John McAslan + Partners is an architecture and design practice committed to the public good. We create enduring, uplifting buildings and landscapes defined by clear thinking, harmony with their setting, and confident expression of their purpose. At the heart of our work is a simple conviction: that making architecture is about making life better.
Over three decades we have established an outstanding reputation across an unusually broad range of building types and sectors. Our work spans busy rail stations and quiet places of worship, mixed-use urban neighbourhoods and rural campuses for work and learning. We design prominent civic institutions, and the settings where architecture matters most to everyday experience, from homes and schools to markets and green public spaces that connect the city.
From a London base we have grown to a family of studios in Edinburgh, Sydney and New York City, working in more than 30 countries across six continents – everywhere from the heart of Manhattan to villages in Malawi. We value this breadth of experience and the diverse perspectives it brings to all that we do.
We have the capacity to deliver large, complex projects and the agility to make small, targeted interventions with outsized impact. Both involve close collaboration with people we admire: clients and community organisers, fellow architects and experts in their own fields who share the drive to tackle hard problems and make the most of every opportunity. These creative exchanges strengthen our design teams and enrich work that is always attuned to local cultures, climate, and the character of each place.
Led by a team of highly experienced designers, we have a collaborative, versatile approach and a distinctive ethos that shapes our work and studio culture.
John McAslan + Partners was established in 1993 and works from studios in London, Edinburgh, Sydney and New York City. Since 2024 ownership of the practice has been shared by senior members of the team, including executive chairman John McAslan, establishing foundations for continued growth.
Across the practice, we value the perspectives brought by designers from diverse backgrounds, and promote inclusivity, transparency and mutual respect. We have established JMP Future Leaders as a forum for the next generation of leaders within the practice. With a wide remit, it helps to shape our studio culture and unique ethos, and gives a voice to staff at every level of experience.
We are engaged in all aspects of the design and construction process. The importance placed on the way buildings are made means that teams work on projects from end to end, getting to know people and places in detail and ensuring that delivery meets the initial ambition.
Our work is shaped by a distinctive ethos. We believe that design for the built environment carries a strong social responsibility, and that every project – no matter its size or constraints – can achieve more than conditions seem to allow.
Getting the most out of the opportunities we see takes more than ambition and imagination. We are pragmatic and resourceful, energetic and tenacious. With a lean, efficient structure we move fast as circumstances evolve, and new possibilities emerge. Design projects succeed best when they win the trust of all stakeholders. We win it and keep it with steadfast integrity in the way we act and the work we do.
That ethos also shapes our studio culture, reflected in our Outreach programmes and the Initiatives we lead: transformative projects in communities affected by poverty, conflict and natural disasters.
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Rich variety in the character of our buildings reflects a precise response to their use and their place, drawing on a consistent design process and clear principles.
Our approach is rooted in the understanding that the built environment is a collective cultural achievement, and shapes how we all live, work and come together. It is not a blank sheet. Additions should be a considered response to what already exists, and contribute to the common good. Every project can deliver positive change beyond the site boundary.
Buildings must above all be useful. That premise guides our extensive work in adapting old buildings – some historically important and others less so – and the design of new ones to absorb change over time. They must meet the highest standards for sustainability. Their design should do more with less; through efficient use of space and materials we can make something greater than conditions seem to allow.
We start every project with an open mind, analysing objectives, consulting widely and testing assumptions. Intensive research and discussion ensure that the places we design are accessible, inclusive and fit for use.
As contemporary architects rooted in the modernist tradition, we believe great architecture has a coherent order. A clear proposition is translated into a rational diagram: the plan and form are a logical response to the function. Rigour at this stage ensures that buildings are sustainable, affordable and adaptable. That powerful, central idea is elaborated in the choice of materials and detailed design to produce buildings whose character grows naturally from their purpose.
In the studio, projects are developed through collaborative exploration and continuous review, and design teams make extensive use of physical models as a shared focus for the discussions that hone our ideas.
The way buildings are put together is integral to our thinking. We are deliberate and wide-ranging in the selection of materials and construction systems. Conditions might call for economy or fine craftsmanship, traditional methods or technical innovation, an expressive structure like the concourse at King’s Cross Station or subtle integration of new elements in heritage settings like the Roundhouse.
The right solution will enrich experience while meeting practical needs. We think, too, about how construction projects can produce associated benefits, from new knowledge to economic opportunity. Our buildings are made to last, and the act of making them leaves its own legacies.
The challenges of designing transport infrastructure differ greatly from those we tackle in making settings for learning or education, but the same thinking guides everything we do. That consistency matters. The qualities we seek in our cultural and civic institutions should also characterise the ordinary spaces of everyday life – rational and robust, atmospheric and eloquent.
Appropriate technology: For prototype low-cost schools in Malawi, advanced climate modelling ensures comfort for students, in mud-brick buildings whose simple construction enables local employment.
Lasting legacy: The rapid reconstruction of Haiti’s Iron Market after a devastating earthquake was coordinated to create much-needed jobs for hundreds of skilled artisans.
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Our work is shaped by a distinctive ethos. We believe that design for the built environment carries a strong social responsibility, and that every project – no matter its size or constraints – should achieve more than conditions seem to allow.
