Our story

We set up Studio 40 to unlock your home’s potential and let you live the way you want.

Our homes have such an enormous impact upon our lives and wellbeing, the way we feel and interact with each other, and how safe we feel. But so many are outdated, standard and restrictive, often working against us.

We believe we can make a difference to your life by making your home about you, so that your family can thrive and grow with an increased sense of self and belonging. We understand the importance of family and the value of having spaces that are right for you.

It all started when we were young. Our families extended and renovated houses, and a love of the process – and the result – took hold of us right back then. And those experiences created an understanding of the importance of our homes and their impact upon our lives and wellbeing – the way we feel and how we interact with each other.

Throughout our careers we worked on large, high-value projects, and through that we’ve realised our passion is working with people for whom projects matter most, because of the emotional connection and the family element.

Instead of being a cog in the machine we wanted to be the master of the ship, and our experiences working for others shaped our desire to set up a different kind of practice. And because we’re life partners as well as work partners, your project is very much a family affair. We bring our family experience to the table, working closely with you to achieve your dreams.

Kieron

Chartered Architect

I’m a little OCD – but in a good way! It means I have an amazing attention to detail, and getting it right really matters to me. Like Hayley, I’ve always been fascinated by how buildings go together, and I love to understand the deeper meaning behind good design. To me the details are the design, and I want to get those right on every project.

I get on with people, and I believe in helping them mould their house into the home they want. I have never bought into the idea that an architect is someone who deals with the purely conceptual, so I love being involved at every stage, and seeing projects through to the very end.

Hayley

Chartered Architectural Technologist

I really enjoy problem solving, so I’m in my element figuring out a tricky technical detail. I’ve always been practical and enjoyed building and making things, so being hands-on with projects is second nature to me and seeing a building come to life on site is the best bit of the job.

My varied experience from bespoke high-end residential to high-volume, high-rise projects means that I’m very comfortable coordinating project information, balancing aesthetics with budgets, and bringing people together on site.

About the two of us

We love ideas, be it hearing yours or telling you ours, and we thrive on enthusiasm. We’re open, transparent, and passionate about protecting our clients’ interests and we’re relentless in the pursuit of delivering our clients’ designs.

While Kieron’s strength is in developing the big picture, Hayley’s is in the project details. As partners in work and life that makes us a formidable team to have on your side.
We like to design with our clients. We design around your family, taking the time to understand what you want, and we help you understand what will work best for you. We’re your single point of contact. We act as the lead consultant for your project, conducting the various project parts within a single conversation between, client, architect, structural engineer, and contractor. And if there’s anyone else we need, we’ll bring them on board too.

We do everything we can to help ensure you get the best outcome imaginable.

Process/How we work

Almost every architect follows the RIBA Plan of Work, and we’re no different because it gives your project direction to keep things moving, track costs, manage change and, ultimately, deliver the project successfully.

But for anyone outside of the construction industry it can be tedious and potentially difficult to understand.

The truth is that building is simple if you follow a process and, while it might seem daunting, we break things down into manageable portions to guarantee progress. Those portions are Concept Design, Planning, Technical Design, and Construction.

Within those stages there are various milestones, but we can explain those during our first meeting – it helps to have a human voice talking you through them!

Collaboration

We have spent our careers working within teams of professionals delivering construction projects ranging in size and budget up to £800m, so collaboration with other consultants is second nature.

In fact, it’s the only way to ensure that the result exceeds your expectations.

Don’t worry, we’ll discuss who might be needed with you and when. Also, we always obtain prices from a few trusted consultants so that you end up with the right person working as part of your team.

FAQs

Will you design me a white rendered box with grey windows and a grey room?

We’d rather not because we feel that Essex has enough of them, and we would prefer to do something different. In a world where most things are possible, we think homes can be so much more. So whether it be beautiful brick details, zinc, Corten steel, copper, timber or rammed earth, the opportunities are limitless, dependent upon your budget, taste, and . . . planning policy.

What will it cost? Will we go over budget?

We take away the fear of the unknown by being as honest and transparent as possible. We have clever software that gives us accurate cost plans, so we know exactly what’s possible within your budget. And we don’t overdesign.

Will the design be right for our family?

We design around your family. We take time to understand what you want, and we help you understand what will work best for you. This comes naturally to us because we’re life partners as well as work partners, so your project is very much a family affair. And we’re great at putting ourselves in your shoes.

Can we choose our own Structural Engineer?

Saving a few hundred quid on structural information can mean adding £££s to your build cost. Cheaper fees are often low because there is less time to talk and develop the design. In real terms, that can mean you are spending more money on unnecessary structural elements of your project

Our design solutions are not bog-standard, so we only work with a group of trusted Structural Engineers whose fees allow for discussion about the design principles and project objectives. That way, you get the beautiful, streamlined design you want.

Can we change our minds about the design?

You can change your mind and alter the design at any stage, but the more advanced we are with the project, the more it could cost you. We’ll help you get the design right at an early stage and make sure we have everything bottomed out before we get a builder on board and anything gets built. That will save you both money and stress.

Do you have to manage the project for us?

The choice is entirely yours. We prefer to manage the projects on your behalf because we are control freaks (see Kieron’s bio…) who love making life easier for our clients. Being involved during the build also ensures that we can manage delivery of the finer details to elevate your project from being good to being great! We also don’t see why the contractor should have all the fun. We want to be part of that.