your project,
your story,
we fill in
the [blank] _architectural design in leeds, led by a registered architect and run by its two directors. we take projects from first sketch through planning and beyond, the [blank] is whatever you're dreaming up.

start a projectsee our work_

who we are

friends since
university.
architecture is
our obsession.

we are _ is a small architecture studio in morley, leeds. andrew and jack set it up because they think designing and building something should be enjoyable, not just the finished thing, the whole process.

between us we've got 25 years of experience across every riba stage, feasibility sketches, planning submissions, 3d renders, building regs, keeping an eye on things on site. there's no account manager in between. you deal with us, start to finish.

as featured in The Times & Yorkshire Life→
Andrew Clapham, chartered architect and co-founder of we are _ architecture studio in Leeds

andrew _

co-founder · chartered architect · studio design lead

andrew is a chartered architect and leads design at the studio. he'll sketch anything given half a chance, but he knows his way around an architectural detail too.

hero _tadao ando

Jack Davey, co-founder and technical lead at we are _ architecture studio in Leeds

jack _

co-founder · studio technical lead · designer

jack looks after the technical and planning side, drawings, regs, the detail that gets things built. at heart, though, he's a designer first.

hero _antoni gaudí

two mates, one long-running debate about buildings.

2012

met at uni, and a shared stubbornness about design

2015

graduated our masters

2016

joined the same practice in leeds

2020

made redundant, so we started we are _

2025

featured in The Times for a roundhay extension

basedmorley, leeds
on the coffeejack, resident barista
studio dogarchie
going since2020

people kept asking where to get the we are _ hoodie. so we made a few.

the shop

four sectors, one studio _

we are

making room_

the residential work
Open-plan living and dining space in a Roundhay, Leeds home by we are _ — herringbone oak floor, a rooflight over the dining table, a grand piano on a raised timber platform and full-height sliding glazing onto the garden

the architecture of luxury · roundhay

we are

ageing well_

the conservation work
Roofscape of Grade II listed buildings on Kirkgate, Ripon, North Yorkshire — handmade clay pantiles, slate, brick chimney stacks and a bowed sash window, part of a heritage portfolio coordinated by we are _

listed on kirkgate · ripon

we are

building the brand_

the commercial work
The red-framed glazed entrance beacon of Howdens Expo in Watford, set into grey profile metal cladding above a brick plinth, by we are _

howdens expo · watford

we are

fitting in_

the interiors work
Branded interior detail from a completed Howdens fit-out — timber panelling and joinery with the Howdens identity applied, delivered by we are _

howdens interior fit-out

a few of the projects
we've shaped _

extensions, new builds, renovations, all designed around the people living in them.

Architectural render of an approved pitched-roof rear extension in Roundhay, Leeds — clay hanging tiles, a glazed apex and floor-to-ceiling sliding doors onto a stone terrace, by we are _
the clay-tiled house · roundhayview case study →
Howdens Expo in Watford, the UK’s first standalone Expo facility — grey profile metal cladding over a brick plinth with a red-framed glazed entrance beacon, brand identity by we are _
howdens expo · watfordview case study →
Architectural render of a contemporary two-storey home in Horsforth, Leeds, crisp white render with a timber cladding panel between first-floor windows and large ground-floor sliding glass doors onto a stone patio, by we are _
contemporary two-storey · horsforthview case study →
Contemporary rear extension in Roundhay, Leeds, with dark textured render and apricot Tiles of Stow surround framing black bifold doors, by we are _
apricot-framed extension · roundhayview case study →
Garden pavilion extension in Roundhay, Leeds — white-brick single-storey wings framing a paved courtyard behind a sandstone Victorian villa, by we are _
as featured in The Timesthe architecture of luxury · roundhayview case study →
Grade II listed buildings on Kirkgate, Ripon, North Yorkshire, with Ripon Cathedral behind, a parade that includes a building sketched by J.M.W. Turner during his time in Ripon, and part of a heritage portfolio for which we are _ leads planning and conservation coordination
listed on kirkgate · riponview case study →
A completed Howdens interior fit-out reception, timber panelling, a slatted desk, a red bench and the red Howdens logo panel, designed and delivered by we are _
howdens interior fit-outview case study →
The Oak-Framed Farmhouse, north Lincolnshire, a rendered farmhouse with a zinc-clad dormer, slate roof and a double-gable oak-framed pavilion extension with floor-to-ceiling glazing, by we are _
the oak-framed farmhouse · lincolnshireview case study →
google review · 5 stars

"we used we are_ for an extension and garden building that we'd been planning and dreaming about for approx 8 years. from concept to creation, jack and andrew have been wonderful. they've pushed our creative boundaries and together we've created something 'out of the norm'.

verified google review · ★★★★★

in their words

"andrew and jack are easy to deal with, friendly and supportive."

rob

"we are _ listened to what we wanted and despite dealing with a tricky layout for the upstairs bathroom they came up with a solution."

jennifer

"i can see there was a tremendous amount of work and thinking gone into this… it's just lovely. thank you so much for taking the time to take care of this with pride."

gurdeep

let's start something _

tell us what you're planning and one of us, andrew or jack, not a form robot, will get back to you within two working days.

start a projectcalculate your fees_