Deborah Saunt David Hills Architects Explained

DSDHA is a London-based architecture, urban design and spatial research studio.

DSDHA
Architects:	Deborah Saunt, David Hills
City:	London

Practice

DSDHA (Deborah Saunt David Hills Architects) was established by Deborah Saunt and David Hills.^[1] Tom Greenall and Martin Pearson were made directors in 2021. The practice has a variety of projects including arts and culture, education, housing, urban and landscape, and workplaces. The studio had received 20 RIBA Awards, been shortlisted for the 2010 RIBA Stirling Prize,^[2] and twice been nominated for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award.^[3]  

Selected projects

Education

• Christ's College, Guildford - shortlisted for the Stirling Prize in 2010^[4] and nominated for the Mies Van der Rohe Award^[5]
• St Anne's SureStart Centre in Colchester - nominated for the EU Mies Van der Rohe Award^[6] in 2009

Arts and culture

• Refurbishment of the Islington home of the National Youth Theatre^[7]

Workplaces

• Studio-gallery for artist Edmund de Waal in West Norwood^[8]
• Studio and workshop for British jewellery designer Alex Monroe in Bermondsey^[9]
• Flat-iron building for Bosideng on South Molton Street^[10]

Residential

• A residential block for the Riverside development on the Greenwich Peninsula^[11]
• The residential building Vesta House for the Olympic Village,^[12] designed for athletes and then converted to affordable housing
• Abell & Cleland in Westminster, which won the Best New Place to Live at the London Planning Awards and the London Evening Standard New Homes Award^[13]
• Corner House in Fitzrovia for Derwent London,^[14] which won a New London Architecture Award
• Suffolk House for Derwent London, which won the National Housing Award for best small development^[15] and a Housing Innovation Award^[16]

Urban design and landscape

• Framework for Camden's West End Project to revitalise Tottenham Court Road^[17]
• Redesign of the public realm around the Royal Albert Hall^[18]
• A new park for the City of London above Liverpool Street Station^[19]
• Strategy for the British Library's public realm
• The creation of the Cundy Street Quarter, a new 2.4-acre mixed-tenure neighbourhood between Pimlico, Chelsea and Victoria in Westminster^[20]
• Urban scale work includes the regeneration of a 600-home estate for the London Borough of Southwark
• Landscape-led masterplan of Central Somers Town for Camden^[21]
• Refurbishment of the Economist Plaza in London, designed by Alison and Peter Smithson^[22]

Research and teaching

DSDHA carries out funded research into critical urban issues,^[23] such as cultural infrastructure^[24] and the future of London's urban mobility, as well as embedding a strong element of research into all its projects.^[25]

The studio has twice been awarded the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851’s Research Fellowship in the Building Environment, to research the public realm of Albertopolis^[26] and active travel in London.^[27]

Members of the practice are or have been teaching at the London School of Architecture, the Royal College of Art, the University of Navarra, and Yale School of Architecture.^[28]    

External links

• www.dsdha.co.uk

Notes and References

1. News: The Progress 1000: London's most influential people 2017 - Visualisers: Architects . Evening Standard. 5 July 2019.
2. Web site: 2010-07-21. RIBA Stirling Prize shortlist 2010. 2021-01-18. Dezeen. en.
3. Web site: EUMiesAward. 2021-01-18. www.miesarch.com.
4. News: How can a building alter behaviour?. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-01-20.
5. Web site: EUMiesAward. 2021-01-20. miesarch.com.
6. Web site: EUMiesAward. 2021-01-20. miesarch.com.
7. Web site: Jessel. Ella. 2020-02-04. DSDHA's expansion of National Youth Theatre approved. 2021-01-20. The Architects’ Journal. en.
8. Web site: Kucharek. Jan-Carlos. Edmund de Waal studio, London. 2021-01-20. www.ribaj.com. en.
9. News: 15 May 2018. Alex Monroe Workshop, Tower Bridge. RIBA Journal. 5 July 2019.
10. Web site: 2013-05-23. Mayfair flatiron: South Molton Street by DSDHA. 2021-01-20. The Architects’ Journal. en.
11. Web site: Pearman. Hugh. Free spirits. 2021-01-20. www.ribaj.com. en.
12. Web site: Pearman. Hugh. Free spirits. 2021-01-20. www.ribaj.com. en.
13. Web site: London Evening Standard New Homes Awards 2017: high-tech designs, luxe interiors and eco-friendly features scoop top prizes.
14. Web site: Corner House by DSDHA. 2021-01-20. www.architecturalrecord.com. en.
15. Web site: SUFFOLK HOUSE WINS BEST SMALL DEVELOPMENT AT THE NATIONAL HOUSING AWARDS!.
16. Web site: Awards.
17. Web site: 2014-06-05. DSDHA draws up plans to transform Tottenham Court Road. 2021-01-20. The Architects’ Journal. en.
18. Web site: Her Majesty The Queen officially opens the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Steps at the Royal Albert Hall. 2021-01-18. Royal Albert Hall. en-GB.
19. Web site: 2019-03-18. The City Of London Is Getting This Brand New Public Park. 2021-01-18. Londonist. en.
20. Web site: Hill. Dave. 2019-07-16. Creating Cundy Street Quarter: Deborah Saunt, spatial strategist. 2021-01-18. OnLondon. en-GB.
21. Web site: 2014-10-20. Adam Khan, DSDHA and Duggan Morris scoop £40m Somers Town overhaul. 2021-01-20. The Architects’ Journal. en.
22. News: Stathaki. Ellie. 7 June 2018. The Smithsons' Economist Plaza renovation by DSDHA is revealed. Wallpaper. 4 July 2019.
23. Web site: Turnbull. Jessie. The business of research. 2021-01-18. www.ribaj.com. en.
24. Web site: 2017-12-03. The London Salon: Cultural Infrastructure. 2021-01-18. The London School of Architecture. en-GB.
25. Web site: Research. 2021-11-25. dsdha.co.uk. en.
26. Web site: Re-imagining Albertopolis. 2021-11-25. dsdha.co.uk. en.
27. Web site: The Beautiful Everyday Journey. 2021-01-18. royalcommission1851. en.
28. Web site: Deborah Saunt. 2021-01-20. Yale Architecture. en.