Our Studio

The Team

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  Matthew Giles

  Founder / Director

  Matthew leads the studio’s work, bringing 25 years of experience dedicated to the design of private homes.
  
  His approach is shaped by a deep understanding of how homes are conceived, detailed and delivered. He combines design judgment with practical experience, helping clients make confident decisions through a process that is often complex, personal and long term.
  
  His work is recognised for its clarity, warmth and sensitivity to both people and place. He believes that architecture depends as much on listening, judgment and trust as it does on design. This has established the practice as a trusted partner for clients creating unique and highly personal homes.
  
  A chartered member of RIBA, Matthew is known for asking the right questions and listening carefully to how clients live, what they value and what they want their home to become.
  
  He remains closely involved in setting the direction of each project and standing behind the quality of its outcome. His leadership continues to guide the practice’s ethos, with a focus on homes of enduring quality, shaped with care, intelligence and attention to detail.

• 

  Lu Bai

  Associate Director

  Lu completed her architecture training in the US and is a licensed architect of the American Institute of Architects.
  
  Lu has worked in practices across the US, China, and the UK, with experience ranging in sectors from large scale commercial, infrastructure, hospitality, and cultural projects to small scale residential and furniture design. Lu has worked at Foster and Partners and Giles & Pike Architects since moving to London in 2014.
  
  With an editing eye, she enjoys keeping up with the latest design trends and emerging material palettes, carefully filtering what is truly timeless and translating it into her projects. She can often be found rummaging through vintage furniture shops and fabric markets, where mixing the old and new, bold colours, textiles and textures becomes a source of inspiration that she regularly weaves into her work to add depth and distinctive flair. She believes it is these personal touches that make a room feel human and truly memorable.
  
  Lu has led the delivery of a number of key projects, including The Space Between in Highgate, House of Panes and Maison Mediterranean in Muswell Hill, and Invisible City in Clapham.

• 

  Tom Munday

  Associate Director

  Tom completed his architectural training at Cardiff University, graduating with a First Class Honours MArch in 2017. He went on to complete his RIBA Part III professional studies at the University of Westminster, qualifying as an architect in 2019.
  
  He has experience across both the public and private sectors, having previously worked at award-winning London practices Sarah Wigglesworth Architects and Giles & Pike Architects.
  
  Tom’s final-year thesis explored the role of craft in architecture, informing an ongoing interest in tectonics, materiality, and making. He is particularly interested in innovative approaches to the use of materials.
  
  He has led the delivery of a number of key projects, including A Second Skin in Wimbledon, Black River in Thames Ditton, Into the Fold in Battersea, and Law and Order at Clapham Common.

• 

  Viviana Garcia

  Associate Director

  Viviana’s work is shaped by a strong interest in the relationship between people, place and nature. With a careful eye for detail, she is drawn to the qualities that make a home feel personal and enduring, natural materials, light, landscape and the quieter details that give a space its identity.
  
  Viviana graduated with a First Class MArch from Cardiff University and qualified as an architect at the University of Westminster in 2018. Before joining Matthew Giles Architects, she was an Associate at Foster + Partners, where she led multidisciplinary teams across high-end residential and cultural projects. Her earlier experience working in Switzerland further developed her interest in composition, materiality and detailing.
  
  At MGA, she has played an important role in the development of the practice, contributing to its growth alongside the design and delivery of projects. Her approach combines creativity and precision, with a focus on creating architecture that feels distinctive, personal and connected to its surroundings.

• 

  Kate Yaldren

  Studio Manager

  Kate is the Studio Manager of MGA, and is instrumental in developing the project management services.
  
  Kate completed a foundation course at Winchester School of Art in 1991 and then went on to do an HND in shoe design and millinery at Cordwainers College.
  
  On graduating, she joined Coexistence where she worked on the sales side of the company. Kate then moved to SCP, taking on the role of accessory buyer and manager of the Shoreditch showroom. In 2007, she joined Inform Furniture where she worked on the selection and the specification of Scandinavian furniture, and also assisted on the project management and installation side of the business.