Jonathan Hagos
Director BSc(Hons), DipArch, PgDipArc, ARB, RIBA

Jonathan Hagos is a Director of Freehaus. He is an RIBA Conservation Registrant and has built his experience upon the delivery of sensitive design interventions to existing buildings, often in Grade Listed and historic contexts.
Jonathan’s interest in heritage lies in promoting a more expansive and accessible definition of the subject. He was a Heritage Champion as part of the North Tottenham Townscape Heritage Initiative supporting the wider importance of our local built environments. He is currently working with several London churches as a Quinquennial Inspector to help dovetail the community endeavours of our clients with necessary remedial work.
In 2020 he was an Ardagh Young Creatives Mentor at the Design Museum, helping to nurture pathways into the profession for young people from under-represented groups. He is currently an external examiner at Oxford Brookes University.

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Jonathan has held teaching roles at various UK universities and has been invited widely as external critic and lecturer. He is currently an External Examiner at Oxford Brookes University and also an Ardagh Young Creatives Mentor at the Design Museum.
Jonathan holds a BSc and Post Graduate Diploma in Architecture from the Bartlett, UCL before qualifying as an architect from Westminster University with Distinction in 2012. His career began at Squire and Partners, before working with Cj Lim/Studio 8, Studio Cullinan and Buck, and Calderon Folch in Barcelona.
Jonathan also led the production design for award-winning feature film, Simshar, highlighting the plight of refugees across the Mediterranean, which was long-listed for best foreign film at the American Academy Awards.

Relevant Appointments:
Mayor of London Design Advocate
Quality Review Panel Member – LLDC, Greenwich
Hackney Design Advisory Group Member
External Examiner Oxford Brookes
RIBA Conservation Registrant
Design Museum Creative Mentor

Tom Bell
Director BA(Hons), DipArch, PgDipArc, ARB, RIBA, AECB

Tom Bell is a Director of Freehaus. Tom is a Certified Passivhaus Designer, a qualified Principal Designer and member of the AECB, sits on the Quality
Review Panel for Harrow Borough Council as a sustainability consultant, speaker at the AJ Environmental Summit 2021 and is an RIBA Student Mentor at Oxford Brookes University.
Tom is our Architects Declare ambassador, and leads our RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge, exploring opportunities to deliver net zero projects through operational energy and embodied carbon reduction, whilst working hand-in-hand with our end user communities to improve health and wellbeing, sustainable communities and social value. Tom also has 20 years experience as a Contract Administrator using multiple forms of contract including all forms of the JCT suite in listed building contexts.

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Tom studied at the Macintosh School of Art, the University of Newcastle, and the Bartlett, UCL prior to qualifying as an Architect from Westminster University with Merit in 2006. His career began at the double Sterling Prize winning practice Wilkinson Eyre Architects where he played a central role in the ‘Schools of the Future’ programme.
Tom joined London based practice Consarc in 2006 and was made director in 2010. During this time he oversaw the completion of many exemplar award-winning projects spanning heritage, residential, workspace and hospitality sectors.
Tom completed the Marathon des Sable Run to Rebuild to construct WC provisions in Limpopo South Africa. He has also took part in an exchange program with the University of Bogota focused on vernacular construction techniques using Adobe and Guadua bamboo and improving accessibility to sustainable construction techniques that support the local circular economy.

Relevant Appointments:
Quality Review Panel Member – OPDC, Harrow
RIBA Client Advisor
RIBA Guerrilla Tactics Steering Group Member
AECB Passivhaus Certified Designer
RIBA Student Mentor
 

Tim Coles
Senior Architect | BSc (Hons) DipArch ARB)

Tim has been a qualified architect since 2016, with a specialist interest in improving homes and cities with good design, championing sustainable projects with social benefit. This approach has been honed through Tim’s extensive experience working for both large and small practices including Grimshaw, Hawkins\Brown and Cousin&Cousins, on large scale projects where forming good working relationships was key to the success of the project.

In practice, Tim demonstrates this passion in work across sectors, which includes a variety of higher education, community and residential projects. Including leading on the extensive engagement and strategic design for the community-led vision for Acton.

