‘Other shortlisted firms had completed larger refurbishment projects than had Dow Jones, but none had established so clear a philosophy about the way new work might relate to old.’ 
Architect of the Year Award for Refurbishment

‘Dow Jones combine a tactile and intellectual reverence for the old with a sharp-tipped exploration of the new. Dow Jones have a very strong integrity as a practice, and their staff share a cohesive set of values. They are exceptionally efficient, and in eight years of working have never missed a deadline of left one feeling that they have been distracted by more glamorous clients.’ 
Christopher Woodward, Director of the Garden Museum

‘Dow Jones Architects is one of Britain’s most gifted young practices.’ 
Jay Merrick, The Independent

‘How Biba and Alun have done what they've done - how they've realised a building that does everything in Maggie's original vision - a place of calm and an uplifting environment that is so important the people who visit our centres, is quite, quite beyond us. A truly wonderful building for which we at Maggie's are extremely grateful.’ 
Chris Watson, Maggie's

Profile

Dow Jones Architects delivers well-crafted, conceptually clear architecture. We work in many fields, public and private, from houses to museums and spaces for culture and communities. Our work is contemporary and forward-looking, and we have carried out many projects in historic buildings and sensitive settings. We work on many scales, from the personal and intimate to public buildings, masterplans and urban research.

We work closely with our clients, many of whom return to work with us again, and we invest time in maintaining good working relationships. All staff in our practice, from directors to assistants, work closely together on delivering a few projects to a very high standard, and giving our clients our time, expertise and attention. We don’t take on more work that we can deliver to a high quality, and both directors work on the daily detail of project delivery with our team.

Our work has won numerous awards and been published widely, and we have lectured internationally on our work.

Approach

We design buildings to be responsive to people and places, to be legible and accessible.

Our approach is based on making simple, calm spaces with a rich material character, creating interesting, uplifting spaces for people. 

We are interested in making buildings which are easy to move around and which feel comfortable.

Our choice of materials is linked to a conceptual idea about the project which will have a strong connection to place.

Our buildings are sustainable, using passive energy and low carbon approaches in design, construction and use.

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Biba Dow MA Dip.Arch (Cantab) ARB

Biba was born in London and studied architecture at the University of Cambridge. She founded Dow Jones Architects in 2000 with Alun Jones.

She has led many projects including Grand Junction at St Mary Magdalene, Bevis Marks Synagogue and the crypt at Christ Church Spitalfields.

Biba was short-listed for Architect of the Year for the Women in Architecture Award 2018. She is an architectural assessor, writes about architecture and culture, has lectured widely on the work of her practice and on architecture and design.

She is a member of the Cathedral Fabric Committee at Coventry Cathedral, the Old Oak and Park Royal Place Review Panel, and the Kensington and Chelsea Quality Review Panel.

She is an external examiner at the Cass, and has been involved with teaching architecture at a number of UK universities, teaching a diploma unit at the Cass and as a visiting critic at Cambridge University, Kingston School of Architecture, and other schools.

She is a governor of a primary school in Brixton.

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Alun Jones BSc MPhil. Dip.Arch (Cantab) ARB

Alun was born in Caerphilly and studied architecture at the University of Bath, and at the University of Cambridge. In 1994, he wrote an MPhil on reconstruction of Alberti’s Church of San Sebastiano in Mantua, which formed part of a research project on Alberti's work at the Palazzo Te in Mantua led by Robet Travernor and Joseph Rykwert.

After graduating, he worked for Caruso St John Architects as project architect for the New Art Gallery, Walsall, before establishing Dow Jones Architects in 2000 with Biba Dow.

He has led many projects including Maggie’s Cancer Care, the Garden Museum and Peter von Kant Gallery in Deptford. 

Alun has taught extensively at schools of architecture, including fifteen years teaching a diploma unit at the Cass and at Kingston School of Architecture. He has been a visiting critic and lecturer at numerous universities including the University of Bath, Queen’s University Belfast, DIT and the University of Cambridge. He is currently an RIBA external examiner at Dublin School of Architecture

Alun is a Civic Trust Award assessor and sits on the South Downs National Parks Design Review Committee. 

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Wyn Lloyd Jones BSc (Hons) MSc ARB

Wyn is an associate at Dow Jones Architects.

