the “RIBA Hadrian Award”, James was part of the Benoy team winning the ‘BCSC Gold award refurbishment over £5 million’ for the retail/town centre regeneration work undertaken in Woking Town Centre. Outside the office its all about food, and sometimes inside the office too; James heads up the non beige food front in the studio alongside Sean, pioneering for foods of all colours, flavours and textures. James has also been spotted in Greggs.
Tom Farmer
Tom is a Co-Founder of DFA and an Architect overseeing the design and delivery of a number of U.K. based projects. His extensive experience includes working at Heatherwick Studio on the design and construction of a wide range of projects from high end residential towers to public art and furniture design. Prior to this, Tom has delivered residential, retail and masterplanning schemes both in the U.K. and overseas. Tom specialises in the design, coordination and delivery of complex projects through the use of fully coordinated 3D digital models, working closely with consultants and contractors to detail and realise extraordinary architecture. Tom sits under Andrew, in the beige food camp, and although claims to be a man who has travelled the world with an extensive and sophisticated palate, is usually found nibbling anything from the Greggs menu at lunchtime.
Alex Gaul
Alex is an Associate at DFA, driving projects from inception to delivery, and working closely with clients and consultant teams to turn ambitious ideas into buildable architecture. Prior to joining DFA, Alex worked at Hawkins/Brown and Architecture Initiative, delivering projects across the UK and internationally. Something of an architectural chameleon, Alex has worked across a wide range of sectors and scales, spanning residential-led regeneration, student accommodation and masterplanning, commercial workplaces, education and hotels, civic spaces, and research and laboratory facilities. He enjoys tackling challenging briefs and navigating the messy middle of planning, coordination and delivery to unlock opportunities for clients and cities alike. Alex studied at the Manchester School of Architecture and is a Certified Passivhaus Designer, bringing a strong interest in sustainability and low-energy design to his work. Alex's impeccable taste in Architecture is somewhat offset by his rather basic taste outside the studio - usually involving a trip to the pub, a sausage roll, and occasionally defending the architectural merits of a Wetherspoons.
George Gil
George is a Project Lead at DFA, having graduated from The Bartlett with a Distinction. George gained broad experience over eight years at Tonkin Liu, working most notably as Project Lead on the redevelopment of York Minster’s stoneyard. Here, his interest in the relationship between traditional craft and digitised making was developed. This interest was further nurtured when George won the 2025 Antepavilion competition, where he designed and built Moonument, a shapeshifting series of laminated plywood and steel fins that float above Regents Canal. George’s drive for design and making stems from an interest in anthropology and history, always looking to find the crux of a project in the office through diagrams, prototypes and details. Outside of office hours George can be found at the pottery wheel, trying to turn the purest yet most ridiculous teapot possible.
Matthew Gillen
Matt is an ARB-registered Architect and Project Lead with over seven years of experience working on residential, commercial and mixed-use projects across London. He's worked across a range of organisations - from design-led architecture practices, to design and build contractors (such as Facit Homes) where he worked high-end private family homes, to Voza Developments where he specialised in high-end back-to-brick renovations in Central London. He's managed projects from initial concept design through to construction on-site. Where he thrives best is getting built on site where his attention to detail ensures projects are constructed exactly as designed. Outside the office, you'll probably find Matt on a football pitch, a padel court, at the gym, or in the pub!
Paige Goodall
Paige is a Part 1 Architectural Assistant at DFA. She’s recently graduated with her undergraduate from the Welsh School of Architecture with a First Class Honours, where she is now starting her Masters alongside work. Her academic work has explored themes of inclusivity, community and sustainable architecture, which she is excited to explore and develop in practice. Outside of the Studio, Paige is an avid sport climber, enjoys catching a film at the cinema and exploring the city.
Kris Jacobsen
Born and raised in Leith, Edinburgh, Kris graduated with Distinction from the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture in Aberdeen. He completed his Part 1 at Richard Murphy Architects, and later joined Reiach and Hall Architects in Edinburgh as a Part 2 Architectural Assistant. During this time, he worked across large-scale educational projects, community facilities, design competitions, and masterplans based within the UK and internationally. Kris was part of the team delivering Fife College - Scotland’s first net-zero-ready education building. These experiences deepened his understanding of architectural design shaped by cultural traditions, responsive to climate, and grounded in the history and character of place.
Emily James
Emily is a Part II Architectural Assistant, holding a Master's in Architecture from the Royal College of Art and a First Class BA (Hons) from Oxford Brookes University. Her work explores the intersection of architecture, storytelling and emerging technologies, underpinned by a belief in design as a tool for environmental responsibility and social equity. Her RCA thesis examined how compromised housing can be reimagined rather than demolished, proposing playful spatial strategies that take advantage of the 'grey areas' of planning, resulting in a re-mutated building that prioritises the tenants over developers. Prior to joining DFA, Emily gained several years of experience at WilkinsonEyre, contributing to major projects including the restoration of Battersea Power Station. Alongside practice, Emily is co-founder of Architits, a female-led collective fostering open dialogue on contemporary architectural issues.