Punya Sehmi
Senior Architect | MEng (Hons) DipArch ARB RIBA

Punya is an Architect and Educator with experience delivering projects within education and residential sectors, as well as with masterplanning and working with Listed Buildings.
Punya graduated from the University of Sheffield with First Class Honours in Structural Engineering and Architecture, and was awarded the John Carr memorial prize for the greatest distinction. She completed her architectural education at London Metropolitan University, and the Architectural Association attaining her Part 3 with Distinction.
A skilled designer and effective communicator, Punya joined Freehaus in 2021 as Project Architect where she is currently leading the £19million refurbishment to the iconic City of London School for Boys in collaboration with Morris+Company.

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Alongside his work at Freehaus, Tim assists with the charity - Habitat for Humanity, on social housing and community projects. This includes close collaboration with end users to understand their needs, develop a brief and develop funding strategies.
A firm believer that education and mentoring of young people is key to ensuring a diverse, engaged and environmentally aware industry in the future, Tim has tutored and lectured at a university and professional level and has also run educational workshops with school children in the UK and abroad.
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Punya has worked for award-winning practices in London including Hawkins\Brown, Publica, and Tim Ronalds Architects as well as experience in Ghent with NU Architectuuratelier.
She has been teaching in parallel with practice at London Metropolitan University since 2014, which contributes to her critical engagement with the profession. She is involved in Year 1 Design Studio and teaches across the school in the Professional Practice modules, recently co-coordinating the Advocacy module in the Postgraduate school, that asks the students to challenge their idea of the architect’s role against the backdrop of the complexities of the contemporary professional environment. She also maintains a role as Visiting Critic at a number of UK Universities including the University of Sheffield and the University of East London.
Outside of architectural practice Punya was a member of Voluntary Design and Build, a charity that designs and constructs projects as part of collaborative team with local charities and partners, winning the Small Projects Community Award in 2009 for their Tarlungeni Kindergarten in Romania.
 

Florence Barbour
Part I Architectural Assistant | BA(Hons)

Florence is a Part I Architectural Assistant at Freehaus. She graduated from the University of Sheffield, with First Class Honours in 2020 and joined Freehaus in 2023 where she is working alongside undertaking her postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Art.

Legend Morgan
Part II Architectural Assistant | BSc MArch (ARB/RIBA Part II)

Legend is a Part II Architectural Assistant, holding a BSc in Architecture from the University of East London and an MArch from Kingston University. Legend’s work focuses on creating moments of respite and awe within the thresholds that connect various scales of the built environment. This interest in liminal spaces was initially recognised during his studies when he was awarded the Stephen Lawrence Award for exemplary design. This passion now focuses on creating welcoming public areas within our residential and educational projects.

Legend is also our in-house BIM Coordinator. In this role Legend is responsible for developing and implementing our BIM strategies, working with all members of the team to streamline our working methodologies.

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Jasmin has a keen interest in architecture with socio-political impact, with a focus on placemaking.
Jasmin is actively involved in several architectural initiatives and most prominently she is a founding member of The Feminist School of Architecture (FSoA), and is co-chair to the Architecture Foundation Young Trustees (AFYT) - a group formed of architectural workers that actively champion emerging and under-represented voices from within, and beyond, the built environment.
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Legend is adept at setting up and coordinating the delivering of BIM Level 2 projects. Supporting the rest of the team with the design, drafting and coordination required to develop and resolve architectural projects. He has worked on projects of various scales including a refurbishment for a Victorian terraced house and taken a leading role for a residential client in Wilton Way.
Currently, Legend is working on an extensive refurbishment in the City of London to redevelop the City of London School, taking part in co-design workshops with members of staff and students, along with facilitating the modelling and coordination of the scheme to produce concise drawing information. Legend strives to investigate new ways to empower the end users of the built environment through active engagement. This interest in user autonomy has implored him to take part in engagement activities delivered within Acton aimed at gaining the voices and opinions of active residents in the area to help inform the Acton Strategic Vision.
 

Kaia Wells
Part I Architectural Assistant | BA(Hons)

Kaia is an Architectural Assistant at Freehaus. In 2021, she graduated from University College London with First Class Honours in MEng Engineering and Architectural Design. In her final year, she was selected to be the School of Architecture nominee for the Bartlett Faculty Medal Prize. Kaia has a personal and academic interest in inclusive design, helping to support the development of more accessible spaces through effective community engagement. Kaia’s graduate project, Water Squatters, was centred around creating a more inclusive sustainable Canal Boat community for a non-profit organisation called Surge Coop. Kaia has maintained a relationship with Surge Cooperative by contributing to their creation of a new ecology garden and joining their community workshops. 

