News & Upcoming Events
September 2025
23.09.2025
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Our client Rangeford Villages won IRC of the year at the Health Investor Awards this week for Strawberry Fields. The Rangeford team invited Joe Leach and Anne-Marie up on stage in recognition of their personal design contribution. A particular shout out to the brilliant Will Coote who went through it with us all those years ago to secure planning and get the project out to tender. It’s hard getting things built and to see everyone so happy with the result is what makes our jobs so satisfying. We are well on with the design of the next one so watch this space for the big reveal.
23.09.2025
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Anne-Marie moderated a panel discussion on later living at the Urban Living Festival 2025. She was joined by Sabrina Voecks, Jonty Roots and Alex Williams. The topics discussed included, how to make inclusive later living communities financially viable and accessible to a wider range of the population, integrating communities into the wider neighborhood and community management and social infrastructure.
August 2025
31.08.2025
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I took my dad to see the Rangeford Strawberry Fields retirement village yesterday. He’s been to see a number of schemes I have designed over the years. This one did not disappoint. His comments: all the staff were amazing and really understood what they were there to do, food was spectacular (all piping hot!), he commented that to design something with no immediate reference apart from the adjoining fields was a job well done, the clubhouse was busy, gym being used and game of pool happening, he thought the restaurant would easily fill up and wondered if it were too small (that would be a first!!) Pleased to see larger units particularly as the last time I took him round a scheme he thought the apartments were way too small, these were great. Pleased to see large bungalows and lots of full length windows that bathe the floors in light (a Georgian architecture trick!), ceiling heights were noticeably generous which he thought made a huge impact, same comment on the balconies which are large enough for table and chairs. He wants to go back and see it when it is all finished, the bungalows are nearing completion and all sold/reserved. Proud day to show my dad what I do and a really nice day out. I sampled the Strawberry Fields unique ‘Faux-Cocktail’ - delicious! If you don’t know what the later living sector is all about just pop in or check out the website.
18.08.2025
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We are delighted to announce our sixth member of the team- Billie! Billie has been working within the residential and mixed-use sector since qualifying in September 2024. She is bringing with her a wealth of experience in international large scale projects, as well as domestic project experience across all RIBA stages. Billie is passionate about adaptive re-use and contextualism, and visual representation. Welcome on board Billie- we’re so excited to have you.
July 2025
08.07.2025
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The amn team were pleased to host our first ‘amn summer party’. All settled into the new office space, we took the opportunity to utilise x&why’s fantastic terrace space to host a launch and summer party. It was so wonderful to welcome clients, colleagues and consultants to come and celebrate with us, an exciting first event of many. Thank you to all of those who made it such a brilliant evening.
01.07.2025
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We are so excited to announce a new addition to the team. Belen is joining amn as a consultant Architect. We are thrilled to have such a technically competent and skilled architect joining us. Belen brings with her a host of later stage detailed design knowledge and immense experience in delivering later living. Welcome Belen, we’re so excited to be working with you!
“Welcome Belen we’re so excited to be working with you”
June 2025
12.06.2025
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Anne-Marie chaired the panel to discuss how to future proof the sector, through innovation with inclusive leadership. The conversation explored themes such as; why inclusive leadership drives innovation and technology adoption, how empathy and diversity improve both decision making and design, practical steps to elevate underrepresented voices across the sector and the critical role that women play in shaping future housing models and policy. It is critical to be at the forefront of these conversations, in order to support the future of the industry, ensuring equality sits at its center.
“Don’t waste energy trying to conform and adapt your behavior - spend the energy challenging the culture, move on, or set up your own practice!”
02.06.2025
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The amn team are very happy to announce that we have moved into a new office space close to Clapham Junction in south west London, we are in the newly restored Arding and Hobbs Grade II listed building - an architectural and urban renewal exemplar project. It comes with membership to the Arding Rooms private members club and access to the special roof terrace where a new crown extension connects us all to the famous Arding and Hobbs landmark clock tower. Looking forward to meeting all our clients and contacts here for meetings or of course drinks and a bite to eat.
May 2025
01.05.2025
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The team visited the construction site of Strawberry Fields retirement village, a scheme for Rangeford with 147 apartments and bungalows and generous shared amenity spaces in a central pavilion building. We designed this project from feasibility to RIBA stage 4 during our time at our previous practice and were excited to see it really taking shape. This is what architecture is all about, seeing projects being built. Completion due in Autumn 2025 but looking great so far.
