Our Approach
MHA is an independent, award-winning, practice of consulting structural engineers that was established in 1998. We work worldwide on all types and size of project and in all building sectors and materials. We promote good design – clients and architects who wish to create exemplary buildings are well supported by our exceptional service.
Our strong and creative team enjoy working as active partners in the design process and have the skill and experience to deliver creative, sustainable and economical designs.
We approach every project in an open-minded, responsive manner so that we provide the best possible service and most appropriate designs. We have the resources to smoothly manage the process and challenges on each scheme, to keep ahead of deadlines and to deal promptly with matters arising.
The success of our approach is reflected in our broad portfolio of completed projects and the many awards we have received.
In order to produce high quality and appropriate structural designs, our understanding of the project brief extends beyond structural engineering alone. Our holistic approach considers the underlying architectural design intent, sustainability, cost constraints, servicing strategy, procurement, construction sequencing and health and safety.
MHA is at the forefront of innovation in structural engineering. Our specialist expertise includes:
- Engineered timber and CLT
- Refurbishment and reuse
- Whole-life carbon
- Historic buildings
- Structural glass
- Seismic analysis and retrofitting
- Post-tensioned stone
- Moving structures
- Low vibration structures
- Visual concrete
- Basements and underpinning
- Due diligence
However, our designs are based on whatever is most appropriate, not pursuing innovation for its own sake.
We explore a variety of structural options using clear and concise sketches, before before moving on to 2D CAD, 3D modelling and BIM as the project demands. We use the latest software to carry out linear, non-linear, dynamic and finite element structural analysis. However, we are careful to see that sophisticated software doesn’t obscure our subjective understanding of structural behaviour.
We have successfully collaborated with a wide range of consultants, which provides design and programme advantages to all our projects. These consultants include: “traditional” building professionals and also educational specialists, disability and access consultants, acousticians, fire consultants, wind consultants (including wind tunnel testing authorities), geotechnical specialists, materials sampling and testing specialists, model makers and prototypers, artists, poets and social workers. Our established relationships with a wide network of specialists provide design and programme advantages to a wide range of projects. Our desire to build a strong team in-house with a broad yet specialist knowledge and our ability to create long-term networks of consultants and contractors ensures our clients are provided with successful engineering design.
Practice directors are involved throughout the progress of each project, this provides both strategic and management expertise at every stage. Our weekly meetings with staff and monthly management meetings ensure that we are not only informed but we can also combine our knowledge to provide the best possible design solutions. Our strong in-house communication and programming enables our team to respond to critical queries within 24 hours.
Our Team
Work With Us
We are currently looking for exceptional graduate Structural Engineers to join our strong and friendly team.
As an Engineer you will have:
- A good degree; preferably MEng. Architectural Engineering
- A desire to become Chartered within 1-2 years
- An ability to communicate your ideas both verbally and graphically
You will also need to have:
- A desire to work on design lead projects
- An eye for detail
- An interest in the environment, sustainability and community
- A drive to succeed in a dynamic engineering design studio
We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, including 28 days holiday and an excellent working environment. Our staff are our greatest asset. As such we encourage their development with CPD and support training for both IStructE and ICE chartered status with approved training schemes and are ISO 9001 accredited. Office study trips are part of our training scheme; trips have included Barcelona, Istanbul, New York, Lisbon, Budapest and Berlin.
Please send your CV to admin@mhastructuraldesign.com
MHA is an equal opportunities employer.
