Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas on behalf of the entire Benchmark Architects team!
As 2025 draws to a close, we take a moment to reflect on a year of progress, ambition and momentum for Benchmark Architects. From planning successes and on-site advancement to sector engagement, international work and team milestones, the year has been both productive and defining.

We continue to partner with some amazing charities – Mercy Ships, CHUMS and the Be One Foundation – and have enjoyed another rewarding year of fundraising and charitable activity in support of these causes.
Supporting our local community remains a priority, and throughout 2025 we have continued our Greener Benchmark Scheme. This included a rewarding morning spent with the Forest of Marston Vale, planting trees at a site in Silsoe. This marked our second corporate planting event, and, in just two hours, the team planted an incredible 200 trees.

2025 saw a significant number of submissions, consents and heritage-planning successes, reflecting the breadth, ambition and careful contextual approach of our work.
Highlights included securing planning consent on appeal for Grange Farm, Ampthill, delivering three high-quality barn-style homes within a sensitive rural setting, and submitting an outline planning application in Central Bedfordshire for a major residential development of 141 homes, supported by extensive landscape design, biodiversity enhancements and community facilities.
Across the year, we also progressed residential schemes in West Northamptonshire, Luton and Dacorum, delivering proposals ranging from family housing to apartment living within regeneration areas, all underpinned by strong placemaking principles and sustainable design strategies.
Beyond new-build residential projects, 2025 featured a number of heritage-planning successes and heritage-sensitive consents, demonstrating our ability to work within historic contexts while enabling thoughtful, contemporary interventions. Together, these outcomes represent a year of meaningful momentum: balancing ambition with context and responding to the ongoing demand for high-quality, considerate architecture across the UK.

Construction and site activity across our crematoria and bereavement projects formed one of the most dynamic strands of our work this year.
At Roseland Park Crematorium, construction advanced steadily, with the main buildings now taking clear shape, glazing installed, roof structures complete and landscape works beginning to define the wider setting.
Alongside Roseland, Netherhouse Farm Crematorium in Waltham Abbey moved confidently through its early construction stages, with the external form now largely established and internal works underway.
This autumn also saw the exciting start on site at the Lake View Bereavement Centre & Crematorium in East Cambridgeshire, where groundworks and initial construction activities are now progressing on a facility designed to offer a peaceful, landscape-led environment for the local community.
Together, these developments reflect a year in which our expertise in sensitive end-of-life architecture has continued to deepen, with multiple projects moving from concept into built reality, each grounded in dignity, care and thoughtful design.

A standout moment for the practice this year was the announcement of our first international crematorium project, and the first crematorium to be built in Cyprus.
Set to open in 2026, the Golden Leaves Crematorium in Agia Varvara, Paphos combines:
• Low-emission cremation technology
• A design influenced by Cypriot light, materials and landscape
• Community-appropriate sensitivity
• A contemporary, warm palette expressing dignity, ceremony and cultural understanding
This project marks an important step forward for the practice, expanding our crematoria expertise internationally and reflecting the trust placed in our work on sensitive community architecture.

Throughout 2025, Benchmark Architects remained actively engaged across the profession, sharing insights and building connections beyond individual projects.
In September, we exhibited at the ICCM Learning Conference & Exhibition, connecting with peers and sector leaders to discuss the role of design in cemetery and crematorium environments. We also attended CBCE 2025, engaging with the wider construction and built environment community on themes of innovation, quality and the future of practice in our industry.
Beyond formal events, members of the team travelled to Valencia to explore tile innovation, broadening our material knowledge and bringing fresh inspiration back into the studio. These experiences reflect our commitment to continuous learning and to shaping better design outcomes through collaboration, research and engagement.

We were also delighted to sign the Milton Keynes Neurodiversity Charter this year, a meaningful step in our mission to support inclusive workplaces and community values. This commitment reflects our belief that architecture is about people first, and that meaningful design begins with understanding, empathy and representation.

This year marked an important chapter in the growth and development of our team. We celebrated our ninth anniversary in September, a moment to reflect on nearly a decade of designing, collaborating and growing. From our early beginnings to our expanding portfolio and new international ventures, we are proud of how the practice continues to evolve.
A major highlight this year was the promotion of Lauren to Studio Manager, a well-deserved recognition of dedication, leadership and continued contribution to the studio’s development. We are delighted to strengthen our internal leadership as the practice continues to expand.

As 2025 comes to an end, we reflect on the incredible projects and partnerships that have shaped the year. We are grateful to our clients, consultants, collaborators, communities and our wonderful team for helping shape another successful year.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Here’s to a bright and exciting 2026!