Ellie Jones
Ellie is a Part II Architectural Assistant at DFA, having relocated to London after completing both her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the Manchester School of Architecture. During her studies, she spent half a year studying at the Politecnico di Milano, where she developed a love for the coffee culture, Italian Modernism, and made a decent attempt at speaking the language. Ellie has experience working across residential and student residential sectors, as well as on some more unusual projects like the adaptive reuse of an old cinema into a hotel. She enjoys working between mediums, and finds physical model making a particularly useful as a way to test, change and communicate ideas. Outside of work, she is still immersed in all things architecture, and spends her free evenings dragging less willing company to exhibitions or to stare-at and photograph door handles, light switches and drain pipes. Outside of architecture, as a amateur hiker-turned-runner, she is usually found clocking some sort of miles, or trying to hold onto her (fading) Italian through a combination of Duolingo and cooking pasta al dente.
Marike Jungk
Marike is a Part 1 Architectural Assistant and recent Bartlett graduate. Having previously gained experience working for Asif Khan Studio on large-scale cultural projects, her design process is rooted firmly in a research and development-led approach and ranges from hand-drawing over computer-generated imagery to 1:1 prototyping. In her free time, she can be found at the barre dancing classical ballet (badly), in the workshop or DJing (also badly).
Anastasija Kostileva
Anastasija is a Project Architect at DFA. Prior to this, she worked at Goldstein Heather on a range of residential and heritage-led projects, contributing across both design and technical stages. She led the technical delivery of Stirling Close in Streatham, a development of nine contemporary terraced houses, and worked on the design development of Burrswood Estate Regeneration — a complex Green Belt site centred around a Grade II listed building — as well as interior design for a high-end private residential project. She is particularly interested in creating thoughtful spaces that connect with the people who use them. Before joining Goldstein Heather, Anastasija spent seven years at Bell Phillips Architects, gaining experience across residential, mixed-use and masterplanning projects from concept through to construction. During this time, she completed her architectural apprenticeship at London South Bank University and contributed to major schemes including Plot 4A Smithfield, Essex Close, Styles House and Convent Way.
Outside of work, Anastasija enjoys travelling, cooking for friends, cycling through the city, and exploring exhibitions and galleries.
Sean Martin
Meet Sean Martin, Associate Director, always accompanied by his trusty assistant dog, Remy. A proud graduate of the Manchester School of Architecture, Sean combines creativity, enthusiasm, and a keen social spirit to bring a fresh perspective to the world of arts and architecture. With experience in Design Management, Sean seamlessly orchestrates projects from concept to completion. Known for his sharp design skills and even sharper wit, Sean keeps the office buzzing with laughter and innovative ideas. Whether he's sketching out ground-breaking designs or cracking a joke, Sean’s presence lights up the workspace.
Tom Massey
Tom is a Part II Architectural Assistant who recently graduated from the London School of Architecture (LSA) with distinction. His final project explored the sensitive retrofit of Greenwich Power Station, which he earned a spot as finalist for the Architecture Today Test of Time Awards. Before heading to London, Tom studied at the Manchester School of Architecture, where his work was nominated for the RIBA Bronze Medal. Up north, he spent time at Buttress Architects getting hands-on experience with heritage and community-focused schemes. While studying at the LSA, Tom worked at DSDHA on a range of urban pieces across the capital.
Amber Nip
Amber is a Part 1 Architectural Assistant with DFA, having recently completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Cambridge. Awarded the Pembroke College Academic prize, she utilises a hybrid of CAD and hand-drawing with workshop-based model-making. Previously, she has worked on the design and construction of several residential builds at varying scales, including housing projects in Walthamstow and Cambridge. Having had her work published in both student-led exhibitions and the Varsity magazine, she has developed a socially conscious and energetic approach that she brings to her projects. In her spare time, you will find her exploring the local pubs or waking up at the crack of dawn to dance for a competitive ballroom team!
Ioana Oprescu
Ioana is a Part II Architectural Assistant completing her Master's degree at the Royal College of Art, having previously completed her undergraduate studies at The Bartlett School of Architecture. Prior to this, she worked at Populous on the reconstruction of the King Fahd International Stadium. In her academic work, she has explored urban staging and the public realm, and is particularly interested in communist heritage in architecture and the social histories embedded within the built environment. Alongside technical experience in 3D modelling, she enjoys drawing, model-making and image-making as part of the design process. Outside practice, she is an avid listener of audio theatre.
Sophia Papantoniou
Sophia is the Studio Manager at DFA. She graduated from Falmouth University with a degree in Fashion Photography, developing a multidisciplinary background working across the arts. Her experience has shaped a clear strength in supporting creative teams through structure and communication. Outside the office, she works as a freelance photographer for art galleries and fashion events.