Awards
| Year | Award | Status | Project |
| 2023 | Stirling Prize | Winner | John Morden Centre |
| RIBA London Building of the Year | Winner | John Morden Centre | |
| RIBA Regional Award | Winner | John Morden Centre | |
| New London Architecture Prize | Winner | John Morden Centre | |
| Structural Awards | Winner | Collège Hampaté Bâ | |
| 2020 | NLA Awards: Caring Prize | Winner | John Morden Centre |
| 2019 | RIBA National Award | Winner | The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries |
| RIBA Regional Award | Winner | The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries | |
| 2018 | RIBA Regional Award | Shortlist | House and Studio Lambeth |
| 2017 | AJ House of the Year Award | Winner | Tin House |
| AJ House of the Year Award | Shortlist | Lansdowne Drive | |
| AJ House of the Year Award | Shortlist | Highgate House | |
| AJ Budget Project of the Year Award | Shortlist | The Hut | |
| Manser Medal | Shortlist | Heath House | |
| RIBA Regional Award | Winner | Highgate House | |
| RIBA House of the Year Award | Longlist | Highgate House | |
| The Sunday Times British Homes Awards: Small House of the Year | Shortlist | Tin House | |
| The Sunday Times British Homes Awards: Home Transformation of the Year | Winner | Heath House | |
| 2016 | RIBA Regional Award | Winner | Tin House |
| UK Passivhaus Awards | Winner | Lansdowne Drive | |
| NLA Awards: Public Spaces Prize | Shortlist | Arc House, Harrow | |
| NLA Awards: Homes Prize | Shortlist | Tin House | |
| AIA UK Award | Winner | The Boathouse | |
| RIBA Stephen Lawrence Prize | Shortlist | Tin House | |
| 2015 | LDA Gold Award | Winner | Chiswick House |
| 2014 | RIBA Regional Award | Winner | The Workshop |
| BCO London & South East Award | Winner | Argent HQ | |
| 2013 | RIBA Regional Award | Winner | Suffolk House |
| Wood Awards | Highly Commended | Festival Headland, Blackpool | |
| 2012 | RIBA Regional Award | Winner | Festival Headland, Blackpool |
| Civic Trust Awards | Regional Finalist | Festival Headland, Blackpool | |
| RIBA Regent Street Windows Project | Best Installation | Moss Bros | |
| 2011 | London Planning Awards: Best Built Community Project | Winner | Clapham Manor School |
| Mayor’s Award for Planning Excellence | Commended | Clapham Manor School | |
| 2010 | RIBA Regional Award | Winner | Yew Tree Lodge |
| RIBA Regional Award | Winner | Clapham Manor School | |
| Stirling Prize | Shortlist | Clapham Manor School | |
| Civic Trust Awards | Winner | Clapham Manor School | |
| 2009 | RIBA Regional Award | Winner | Sliding House |
| RIBA Regional Award | Winner | Kielder Observatory | |
| Grand Designs Awards: Home of the Year | Winner | Sliding House | |
| Grand Designs Awards: Best New-Build Home | Winner | Sliding House | |
| Grand Designs Awards: Best Conversion | Winner | St. Michael’s Street | |
| World Architecture Festival | Highly Commended | Clapham Manor School | |
| World Architecture Festival | Highly Commended | Sliding House | |
| Civic Trust Awards | Winner | Kielder Observatory | |
| British Home Awards: Affordable Housing Development of the Year | Winner | Yew Tree Lodge | |
| CABE Building for Life Silver Standard | Winner | Yew Tree Lodge | |
| Better Building Healthcare Awards: Best Residential Care Design | Winner | Yew Tree Lodge | |
| British Council for School Environments Industry Awards | Highly Commended | Kingsdale School | |
| 2008 | RIBA Regional Award | Winner | Classroom of the Future |
| Haringey Design Awards: Best Building & Community Project | Winner | Broadwater Farm Children’s Centre | |
| National Association of Shop Fitters Awards | Winner | Sake No Hana | |
| World Architecture Festival Awards: Learning Category | Highly Commended | Kingsdale Music & Sports | |
| 2007 | RIBA National Award | Winner | Rooftop Nursery |