Ethos
Our work is shaped by a distinctive ethos. We believe that design for the built environment carries a strong social responsibility, and that every project – no matter its size or constraints – should achieve more than conditions seem to allow. The buildings and landscapes we design can unlock potential in major cities or local communities, and all have an impact beyond the site boundary.
Getting the most out of the opportunities we see takes more than ambition and imagination. We are pragmatic and resourceful, energetic and tenacious. With a lean, efficient structure we move fast as circumstances evolve, and new possibilities emerge. Design projects succeed best when they win the trust of all stakeholders. We win it and keep it with steadfast integrity in the way we act and the work we do.
That ethos also shapes our studio culture, reflected in our Outreach programmes and the Initiatives we lead: transformative projects in communities affected by poverty, conflict and natural disasters.
JMP has a longstanding commitment to support learning and to broaden understanding of the built environment, in the design professions and beyond. We engage people in our projects through activities conceived to meet everyone at their level – from construction site tours to pop-up books that introduce children to their architectural heritage.
We take architectural education seriously, mentoring staff on the journey to qualification and giving placements to apprentices. Helping young people to build their skills or find their voice also takes us into schools, and led us to establish bursaries that enable students to develop original design projects with a positive social impact.
Since the early days of the practice we have undertaken pro-bono projects bringing design intelligence to the problems of vulnerable and under-served communities around the world.
We call those projects ‘Initiatives’, because when we see an opportunity to help, we take action. They have taken many forms, from setting up research programmes to making buildings in partnership with NGOs, public authorities and private sector organisations. We’ve led work on a disaster resource centre for Dominica, and set out to secure the future of a historic ‘gingerbread house’ as a centre for Haitian culture after the earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince. Today we are addressing Britain’s affordable housing crisis with Homes for All.
These initiatives are central to what we do. We dedicate our time and skills, and in turn gain new perspectives that strengthen all of our work.
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Our Sustainability Manifesto commits us to exemplary standards and affirms our belief that duties of care to society and the environment are integral to design excellence.
Values that govern the way we work are set out in our Sustainability Manifesto. It commits us to exemplary standards, and affirms our belief that design excellence is inseparable from duties of care to society and the environment. We recognise the responsibility of the construction industry to combat climate change and biodiversity loss. We know, too, that the built environment has profound effects on social equity and cohesion.
For every project, we develop an individual Sustainability Strategy using our ‘3P’ framework: Place, Planet and People. We measure performance in each area, reporting throughout the design process.
Responsible design begins with care for what exists. Through retrofit and repair we reduce waste and conserve embodied energy. Over the lifetime of the practice we have specialised in the efficient adaptive reuse of both ordinary and historically important buildings. For new construction we prioritise lean, efficient structures and long-life, low-carbon materials that wear gracefully. Architecture should work with time, not against it.
Buildings must take less energy to run. We favour a fabric-first approach, using form, orientation and materials to minimise demand for artificial lighting, heating and cooling. Whole-life assessments quantify embodied and operational carbon impacts.
Our work in transport design is focussed on cutting the carbon impact of cities, through changes to long-established patterns of behaviour and the development of intelligent infrastructure.
Environmental stewardship extends beyond buildings to the public realm and the natural world. With an in-house landscape studio, we have a joined-up approach to placemaking, embedding ecological principles in all projects.
The built environment underpins cultural continuity. We build in ways that are particular to their setting, using local materials and learning from established patterns of use and urban life. We anticipate later adaptation and the repurposing of building elements in a circular economy.
Every construction project has consequences beyond its own footprint. Procurement choices can support local industries, and thoughtful planning can bring life to surrounding neighbourhoods. As project leaders, we work to establish partnerships that endure beyond completion.
Through consultation and dialogue, we shape places with and for the communities they serve. We work to create more equitable societies with buildings and landscapes that are accessible to all, and allow new opportunities for economic development, healthy living and collective activity. People-centred design is also key to the green transition: care for the environment relies as much on collective behaviour as on technical solutions.
Our work in transport infrastructure enhances social equity and sustainability at an urban scale. We combine low-carbon mobility and welcoming public space in cohesive systems that make movement through the city efficient and enjoyable, and public transport the natural choice.
People, Place and Planet are three strands of a holistic approach. They combine to make sustainable architecture in the fullest sense: useful and beautiful, resource-efficient, and a good neighbour.
Our focus on sustainable design includes the way we run our practice. We have mapped a pathway to net zero and report progress against clear targets, ensuring that we are accountable. Advocacy initiatives continue that undertaking beyond the studio, contributing to the development of shared knowledge in a field that requires individual responsibility and collective effort.
JMP is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its operations and supporting the transition to a low-carbon future. Our Carbon Reduction Plan outlines our baseline emissions, reduction targets, and ongoing initiatives.
Download our Carbon Reduction Plan (PDF)
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At John McAslan + Partners, you’ll work on a diverse range of projects across the UK and internationally, within a collaborative studio environment that values design excellence, curiosity and professional growth. We support ongoing learning and development at every stage of your career, and are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where people from all backgrounds can thrive.