April 2025
30.04.2025
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Joe Leach, Director at amn architects attended the APPG Healthy Homes and Buildings committee in House of Commons committee room this week and to highlight the vital role that housing for older people can play in achieving its goals. Age-appropriate not only eases pressure on the NHS, but also supports 'right sizing,' freeing up much-needed, healthy housing stock for growing families. It’s encouraging to see these important conversations taking place and greater attention being paid to the critical link between poor-quality housing and public health.
Healthy homes and buildings mean lower costs to the health service, better educational attainment, a lower carbon footprint, improved well-being, and greater life chances through independent living and care.
March 2025
17.03.2025
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The team took time out to celebrate the company's first birthday with some tea and cake, the hard work is paying off and we couldn't be more proud to have reached this milestone- to the first of many!
14.03.2025
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MIPIM this year for amn architects was really productive and great fun. So many good conversations and new connections. The Rose flowed and we appreciated the generosity of our many hosts. The Cannes setting means conversations are relaxed and wide ranging. Most people were glad to see the back of 2024 but optimistic about what to do next. We’ll be back next year.
February 2025
03.02.2025
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We are happy to announce that we are the chosen architects to take forward the design of a new integrated retirement community on this beautiful site near Oakley village in Hampshire. This marks a particularly important commission for us as we near our 1 year anniversary at amn architects. We will be designing a stunning new place to live, work and visit and are lucky to be working with an amazing team from Rangeford Villages alongside Octopus Real Estate. Design work is underway!
December 2024
16.12.2024
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Thank you 2024! It is officially 9 months since I registered my new practice at Companies House, I am so grateful for my founding team members and all their support, we are still as excited as ever at the new found freedom to turn our skills towards the opportunities out there in the later living and operational living sectors.
We have had over 30 super enquiries through the door so far, fostered new connections and strengthened our relationships with all the fantastic people we work for and who we work alongside. Thanks for all the support you have shown me and my amazing team. It was a leap of faith very much based on all the kind words from you all. Also want to mention the friends and family members of all four of us who deserve a thank you for the encouragement, you know who you are.
Wishing everyone a relaxing Christmas break and a successful 2025, see you on the other side!
Anne-Marie
04.12.2024
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Anne-Marie and Laura attended the WiRL Christmas networking event. The attendees included women from different levels in their careers and a handful of important allies who champion those from underrepresented groups in their own organisations. We were treated to the latest 'Her Story' presentation from Dr Zoe Wyrko of Riverstone who didn't hold back in reminding us how difficult it was to navigate a career as a woman in the NHS 20 years ago.
November 2024
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Anne-Marie spoke at this annual event held by LD Events. She stressed how important it is to get schemes commercially right while meeting all the recent legislative changes to building regulations and the latest NPPF, it is getting harder for our clients to make schemes viable. In her panel discussion Anne-Marie focused on the crucial aspects of design that impact commercial and social success. She presented our three key focus areas to consider while in the early design stage: Development - Sales - Operations. When each of these areas are considered together, and at the right time, the result is a successful project that: reduces management and staff costs, creates relationships between spaces that encourage community, achieves the best sales values and commercial returns, is efficient to build and maintain and hopefully meets the budget via a programme that allows time for all of these things to be considered. The pressurised environment of a design team charged with hitting planning and tender deadlines can often force out critical thinking of other stakeholders. Timely input and tracking the brief are ways to balance the pressure.
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This milestone visit to RVG's Botanical Place in West Byfleet was quite a moment for Anne-Marie and Chris who were both heavily involved in the design while working at PRP. It was exciting to walk around the built version of the design we worked so hard to create. We are very grateful to Terry Unitt from RVG who took the time to show us around and who has done the hard slog getting the scheme through the site work stages. We are looking forward to seeing it complete after hearing how excited the local community are about the new town square, the retail units and the publicly accessible communal facilities that are part of the IRC.
14.11.2024
“ Our three key focus areas to consider while in the early design stage: Development - Sales - Operations.”
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Here are some of the team enjoying the local co-working space. Being together in a relaxed but functional work environment is so important to boost productivity and creative conversation.
20.11.2024
01.11.2024
“Visiting milestone projects such as Botanical Place help to inform early stage design, to get it right first time.”
October 2024
16.10.2024
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Both Anne-Marie and Laura attended the WiRL networking speed mentoring event. It was great to both offer and receive advice across sectors. Mentoring is a great way to reflect on goals and experiences for both mentee and mentor. It is fantastic that WiRL are facilitating the connections between young professionals and established leaders in the industry, and offering the opportunity to strengthen the connections within the WiRL network.
11.10.2024
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We are delighted to announce that Laura has passed her Part 3 examinations and is now a qualified Architect! We look forward to her continuing to develop her career at amn, congratulations Laura- the hard work has paid off!