Matt Pratt
Matt is an Associate at DFA, having worked at some of the UK’s most recognisable design studios, including Heatherwick Studio, Foster + Partners and Grimshaw. He has extensive experience managing design processes from initial concept through to detailed construction across both residential and commercial sectors. His studies at Newcastle University and UCL earned him a distinction at each, and he has since gone on to win a number of architecture competitions for his personal projects. Outside of the studio, Matt is better known for his love of heavy metal - a taste that rarely makes it onto office playlists, but has earned him a quiet reputation as a plain-clothes metalhead. Since relocating to Crystal Palace, he’s embraced local tradition by making frequent visits to Selhurst Park
Conan Quigley
Conan is a Part II Architectural Assistant, holding a Master's and BA (Hons) in Architecture from Newcastle University. Following his undergraduate degree, he moved to New Zealand to work in construction as a carpenter and formworker, gaining valuable, hands-on experience across projects ranging from residential developments to major infrastructure projects. His architectural interests focus on the relationship between culture, materiality and place. His Master's thesis explored how cultural identity can be embedded within the contemporary built environment to foster a stronger sense of belonging and connection to place. Outside of the studio, Conan can usually be found exploring London's food scene.
Angelica Scorgie
Angelica is a Part II Architectural Assistant, holding a Master's from the Royal College of Art and a First Class BA (Hons) from the University of Kent, where she was nominated for the RIBA President's Bronze Medal. Prior to joining DFA, Angelica gained over three years of Part I professional experience, contributing to a range of multi-award-winning residential and public-sector projects, including Paragraph 84 dwellings and a multi-storey skate park. Film, exhibition and installation inform her wider practice, shaping an approach to architecture that considers representation and material expression as active parts of the design process. Her academic work at the RCA explored evolving environmental conditions and patterns of inhabitation through drawing, mapping and material investigation as generative forms of spatial research. Outside of practice, Angelica enjoys collaborative filmmaking, print-making, and playing violin with her local orchestra, interests that continue to inform her approach to narrative, rhythm and collaboration.
Lucy Stittle
Lucy is a RIBA President's Medal winning Architect. Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a distinction, Lucy went on to JTP for a year before joining DFA. Lucy is a passionate sketcher, a talented baker (and don't the team know it!) and an avid bird watcher. If Lucy isn't in the studio doodling on tracing paper, you can likely find her in the Shetlands with her dad admiring the landscape and taking inspiration for the next architectural concept. Lucy brings an abundance of sustainable led thinking to the studio by designing to mitigate the climate crisis and aspiring to challenge banality within the profession.
Max Tickner
Max is a Part I Architectural Assistant at DFA. He recently graduated from Central Saint Martin's where he received a First Class Honours and university awards for his final project. Having gained experience at small practices across London, working on projects from Art Galleries to community-driven focuses, Max's interests now lie on civic and urban design; how we tackle isolation in cities through architecture that responds to its environment and connects people together. He is often found wandering around museums looking a little bit lost, or sketching.
Gian Virdi
Gian graduated at London Metropolitan University and The University of Bath where he was nominated for the RIBA Silver President’s Medal and The Architects Journal Student Prize. Prior to working at Dowen Farmer Architects Gian has worked at award winning London practices with experience working on a Grade II* Listed Chapel, multi unit residential schemes in London and a £500 million redevelopment scheme in the heart of Mayfair. As someone who’s not afraid of voicing his opinion, Gian strives to bring craft and user experience to the heart of projects, caring as much about how a scheme fits in its context as he cares about how people experience the smallest interior detail. When Gian's not working you can probably find him trying to expand the studios Spotify playlist or sipping a margarita on one of the many sunny rooftop bars Peckham has to offer.
Declan Wain
Declan is an Architect at DFA. He studied at the University of Bath before completing his Master's at the London School of Architecture, graduating with Distinction. His final project proposed a participatory housing model for a vacant site in Hackney, exploring how planning policy, community ownership and hempcrete construction could give residents greater agency in shaping their homes. It was shortlisted for the 2023 AJ Student Sustainability Prize. Before joining DFA, Declan worked at AHMM on large-scale mixed-use projects. These included Botanic Place in Cambridge, a commercial development incorporating the refurbishment of an existing pub, and 50 Baker Street in London. Throughout this work, he gained experience across design, technical coordination and delivery. Declan is particularly interested in collaborative design, material reuse and architecture's wider civic role. Outside the studio, he can usually be found bouldering, at a gig, or halfway through another drawing or painting.
Yung Wu
Yung-Yu graduated with distinction from the Manchester School of Architecture, where his academic excellence earned him a nomination for the RIBA President’s Silver Medal and a role as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. Prior to DFA, his professional experience spans the UK and overseas, including time at Bio-architecture Formosana and nt-ar, where he contributed to several public building competitions and luxury residential accommodations in Taiwan and Dubai. Yung-Yu is passionate about sustainable and circular design, creating spaces that are both responsibly detailed and respectfully responsive to their context. He brings a keen eye for innovative construction techniques, specialising in the application of digital fabrication to architectural practice.