| RIBA Regional Award | Winner | Broadwater Farm Children’s Centre | |
| 2006 | National Stone Awards | Winner | Old Wardour House |
| Royal Fine Art Commission: Building of the Year | Inspiring Through Architecture | Kingsdale School | |
| 2005 | RIBA Regional Award | Winner | Shouldham Street |
| RIBA London Building of the Year | Winner | Shouldham Street | |
| RIBA Housing Design Award | Winner | Haven Mews | |
| Mies van der Rohe Awards | Shortlist | Kingsdale School | |
| Royal Fine Art Commission: Building of the Year | Winner | Kingsdale School | |
| 2004 | Wood Awards: Structural Category | Winner | Kingsdale School (Auditorium) |
| M4I Demonstration Award | Winner | Kingsdale School | |
| 2003 | Art Director’s Club of Europe | Gold Award for Exhibition Design | Sellafield Visitor Centre |
| RIBA Awards | Winner | Young House | |
| D&AD Silver Award | Winner | Sellafield Visitor Centre | |
| Camden Building Quality Award | Winner | South Camden Community School | |
| 2002 | FX Interior Design Award | Best Small Office | Architect’s Registration Board offices |
| D&AD Annual Award | Winner | Sellafield Visitor Centre | |
| Camden Design Award | Winner | South Camden Community School | |
| 2000 | Civic Trust Awards | Commended | Moshi Moshi |
| Design Council | Millennium Product | National Glass Centre | |
| FX Interior Design Award: Best Bar, Restaurant or Entertainment | Finalist | Moshi Moshi | |
| 1999 | Galvanisers Award | Winner | National Glass Centre |
| 1998 | Glassex Building in Glass, Project of the Year | Winner | National Glass Centre |
Clients and Collaborators
Aaya Restaurants Group
Aberdeen Standard Investments
Acton Housing Association
Alliance Trust Pensions
Archaylen Property
Argent
The Architectural Foundation
Article 25
Billionaire
Blackpool Borough Council
Bliss Spa
Brentford School for Girls
The British Council
Browns, South Molton Street
Cambridge University
Capital & City
Channel Five
City & Islington College
Claremont Fan Court Foundation
Clerical Medical Investment Group
Coach Inc.
Commercial Estates Group
Corney & Barrow
Cluttons
Colliers
Cube Cleantech
Curzon Street Developments
Dari Construction
Darwin College, Cambridge
Dawnay Day Properties
The Dean and Chapter of Westminster
DfES (now DCSF)
Doh Eain
Dolce & Gabbana
Dover Street Market
Drayton Park School
Equitable Life
The Estate of Francis Bacon
Etam
Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education
The Forestry Commission
General Trading Company
Genesis Housing Association
Hague Investments
Hakkasan
Helios (Colebrooke) Limited
Hill & Knowlton
Hilltop Daycare Nurserys
Holiday Extras
HPM Developments
Jimmy Choo
Irrawaddy Policy Exchange
Kate Greenaway Nursery
Kielder Partnerships
King Alfred School
Kingsgate Workshops Trust
Kingston University
Kohler Mira
Ladbroke Group
Leaside Regeneration
London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Haringey
London Borough of Hillingdon
London Borough of Islington
London Borough of Lambeth
London Borough of Newham
London Borough of Southwark
London School of Economics
Longchamp
Look Ahead Housing
The Malaysian High Comission
Merchant Taylor’s School
Moncler
Morden College
Moshi Moshi
Mulberry
Murphy Group
Naturally Healthy Women Ltd.
Parkside Federation Percassi Group Ltd.
Percassi Group Ltd.
Princi UK
Ramzor Investments
Rangoon General Hospital Trust
The Row (UK)
Royal Borough of Greenwich
Royal Commonwealth Society
Scottish Life
Selfridges
Smythson
Spanish Tourist Office
St. Olave’s & St. Saviour’s Foundation
St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge
Stoke Newington School
The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn
The Science Museum
This Land
Timothy Taylor Gallery
Tyne and Wear Development Corp
United Visual Artists
Universal Consolidated Group
Urban Splash
Virgin
Vitra
Volkswagen (UK) Ltd.
