OUR STUDIO

We bring large practice experience into a dynamic practice setting

Gbolade Design Studio was founded in 2018 from a vision to redefine architecture's role in creating thriving, regenerative places. Emerging from a unique blend of Nigerian-British heritage, our diverse team adopts a culturally-responsive approach to create value, through an unwavering commitment to people, place, and planet. We are data-driven and insight-led in our decision-making, and our deep experience and expertise in Architecture, Planning, and Development mean we imagine, design and build places that make Happier People, Thriving Places, and a Regenerative Planet.

Our distinctive approach enables us to co-create with our clients and stakeholders; collaboratively crafting meaningful, responsible places that tells stories, inspires communities, and shapes a more regenerative world.

Tara Gbolade

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RIBA, BA (Hons)| BArch | DipArch | MSc PM | Passivhaus | PAS 2035

Tara is Co-Founding Director of the practice and a Mayor’s Design Advocate. She is a winner of both the UK Net Zero Climate Champions Powerlist and Inside Housing 40under40. Tara is an Architect and Passivhaus designer with expertise in net-zero design and deep retrofit. Having worked in Planning, her expertise sees her lead strategic design and policy work for varying client groups including the development of the Harlow & Gilston Garden Town Sustainability Strategy. She has contributed to industry-leading initiatives including the LETI Retrofit Guide and the GLA’s Net-Zero initiatives.

Tara’s experience sees her sit across Design Review Panels including; the London Review Panel, RBKC and Lambeth Councils - advising on major planning applications in and around London. She sits on the Board of Trustees at the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) and was on the steering group of Architects Declare: organisations addressing our climate emergency. She is part of Oxford University's 2024 'Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses' program at Saïd Business School.

As a Founding Member of the Paradigm Network, Tara champions Black and Asian representation in the built environment.

Lanre Gbolade

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RIBA, BA (Hons)| BArch | DipArch | MSc PM | DfMA/Offsite Adviser

As a Co-Founding Director of the practice, Lanre’s expertise lies in medium to large scale sustainable residential architecture, Retrofit, Offsite Construction, Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DfMA) and design management.

He has a passion for and expertise in all things Digital, Innovation, Off-site Construction & collaborative working. He has worked with some of the largest developers in London as well as successfully leading the MMC and DfMA transformation programmes for the one of the UK’s leading Housing Associations. For this work he was named as ‘Offsite Pioneer of the Year’ by Offiste Awards in 2022.

He is a Design Review Panel member for Oxford, Ebbsfleet Design Forum and Design South East, as well as a Part 3 Examiner for Newcastle University and a Presribed Examiner for the Architect’s Registration Board.

Lanre is a founding committee member of the Paradigm Network: a professional network championing Black and Asian representation in the built environment. He volunteers his time to support Build Studios and Naked House as a Board Director and was an elected RIBA Council Member between 2017-2020.

Awards

  • 2024 | Inside Housing Best Development Winner

  • 2024 | AJ Architecture Awards - Housing Winner

  • 2024 | BD Net Zero Architect of the Year Winner

  • 2024 | World Architecture Festival: S.Cities Winner

  • 2024 | NLA New London Awards Highly Commended

  • 2024 | BD Private Housing AYA Finalist

  • 2024 | BD Individual House AYA Finalist

  • 2024 | Inside Housing 40 under 40 Winner

  • 2023 | Unlock Net Zero Climate Champion Winner

  • 2023 | Biennale Architettura di Venezia: Exhibitor

  • 2023 | Planning Awards Finalist

  • 2022 | Offsite Pioneer of the Year Award

  • 2021 | National Urban Design Awards, UDG

  • 2020 | Construction Excellence Awards Finalist

  • 2019 | BD: Young Architect of the Year Finalist

  • 2019 | Architecture Foundation: New Architects 4

  • 2019 | Archiboo Awards Winner

  • 2018 | RIBA Journal Rising Star Winner

CLIENTS

  • Brighton & Hove Council

  • Drewin Ltd

  • Ebbsfleet Development Corporation

  • Flagship Group Housing Association

  • Goldman Sachs Property Management (UK)

  • Islington & Shoreditch Housing Association

  • Land Development Agency

  • London & Quadrant

  • London Borough of Lambeth

  • London Borough of Lewisham

  • London Borough of Southwark

  • New Testament of God Church

  • Notting Hill Genesis

  • Placemakers

  • Private Clients

  • STA Consultancy

  • The Crown Estate

  • University of London

  • Viella Land

ARCHITECTURE

As experts in Architecture, our responses to briefs look to optimise the environmental, social and economic impacts of sites through measurable solutions including; energy efficiency, climate change adaptation and mitigation, renewable energy technology. 

Placemaking for us starts with stakeholder engagement, using this as the foundation to create thriving communities; strengthening the connection between people and the places they share. Our process help maximise shared value, promote health & wellbeing, and ensure communities feel their voices are represented and heard, through paying attention to the physical, cultural, and social identities that define a place and support its ongoing evolution.

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PLANNING

We work with our multi-skilled expert team to provide planning application services to our clients, ensuring applications and strategic promotions are well considered, prepared and presented to maximise the opportunities for success. We work with local planning policies, and have in-house knowledge of how local authorities operate, giving us a unique advantage in preparing successful applications. 

Our team have delivered successful planning outcomes for many leading residential developers including McCarthy & Stone and Sanctuary Group.


SUSTAINABILITY

We develop Sustainability strategies to help Local Authorities meet their goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Our technical strategies are used by LA’s to ensure the proposals they receive from applicants/developers meet the net zero-carbon ambitions of the authority. This tool is also used by planning officers to asses planning applications against; acting as the practical application of planning policies. Our strategies are specific to local authority context, policies, and ambitions; and use our in-house technical expertise. We work with authorities including; Epping Forest DC, East Herts DC, and Harlow DC, LB Croydon.


Award Winning Architects’ App

Gbolade Design Studio are the creators of the award-winning Architects’ App; an app designed for Architects which is downloaded in the UK and across the world.

As a black-owned / black led UK, London based architecture practice, we’re passionate about innovation and entrepreneurism and the Architect’s App is just one of our non-traditional means of diversifying our application of architectural creativity…Contact us to speak to us about how you can get involved with it.