Our practice ethos emerged from a conversation at Damion’s kitchen table. It now presents as a collective mindset of values, solutions, and beliefs, providing the foundations on which all of our design work now sits.

At DMBA, we have 4 core principles that guide our approach and underpin the narrative of our projects. These foundations respond to many of the challenges we see in the built environment today.

Principles

1. People

Understanding routine, behaviour and social impact is fundamental to the success of any building. We consider the needs of the client, end-user, neighbours and the wider community in every aspect of our work.

2. Craft

Responding to the surrounding context and having a a keen awareness of material is imperative to enhanced design. We believe this respect and attention to detail ensures our architecture is not made, but crafted.

3. Value

Understanding the financial realities and potential is key to a successful scheme. We recognise that generating value comes through intelligent spatial planning and high design quality, whilst recognising our client’s commercial objectives.

4. Sustainability

Recognising the environmental impact of our design is at the very core of our process. We prioritise the durability and flexibility of architecture, ensuring we are meeting the needs of its occupants now and for many years into the future.

Addressing the Climate Crisis

Our Practice

DMBA is targeting a Net-Zero business operation and educating and supporting staff to make positive changes.

Design for a Net-Zero Carbon Future

DMBA is constantly considering the future of projects we work on, aiming beyond industry standards with fossil-fuel free solutions, ethical material selection, improved building user experience and promoting biodiversity.

Continuous Professional Development

We are conscious to stay apace with the rapidly changing regulatory environment, and to engage with innovative new technical solutions through CPD and desktop research.

RetroFirst

DMBA is a strong advocate for the AJ’s RetroFirst campaign, championing reuse in the built environment by working on upgrading numerous existing buildings around London.

This approach drastically reduces the consumption of raw materials and energy in a project, and allows DMBA to balance innovation  with conservation of heritage building fabric.

Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance

The pursuit of greater ethnic diversity in architecture practice is at the heart of the DMBA mission. Too often members of minority groups are marginalised in the construction industry, particularly young people trying to get a foothold in in their careers.
Charitable Support

We commit to providing opportunities at graduate level, pre-graduate work experience and providing office space for young minority-own businesses. DMBA recently launched our exciting partnership with I Can You Can Too, to include work experience and sponsorship, over the next 3 years.

 

Our role in the industry

 

Damion Burrows plays an active role in shaping London’s future building environment, acting as RIBA London Regional Chair, Co-Chair of the City of Westminster and LB Lambeth Design Reviews Panels, and panel member for the Royal Borough of Greenwich DRP. He also participates in the RIBA Future Leader’s programme, shaping the next generation of architects and designers.