ABOUT US

Roderick Maclennan Architects was formed in 2007 and is a small practice specialising in the conservation, repair and alteration of historic buildings and with new work within historic settings. Our philosophy is one of of repair, adaptation and improvement rather than demolition and reconstruction. It derives from many years in working with, and learning from, buildings ancient and modern.

To achieve a long life-span, structures need to be adaptable, responsive and, above all, easily repaired and maintained. That means simple construction, without a reliance on products and systems that all too often can quickly become obsolete. We therefore favour, low-tech, loose-fit designs that utilise the skills and traditions that still readily exist within the building conservation industry.

Traditional materials: brick, stone, lime-mortar, timber, slates and tiles are inherently durable, become more beautiful with age and are easy to repair when eventually they wear out.

This focus on historic buildings means that church projects of all sizes and types, make up a large proportion of our work and we carry out quinqennial inspections to numerous churches in the London, Southwark, Guildford and Oxford Dioceses. Roderick Maclennan is a member of the Southwark Diocesan Advisory Committee advising on all aspects of building and conservation.

We are also involved with the more secular: for example we have just completed alterations to the Half Moon Young People’s Theatre in East London, a new rehearsal space and office for Cardboard Citizens Theatre Company, and a school in Richmond. We carry out residential projects of all sizes, from small house extensions to our recently completed alterations to Burnham Abbey for an Anglican Order of nuns.

Our forensic approach to investigating building problems means that we are also called upon to repair modern buildings that have failed, or require to be refurbished.

The office is small, and at present operates with one full time principal conservation architect (AABC accredited), a second part-time fully qualified architect and with part-time administration assistance. The varied nature of our work means that we assemble a bespoke team including specialists and consultants for each project, as required.