Within her role as Part I Architectural Assistant, Kaia supports the practice across several projects, alongside the organisation and running of our student placements, acting as the key contact for the delivery of these programmes.

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After graduating, Kaia was a Project Engineer at Structure Workshop, where she worked on projects ranging from interactive public art installations (with Conrad Shawcross Studios) to retrofitting cultural listed buildings (the Horniman Museum with Feilden Fowels).
Kaia is interested in challenging and contributing to the architectural education system. This has led her to take an active alumni role in the continued development of the Engineering and Architectural Design course alongside the course leaders. She has also been a guest critic for Bartlett Engineering and Architecture students and provides Structural Tutoring to Oxford Brookes students.

Holly Wilkins
Studio Admin Assistant | BA

Holly is a Studio Admin Assistant at Freehaus. She graduated from the University of Bristol in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology.  

Holly has a personal admiration for architectural design with a particular interest in heritage restoration and creative placemaking. As Studio Admin Assistant, Holly provides key administrative support for the Freehaus team, helping to bridge the gap between creativity and execution. Her interpersonal and organisational skills help to create a more efficient and enjoyable working environment within the studio. 

Holly also supports on our external communications and social media outputs which underpin our wider project engagement strategies.

 

Sharing Authorship and Creating Agency

Freehaus has a commitment to ensuring our design outputs are underpinned by a strong ethos of social value and make meaningful contributions and benefits to the communities our projects will serve.

We also believe in taking the time to help nurture others along the way, sharing design authorship with local people, recognising local skills and experience, so that our projects speak to and of the communities who will inhabit and thrive in the buildings we design. In doing so we seek to create agency for those often overlooked to affect change in their built environment, and pave the ways to more equitable and representative places.

Our commitment to creating social value and broadening agency in the profession is demonstrated by our involvement in:

  • The Career Development Centre (CDC) Mentoring Scheme operated by the University of Westminster, providing students with the opportunity to gain insight into professional practice and develop their employability skills in advance of graduating.

  • Since 2017 we have participated in the work placement scheme operated by the Faculty of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Westminster, welcoming students for short term placements to expand their experience of architectural practice whilst undertaking their undergraduate studies.

  • Freehaus director Jonathan Hagos appointment as a Ardagh Young Creative mentors for the Design Museum; and as an RIBA practice mentor to help create and strengthen pathways into the profession

  • We took part of the RIBA schools programme ‘Architecture Ambassadors’, to partner with a local school to help give children an insight into architecture and to inspire them about the potential of the built environment. Our engagement approach was recognised in the Mayor of London’s primer for Designing with Young People.

  • Our membership to the London Practice Forum (LPF) where our charter commits us to more ethical practices and which includes a commitment to the Mayor’s Equality and Diversity and the Future of London’s Speaker Diversity Pledge.

  • Practice Director Tom Bell role as RIBA student mentor with Oxford Brookes University to help create and strengthen pathways into the profession.

  • We are an accredited London Living Wage Employer and follow RIBA Chartered Practice and London Practice Forum guidance for workplace practices for flexible and hybrid working, managed overtime and time off in lieu.

 

Special Thanks

 

At Freehaus we recognise that ‘to architect’ is a collaborative endeavour. Successes are born out of teamwork not individuals. We therefore want to say a very large but humble thank you to past employees, clients, stakeholders and end users that have contributed to the Freehaus journey over years. We simply wouldn’t be where we are today without their passion, experience and support.
Thank you.

 
 

Setare Nosrati
Will Fisher
Alefiya Shakir
Oliver Greenlees
Mimi Evans
Eaden Filbrandt
Laurence York

Beatriz Fernandes
Douglas Angel
Edem Torsutse 
Marysia Wisniewska
Jess Annandale
Marina Ioannou
Robin Simpson

Matt Brown
Sorina Siddall
Niamh Lincoln
Nick Gibbs
Hester Buck
Rohan Montgomery
Jaime Wai-hung Bravo