George, founding director of Bradley Van Der Straeten Architects, studied at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, the University of Liverpool, and undertook the advanced diploma in professional practice in architecture with RIBA North West, becoming a registered architect in the UK in 2008 (ARB). He is a chartered architect with the RIBA.
George lives with his family in a fun renovation of an existing two-storey home that was built in the 1980’s. (you can take a tour of the property with George via our homepage).
George has formerly taught on the Interior Architecture course at the University of Westminster and has presented on ITV's 'Love Your Home and Garden'.
Prior to founding the company George worked for a number of award winning architects including Denton Corker Marshall.
George enjoys playing football and tennis, cooking pasta, skiing, going to the theatre and pretending he likes cold water swimming but only actually doing it once or twice a year
Ewald, founding director of Bradley Van Der Straeten Architects, studied at the Sint-Lucas Institute of Science and Art in Brussels and at the University of Liverpool. He became a registered architect in the UK in 2010 (ARB).
Prior to founding the company Ewald worked for Arcasa Arkitekter in Oslo, Dial Architects in Ghent, Belgium and Interiørverkstedet AS, a high end bespoke carpentry firm in Oslo.
Ewald lives with his family in a property he is in the process of retrofitting for low energy performance, aiming for net zero eventually! Prior to this he lived in Trevelyan House, designed by Bradley Van Der Straeten Architects.
Ewald has taught on the Interior Architecture course at the University of Westminster and has presented on ITV's 'Love Your Home and Garden'.
Ewald enjoys surfing (when he can), is a health enthusiast and cannot resist a good car transformation show. Ewald also plays for Hertford waterpolo club, he eclipsed any achievements in his architecture career by winning their 2023 player of the year award.
Jessica has been with the studio since 2016 and led several of our leading projects, including Mazarine and Tonal Terrace. She has been instrumental in developing the studio’s interiors direction and continues to develop her skills and passion for working with colour.
Jessica studied at Deakin University, Australia where she was nominated for the Australian Institute Graduate Prize as well as doing an exchange at the University of Westminster in London. Jessica has previously worked for a number of Melbourne based architecture practices including Claire Cousins Architects, Daryl Pelchen Architects and dKO Architecture, as well as spending a year in France.
Asides from being a great architect Jessica loves dancing, hiking, second hand fashion and dinner!
Stephen has been with us since 2019 and completed projects including The Judd, Vault House and Fields House.
Stephen completed his architectural studies at Dublin Institute of Technology and Columbia University in New York City.
He is a highly experienced architect, having specialised throughout his career in residential and cultural projects in a diverse mix of locations including UK, USA, Germany and Ireland.
Stephen is a long-time Hackney resident and really enjoys living in the area and so close to the office! Outside of work Stephen enjoys snoozing (when his family allow it!)
Vladimir joined the studio in 2018 and has led the design on the award winning Hawthorn House among other projects.
Vladimir completed his architectural studies at University of Architecture in Sofia, Bulgaria, as well as Ecole Nationale Suprieure d'Architecture de Toulouse, France.
Outside of work Vladimir enjoys playing football, gaming, and tinkering with electronics.
Caboose is a three year old greyhound, co-owned by Jessica. Caboose has retired from a fast paced racing career and is now enjoying a slower existence, mostly stretching out on the office couch.
Besides the BVDS couch, Caboose is a big fan of Le Corbusier’s work, Victoria Park walks and more couch time. He joins the team to bring some calm affection and furry companionship.
About Us
Bradley Van Der Straeten are award winning residential architects based in London. We specialise in refurbishing, extending and building homes for private clients. Established by friends George Bradley and Ewald Van Der Straeten in 2010 the studio loves creating joyful and colourful homes, designed for living. To find out more about our story click here
Purpose
The BVDS studio has a strong belief that well-designed spaces can change lives. Our designs focus on creating healthy buildings and a positive environmental legacy, combined with a unique approach to problem-solving to create the unexpected.
‘exceptionally liveable spaces with an eclectic aesthetic’ (The Modern House)
What Motivates Us
– Healthy Buildings
We believe that the spaces and buildings that we occupy have the power to improve our mood, health and wellbeing. To find out more about how we approach designing healthy buildings read our ‘Guide To Designing A Healthy Home’ by clicking here.
– Environmentally Friendly Buildings
We want our work to have a positive, lasting legacy for the environment. This means constantly investing in knowledge and research to lead towards net zero carbon construction. To find out more about our approach as a company and about being signatories to Architects Declare, see our ‘Climate Crisis’ article.
– Unique Challenges
We are always on the lookout for projects that are different. We love working with a purpose, whether that is to solve a unique challenge like on ‘Two and a Half Storey House‘ or on something with impact like the ‘Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Centre’. It enables us to flex our design muscles and apply our knowledge to help make peoples lives better and to create something unexpected.
– Joyful Designs
We don’t like doing boring and are really proud of our eclectic mix of projects. Every client and every building is unique and we believe that the way they are designed should be too.
Values
BVDS takes pride in honouring our company values in every aspect of our service and collaboration. They are how we measure ourselves and how we would like to be measured.
1 Commitment
We are personally and collectively committed to our clients and to creating practical, beautiful and inspiring spaces for them.
2 Accountability
Taking responsibility for our own actions is essential to us and our operations. It is imperative for both the team as well as each individual team member to stand for what they produce and how they deliver our service.
3 Leadership
We are committed to leading our clients through the challenges and rewards of a design and construction process. Each member of the team is a leader by living by these values and for sharing to and learning from each other.
4 Humbleness
Being aware of our own limitations and knowledge is imperative to success. We remain humble by staying open to perspectives different from our own and by welcoming valuable contributions from others.
5 Transparency
We aim to be as transparent as possible throughout with our communication, relationships, fees & service promoting inclusion to our common goals.
6 Integrity
Being authentic in keeping our promises and fulfilling expectations is something that starts from the first pencil stroke through to the delivery of the building.
Seven Design Principles for a Healthy Home
As well as being a financial investment, a building is also an emotional investment that should make the occupants feel safe, comfortable and happy. At Bradley Van Der Straeten we are passionate about the power of good design on wellbeing and have developed seven design principles that are essential considerations for a healthy building;
Light / Space / Air / Heat / Sound / View / Materials
These seven principles form the foundation of how we design every project and we share our knowledge with our clients to help them make better and informed choices for themselves. To learn more about our approach to design Healthy Homes, read our guide here.
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Contact
If you would like to talk to us about your project, contact us.