Watches of Switzerland
The Zabludowicz Arts Trust
21st Architecture
5th Studio
AAB Architects
Adams & Sutherland
Alan Higgs Architects
Alan Power Architects
Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
Allies & Morrison
AMBS
Andy Martin Architecture & Michaelis Boyd
AnsteyHorne
Appleyard & Trew
Architecture for London
Architecture PLB
ArchitectureWith
Arit Anderson
Aura Consulting Ltd
Bell Phillips Architects
Benoy
Binom Architects
Bond Bryan Architects
Boxmoor construction
Brady Mallalieu
Bridges Associates
British Council
Buckley Gray Yeoman
Capelo
Carmela Agostino
Carmody Groarke
Cassian Young
Casson Mann
CH & W Design Ltd
Chadwick Dryer Clarke
Charles Barclay Architects
Cirpro
Claudio Silvestrin
Cluttons
Colliers
Counter & King
Cowie Montgomery
Cowper Griffith Architects
CSC.A
Curl La Tourelle Head
David Archer Architects
David Chipperfield Architects
David Miller Architects
David Whitehead Architects
Davis Langdon
de Rijke Marsh Morgan
De Rosee Sa
Delvendhal Martin Architects
design-NA Architects
dMFK
Dominic O’Riordan
Douglas Stewart
Dover Street Market
Dpp planning
dRMM
Duggan Morris Architects
Emrys
Eric Parry Architects
Eric Tokstad Design Ltd
Ettwein Bridges Architects LLP
European Urban Architecture
European Urban Architecture
Feilden Mawson
Finkernagel Ross
Founded Studio
Four IV
FourFourSixSix
GAD Design
Gensler
GML Architects
Gollifer Langston Architects
Goodman Hitchens
Graham Modlen
Burrell & Mistry Architects
Greenway Architects
Guard Tillman Pollock Architects
Gurmeet Sian
Hawkins Brown
Haysom Ward Miller
Henning Stummel Architects
HK Architects
HMKM
HPM
HUT Architecture
Ian Sayer
Ian Simpson Architects
IBI
Iceni Projects
Iosa Ghini Associati
James Wells Architects
Jane McKay Architects
Jonathan McDowell
Kalkwarf Architects
Karthaus Design
Kengo Kuma
Kiran Curtis Architects
Landers Associates
Laura Johnston Design Associates
Laura Knight SPB Archicture
Leonard Design Architects
Lisa Shell Architects
Lumley & Koller
MacMahon & Curtis
Madoc Architecture
MAE
Marina Werfel – we r designs
Martin Brudnizki Design Studio
Marvin Builders
Maskell-King
Matter Architecture
McDowell + Benedetti
Mellersh & Harding
Merrett Houmoller
MHBC
Millbridge Project Management Ltd
Mind Lab UK
Modern Architectural Practice
Mole Architects
Morey Smith
Morrow & Lorraine
MUMA
Neil Mathews Architects
Nina Rahmanian
Nissen Richards Studio
Norton Mayfield
NRAP Architects
ORMS
Overcourt
Pascall + Watson
PATALAB
Patel Taylor
Paul Davis & Partners
Paul Whitley Architects
Pencil & Ink
Powell Tuck Associates
Purcell
Quadrant Design
Redloft
Richard Dudzicki Associates
Richard Hywel Evans
Rick Mather Architects
Robin Cross
Roz Barr
Russ + Henshaw
Russian for fish
Ryder HKS International Ltd
Sarah Wigglesworth
Saunders
Selldorf
Spaced Out Architecture Studio
Squire & Partners
Stanhope Gate
Stephen J. Woodward Surveyors Ltd
Stiff + Trevillion
Studio Downie
Studio RHE
Studio X
Sturgis Associates LLP
Sutton Griffin Morgan
Task Displays
Tectonics Architects
The Keegans Group
Tim Poulson
Tim Ronalds Architects
Tonkin Liu
United Visual Artists
Vine Architecture
Waldo Works
Walker & Martin
Walker Bushe Architects
What Architecture
Witherford Watson Mann
Works Architecture
WWM Architects
Yasumichi Morita
Yeates Design
Zaha Hadid Architects
ZRP
Humanitarian Work
We have worked on education and healthcare projects throughout Africa and Asia.
Engineering challenges from working in these regions have been legion: severely constrained budgets – the teams work hard to deliver more with less; harsh climate; absence of environmental data for design; and limited information on the physical characteristics of locally available materials. Responding to these challenges has been a collaborative and pragmatic process involving local constructors and limited testing. A most rewarding process that feeds back into our UK work.
Programmes to upskill and build capacity in the local community and promote gender equality accompany the built projects.
We’re proud that our projects in Uganda, Burkina Faso, Niger and Tanzania, delivered on a pro bono basis, have provided profoundly improved life chances to building users and communities alike and are physical manifestations of our social responsibility agenda.
