The key to a successful home renovation lies in finding the right architect. The Spear’s Architects Index recognises the leading architects in Britain who work directly with clients on residential projects, everywhere from Switzerland to Shanghai
The individual artistic style of each architect represented is central to their appeal, and clients will often seek out an adviser based on their previous work. ‘We help you form a vision of how you’d like to live. Then we make it happen,’ Gregory Phillips tells Spear’s.
George Saumarez Smith of ADAM Architecture is a leading classical architect who has worked on some of the UK’s most prominent historic properties, counting King Charles III among his clients. In 2026, Saumarez achieves Top Flight status in our Index, in part due to his work on the UK’s most expensive home renovations in Wiltshire.
Meanwhile, Taro Tsuruta works in a modern Japanese style, using natural materials and embracing minimalism to reduce waste and create a distinct ‘home-style’. His work has been recognised by the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Related
Explore the 2026 Spear’s Home & Design Indices:
One of the key challenges facing those undertaking a build is the complexity. Extending a property is one of the key ways to maximise living space in a city, yet many owners don’t anticipate the legal, financial and safety risks associated with such a project. Failure to consult with property lawyers and meet the appropriate level of building regulation compliance could lead clients to have to refinance a project or, in some cases, the forced sale of the property.
Reflecting this shift, our Index has expanded to include architects who specialise in navigating the complexities of planning permission and the challenges of building in modern London. Andrew Paulson, who enters the rankings at Recommended this year, is a managing partner at LA London Architects and has built a reputation for rescuing stalled or underperforming projects and delivering them to completion.
‘Our job is to help smooth the process and guide them through, especially with international clients who don’t know local planning laws, building regulations and listed building requirements,’ Paulson tells Spear’s.
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Spear’s has identified the top-tier architects trusted by UHNWs to transform their properties into exceptional homes. Some excel at breathing fresh life into period properties, while others thrive on realising futuristic creations that push the boundaries of form and function.
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Methodology
Each year, the Spear’s Research Unit reassesses and refreshes its rankings of the leading providers in each sector by gathering data from and about the advisers and firms themselves, assessing submission forms, collating nominations, carrying out peer reviews, reviewing data from third-party sources, gathering references and recommendations, canvassing experts and conducting hundreds of interviews.
Advisers are evaluated using a proprietary scoring system that assigns different weightings to certain attributes. These scores feed directly into each new set of rankings in the Spear’s Indices. Each of these indices are published first online (according to the research calendar) and then in print. Print publication takes the form of the annual Spear’s 500 directory, which includes the top advisers in every index.
[See also: A guide to The Spear’s 500: Everything you need to know]
Each featured adviser is profiled on spears500.com. The site allows users to search the Spear’s database of more than 4,000 entities to find one (or more) to meet their specific requirements by filtering for specific attributes such as an adviser’s location, their specialist expertise and information about their client base.
The best architects: some names to know
Marco Braghiroli
- Focus: Unique super-prime homes
- Ranking: Recommended
- Firm: Prestige Architects
For Marco Braghiroli, architecture is a ‘family affair’; his parents worked on a range of residential properties across Italy, installing in him a ‘passion for architecture’ from a young age.
The no-nonsense managing director of Prestige Architects works on a variety of projects in a range of styles – from traditional English to modern contemporary. He reports that approximately 80 per cent of his clientele are repeat clients, who seek him out for primary residences, secondary homes and holiday homes, including ski chalets and villas.
Read Marco Braghiroli’s full profile at Spears500.com
Taro Tsuruta
- Focus: Harmonious minimalism
- Ranking: Recommended
- Firm: Tsuruta Architects
Expanding the limits of architecture has been Tsuruta’s hallmark ever since. Using data-driven tools, he has developed a way to design his signature modern homes digitally, essentially creating a ‘flatpack home’ that contractors can assemble on site. This process reduces waste, cuts time and brings down production costs for clients.
His firm, Tsuruta Architects, specialises in bespoke residences, particularly for clients seeking a simple, harmoniously minimalist design. ‘I grew up in Japan, and everything I do turns out to be Japanese-inspired, even if subconsciously,’ he notes.
Read Taro Tsuruta’s full profile at Spears500.com
Gregory Phillips
- Focus: Contemporary residential design
- Ranking: Top Recommended
- Firm: Gregory Phillips Architects
Gregory Phillips’ eponymous architecture and interior design firm was founded more than 30 years ago with a simple but effective mission: to ‘help you form a vision of how you’d like to live. Then we make it happen.’
Specialising in luxury contemporary residences, Gregory Phillips Architects is particularly well known for transforming existing homes by adding sleek, modern extensions that allow greater connection between indoor and outdoor living spaces.
Phillips tells Spear’s that collaboration is key, and he often introduces his clients to top-tier professionals across various specialisms: ‘We know the best of the best; we know the suitable team to put together.’
Read Gregory Phillip’s full profile at Spears500.com
Andrew Paulson
- Focus: Portfolio homes
- Ranking: Recommended
- Firm: LA London Architects
Andrew Paulson, managing partner at LA London Architects, specialises in designing homes across prime central London and the home counties for international UHNWs, often as part of these clients’ globally diverse property portfolios.
Paulson is particularly adept at guiding overseas clients through the complexities of UK planning laws, regulations and heritage refurbishments. LA London has also developed a strong reputation for rescuing stalled or underperforming projects and delivering them to completion.
When asked why his firm has such high client satisfaction levels, Paulson’s answer is simple: ‘What you see is what you get with us. We don’t have any airs and graces. We just want to do a good job for clients.’
Read Andrew Paulson’s full profile at Spears500.com
Mike Spink
- Focus: Refined quality
- Ranking: Top Recommended
- Firm: SPINK
Mike Spink’s London-based architecture and design firm, SPINK, prides itself on exceptionalism. He tells Spear’s that people often label his work – primarily private homes – as ‘luxury’ or ‘high-end’, but really what he aims for is ‘quality’.
When speaking to him, it’s evident that he has a deep respect for every element of a project – appreciating the artistry alongside the engineering. The firm’s restoration of the Grade II-listed Park Place in Berkshire revived the former home of Frederick, Prince of Wales, after decades of neglect. ‘We preserved a historic house and restored it to single-family ownership,’ he says.
Read Mike Spink’s full profile at Spears500.com
George Saumarez Smith
- Focus: Classical techniques
- Ranking : Top Flight
- Firm: ADAM Architecture
Leading Classical architect George Saumarez Smith was inspired to pursue his career by his grandfather. ‘It’s in my blood,’ he tells Spear’s.
One of five design directors at ADAM Architecture, he works on new buildings, extensions and repairs to historic properties, and offers a design consultancy, with his timeless and elegant style threaded throughout each project. Saumarez Smith has worked on several large-scale schemes, including hundreds of houses in Poundbury, the Dorset development spearheaded by King Charles III when he was the Prince of Wales.
In 2025, he began overseeing the UK’s most expensive home renovation: the £175 million refurbishment of hedge fund billionaire Chris Rokos’ home in Wiltshire involves remodelling 200 rooms across 80,000 square feet.
Read George Saumarez Smith’s full profile at Spears500.com
The best architects: the complete list
Click on the individual names to be directed to more detailed profiles on spears500.com. The table is ordered by ranking and then alphabetically.
Contact us
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With additional reporting from Caitlin Kilpatrick.
