Simon Allford
has joined
Awards 2025
As a judge, here he discusses “the most intricate project” he has ever taken part in, along with the pivotal projects that best exemplify his studio’s work.
For Allford, the fundamental principle of his acclaimed studio,
AHMM
has consistently focused on the “creation, transformation, and restoration of the city”.
His work is grounded in the concept that “everyday structures have the potential to be transformed into something extraordinary when we grasp the fundamental principles of usage and building techniques.” This belief posits that architecture should serve as an enjoyable setting for our daily activities.
Frequently operating flexibly across various sizes, fields of study, and cultural backgrounds, the studio is presently engaged with initiatives in the
UK
,
India
and the
USA
. Earlier international ventures undertaken by the British studio encompass
Four homes constructed from repurposed shipping containers.
in
Oklahoma City
.
Continue reading for Allford’s selection of projects that best exemplify his studio’s output:
Citizen, USA, 2024
Around eighteen years back, I encountered my longtime associate, Wade Scaramucci, in his home city of Oklahoma City. Under the influence, we decided to set up an office there!
He resided in London for ten years but has now returned permanently to Oklahoma City, where we have embarked on our newest venture called Citizen, situated near the Oklahoma Bombing Memorial.
Citizen encompasses a wide array of distinct enterprises—a bank, bar, restaurant, incubator, club, hotels, and offices, which include a local branch for AHMM. It represents our American Gesamtkunstwerk—an exploration into the advantages of worldwide idea sharing.
Soho Place, UK, 2020
This undertaking for Derwent London spanned more than two decades from start to finish and stands as the most complex project I have ever undertaken.
It serves as an office, public area, and theater capable of holding hundreds of thousands of individuals both underground and above.
I liken it to a Swiss watch constructed on an urban scale, serving as a notable instance of architectural assembly within the cityscape. This creation also honours the significance of clients who act as collaborators, confidants, and supporters of excellent design.
Utrecht University, The Netherlands, 2018
For our initial victory at an international competition in Europe, we transformed an unfinished 1970s megaproject into a comprehensive plan featuring numerous lab and research facilities spanning more than one million square feet.
We dismantled, repurposed, and reconstructed significant portions of the structures to forge an energetic new megarchitecture featuring seven auditoriums, meeting rooms, pubs, eateries, and libraries, along with a mock courtroom and Old Amsterdam’s inaugural new bridge spanning a canal in over one hundred years.
The project spanned more than 15 years. Additionally, we facilitated numerous emerging firms across Europe, which contributed to designing various structures as part of our comprehensive plan, location, and architectural initiatives. Ultimately, this has integrated the city with its student population, ensuring vigorous, broad-ranging, and inventive use of the facility.
Walsall Bus Station, UK, 2000
Their initial global victory came from taking on an unexciting assignment for designing bus stops and managed to revamp a minor section of Walsall. This transformation resulted in a new bus terminal that not only delivers crucial public services but also stands as a valuable community landmark.
We employed both traditional and modern techniques of reinforced and ferrocement concrete, making use of the once state-of-the-art yet now obsolete computer technology from that era.
Caspar, UK, 1999
In response to The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s call for affordable rental housing, we developed an idea that refined and solidified the ‘streets-in-the-sky’ concept. This approach uses raised walkways to link areas inside tall buildings, functioning like streets to encourage social engagement and build communities.
We disassembled the conventional linear apartment structure, transforming the streets into bridges within a protected, enclosed courtyard. Everything was interconnected and shared space, accessing individual apartments through personal entrance doors leading to straightforward units with windows on either side.
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Awards 2025 in collaboration with Bentley
Awards represent the pinnacle of recognition for architects and designers worldwide. The eighth iteration of this yearly awards initiative is conducted in collaboration with
Bentley
As part of an extensive partnership aimed at inspiring, supporting, and promoting design excellence, as well as highlighting innovations that contribute to a better and more sustainable planet, this initiative aligns with Bentley’s architectural and design ventures. These include their Bentley Home collection of furniture and various global property development projects.
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