London-based studio Templeton Ford joins the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2026, our round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios from around the world.
Who: Templeton Ford
Templeton Ford is an architecture and design studio founded in 2025 by André and Jessica Templeton Ford. The practice designs distinctive homes and buildings that are rooted in their landscape, history and culture. Their work draws on vernacular architecture and craft traditions. The team enjoy working on projects that feel inseparable from their setting: buildings that could only ever have been built where they are.
'We are interested in architecture that reveals itself gradually: buildings whose qualities emerge and evolve through daily use,’ they explain. The duo wants to create architecture that is memorable, rewarding to inhabit and deeply connected to its place.
Aside from their interest in place and materiality – working particularly with timber, brick, stone and lime that weather and age to create unique patinas, Templeton Ford also wants its buildings to be expressive and joyful, and to create places with a distinct sense of character that enliven everyday life. This often results in work that looks unexpected, yet entirely natural in its setting – as if it had always been there. 'We are inspired by the tradition of the Gesamtkunstwerk – the idea that architecture, interiors, landscape, furniture and craft can be conceived as parts of a coherent whole.'
What: Clay Rise
Clay Rise is a three-bedroom home in West Sussex completed in 2024 that balances heritage and contemporary architectural expression by using traditional Sussex brick and a distinctive curved sloping roofline. The house is constructed from a prefabricated panelised timber frame system and is embedded deep into the site to establish a split-level arrangement. This has the dual effect of creating a deeper slope to the rear, creating a dramatic curved form.
The building is oriented to optimise solar gain and shading, with a deep south-facing window allowing low winter sun to penetrate, while limiting summer overheating. Effective cross-ventilation is achieved via operable east-west openings, and a central stair atrium acts as a thermal chimney, drawing warm air upward to maintain comfort year-round. An air-source heat pump provides efficient heating and hot water, complemented by high levels of insulation and double-glazing.
Why: Architects Directory 2026
When the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory was conceived in 2000, it was built as our bespoke international index of emerging architectural talent. Now in its 25th edition, our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe (now comprising over 500 alumni) champions the best and most promising young studios – a snapshot of talent showcasing inspiring work from all corners of the Earth with an emphasis on the residential realm.
This year’s anniversary survey includes 30 young studios (one for each of the 30 years of Wallpaper*), from Australia, Bahrain, Benin, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Ghana, Greece, France, Ivory Coast, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, India, Morocco, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, the USA, and Vietnam. Welcome to the promise, ideas and exciting architecture of the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2026.