He studied architecture at the University of Bath and at the TU Delft in the Netherlands, where his thesis project explored the sustainable community-led renewal of terraced housing in South Wales.

Wyn was project architect for Grand Junction at St Mary Magdalene, and is currently project architect for Bevis Marks Synagogue. Both of these project refurbish and adapt Grade 1 listed buildings in order that they can accommodate new uses. He has led a number of feasibility projects that consult local communities on how best to renovate and reinvigorate historic buildings, including at St Mary's Primrose Hill, St Mary's with Christ Church, Wanstead and Cardigan Police Station and Courthouse.

He is interested in the retrofit of 20th century architecture and is currently leading the work to restructure the Swiss Embassy in London.

Wyn is also a Welsh speaker and an approved Passivhaus designer.

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Beth Fisher Levine BA Hons (Cantab) MA ARB

Beth is an architect at Dow Jones Architects.

She studied architecture at the University of Cambridge and Royal College of Art. Before joining Dow Jones, she worked at Epstein Joslin Architects in Massachusetts on a range of performance arts spaces.

Beth has contributed to multiple retrofit and low-carbon projects including Pickeridge Farm, St. Anselm’s Kennington and our Passivhaus in Falmouth. She is currently working on a project for Brindisa Spanish Foods, which refurbishes and extends a 19th Century coach house to provide sustainable new office accommodation.

Outside of the office, Beth is a founding member of design collective Feral Partnerships, which explores architectural responses to the ecological crisis through academic research, curation, and education.

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Jonathan Hill BSc (Hons) DipArch ARB

Jonathan is an architect at Dow Jones Architects.

He studied architecture at the University of Bath and the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow. Prior to joining us, he worked for Adam Khan Architects on several social housing projects across London, and Grimshaw Architects on the redevelopment of London Bridge Station.

Jonathan led the construction phase of our project to refurbish the grade-II listed Marlwood Grange in Gloucestershire, and has contributed towards the delivery of a range of projects from residential extensions to public buildings and feasibility studies for the re-use of historic buildings.

He is currently leading a project to build a new low-energy house on the river Colne, and is assisting with the delivery of new supported accommodation for a charity that works with rough sleepers.

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Cara Anwyl BSc (Hons) MArch

Cara is an architectural assistant at Dow Jones Architects.

She studied architecture at University College London, Queen’s University Belfast and gained her M.Arch in Sustainable Architecture from the Graduate School of the Environment at the Centre for Alternative Technology. 

Before joining Dow Jones, she worked at Rural Design Architects on the Isle of Skye, working on a range of residential projects and followed at Pegw Architects in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, working on several conservation projects, including a new culture and heritage centre in Bethesda following the UNESCO World Heritage designation for the slate landscape of northwest Wales.

She is currently working on the second phase of the Leach Pottery project in St Ives.

Cara is a Welsh speaker and currently sits on the Panel Canolog Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru (The Central Panel for Art and Architecture for the National Eisteddfod of Wales).

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Pearson Haidar Brown BSc (Hons)

Pearson is an architectural assistant at Dow Jones Architects. He graduated with a bachelor in architecture from the University of Bath where he held The Edge Arts Scholarship. His thesis concentrated on the idea of psychic balance in architecture, designing a Carmelite convent in London. Before joining DJA, he worked at Foster + Partners in London.

Pearson is responsible for contributing in a variety of ways to our full range of projects, including Leach Pottery and the Swiss Embassy, and is also leading an extension project to All Saints Church in New Cross, London.

Jobs

We currently have no vacancies, but are always interested in hearing from talented people to work with.

Please send a CV and samples of your work to cv@dowjonesarchitects.com, with the relevant position in the subject line. We request that applications are sent by email only, but please note that portfolio or download links will not be considered.

We are an equal opportunities employer committed to equity, diversity and inclusion both within our team and in our work. We actively encourage applications from groups underrepresented within the architectural profession.

Awards

Contact

London:
Dow Jones Architects
Units 1-5
11 Sancroft Street
London SE11 5UG

Cornwall:
Dow Jones Architects
3 Boase Street
Newlyn
Cornwall TR18 5EF

T: 020 7587 1555
mail@dowjonesarchitects.com