08.10.2024
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Anne-Marie spoke on a panel at the Urban Living Insights series focusing on the later living sector. Anne-Marie discussed how design can help to create a community. One key take-away was to think of front of house spaces as homely, welcoming spaces which include an essential 'family dining table' for those informal interactions to happen naturally rather than as pre-determined events in a space defined by a label on a door.
September 2024
19.09.2024
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Joe and Anne-Marie attended the Urban Living Festival, Anne-Marie discussed the topic 'what do later living buyers and renters really want?' on a panel with other members within the sector.
18.09.2024
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Anne-Marie, alongside host Lizzie Pillinger, and other panel members, Ashleigh Bryant and Leonie Stoate, discussed insightful and personal stories and observations from their career to date. Topics ranged from discrimination, managing people, self-actualisation, likability, motivation and mentoring. Anne-Marie discussed how she operates amn with equality in mind, learning from her extensive career how to successfully manage and collaborate with people.
“As a practice, we believe it is important to learn lessons from exemplar schemes.”
17.09.2024
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A chance to look around the Stirling Prize nominated masterplan and all the wonderful architecture.
12.09.2024
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Joe attended the ARCO event hosted by Rangeford at their newly opened Siddington Park retirement village.
It is typical of the later living sector that operators invite professionals and other operators in the sector, to an event that showcases their scheme for the benefit of the entire sector. The more we all know about this type of housing the better the offering to customers will be. The only competition is to break down the preconceived ideas about retirement living.
10.09.2024
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Anne-Marie attended this event and learned that student housing is the operational living sector with the highest investment, nearly a third more than BTR and 4 times that of the later living sector. Fundraising appears to be difficult at this time, transactions are taking longer and a feeling that growth will be affected by new government policies. Investors who are not familiar with later living seem nervous about this market, particularly as it appears not to have a recognisable product which we means the sector needs to do more to address this. Good operators and a clear product are essential. More focus is needed on achieving a full range of operational living products in new community planning, this relies on developers and designers engaging with those that know what is right for the market. Amn architects can help with this and have experience of preparing sites for the later living market and getting the designs right first time.
https://www.resilivingevent.com/conference-information/panellists/
August 2024
03.08.2024
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Anne-Marie attended the WiRL summer networking drinks in August. Maintaining relationships within the sector, re-connecting and discussing upcoming seminars and events.
“An inspirational visit to understand a clients product and gain perspective for future collaboration”
16.08.2024
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We visited Rangefords Homewood Grove IRC last week in Chertsey. We think it is important to regularly visit operational schemes to understand limitations that can be avoided through early design decisions. We saw how design can support the functionality of operations, the character of the communal spaces and the impact on sales. Variety has been achieved by making use of the location of apartments rather than just creating different flat types. The ground floor apartments benefitted from generous floor to ceiling heights and the top floor flats had an altogether different feel with their high vaulted ceilings over the lounge areas. The apartments on the middle floors had generous full width balconies but in plan the apartments were stacked one above the other to achieve a standard approach for construction efficiency. Thank you Rangeford for walking us through the scheme, it left an overwhelmingly positive impression on us. Anne-Marie was involved in the early planning stages of this scheme so it was great to see it completed.
July 2024
04.07.2024
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Joe and Anne-Marie headed to the ARCO conference to share in discussions about the future of later living and what’s to come after the general election results. They heard many insights from industry leaders, who discussed what is important for consumers; considering the priority of unexpected bills when downsizing being more important than a lower purchase price, to assuring visions for positive ageing focussing on affordability, certainty and simplicity. Establishing the networks and contributing to discussions within the sector is important, to help shape the future success of later living in the UK.
01.07.2024
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We are delighted to welcome Chris to the team! We are excited to work alongside such a talented and experienced designer. Chris is bringing over 15 years of experience in designing and delivering a broad range of highly regarded and award winning projects to the team, having just lead the highly appraised later living scheme in the heart of the emerging Brent Cross Town.
June 2024
05.06.2024
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05.06.2024
Anne-Marie and Laura attended the WiRL spring networking event. Sharing experiences with a number of inspirational members in the retirement living sector. Hearing from Sonia Parol, a member of the WiRL board, who shared her career journey so eloquently, discussing challenges, highlights and thanking mentors present.
05.06.2024
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We were delighted to attend the Health Investor Awards 2024, with property developer of the year winners, PRIME. Mixing with existing connections and creating new ones.
17.04.2024 - 22.05.2024
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The team attended the 9 hour RIBA Principal Designer Course (CDM Regulations & Building Regulations). The course provided a comprehensive understanding of the regulations, context and background as well as the PD duties required for different building typologies.