The Context Story

Studio Context was founded by Ryan Gormley, an ARB and RIBA registered architect with over a decade of experience across high-end residential and commercial projects. Having spent his career working at senior level within established practices - leading complex, high-value schemes from concept through to delivery - Ryan founded Studio Context to build something more considered: a principal-led studio where every project receives the same level of care, attention, and technical rigour, regardless of scale. The practice is built on the belief that the best residential architecture comes from a close working relationship between architect and client, and that good design is always shaped by context; The site, the brief, and the way people actually live.

Rear elevation of single-storey extension to terraced home, Redfield Bristol — Pivot by Studio Context 
Why Choose Context?

Studio Context offers a full architectural service for bespoke residential projects - from considered single-storey extensions and whole-house renovations through to complex new builds involving basements, pools, and multi-consultant coordination. Every project is led personally by Ryan, covering the complete process from initial design and planning through to technical delivery and construction on site, including heritage and listed building work where required. The practice is based in the West Midlands, with projects taken across the UK and internationally - including Manchester, Bristol, Cotswolds and as far as Los Angeles.

Brick pier and tapered stone reveal detail, Conservation Area extension, Stratford — Pier by Studio Context

Our Services

New Homes

Built around you. From the ground up.

Designing a new home is one of the most significant things you’ll ever do. We approach every new build with the same question: what does this particular family, on this particular site, actually need? The result is never a formula - it’s a home conceived entirely around your life, your preferences, and your plot. We lead the process from initial concept through planning, technical design, and construction, ensuring the quality of the original vision is never compromised along the way.

Planning + Heritage

Design-led. Not process-led.

Planning applications and listed building consent submissions are often seen as a hurdle. We treat them as an opportunity to make a well-considered case for good design, at any scale. Whether you’re navigating a straightforward householder application or a sensitive heritage context, we bring genuine architectural thinking to the process. We don’t just prepare drawings. We make the argument for your project, clearly and confidently.

Extensions + Renovations

Your home, understood and reimagined.

Most homes have more potential than their owners realise. Whether you’re adding a single room or rethinking an entire floor plan, we start by understanding how you actually use your home and where it’s falling short. From there, every decision is design-led, whether the budget is modest or substantial. The best extensions don’t feel like additions. They feel inevitable.

Full Architectural Service

One architect. Fully invested. Start to finish.

For clients who want complete continuity, we offer a full architectural appointment from first conversation through to the day you move in. Concept design, planning, technical packages, contractor procurement, contract administration, and site presence - led by the same person throughout. This isn’t a service reserved for large projects. It’s simply the most considered way to deliver any home, at any scale. No handoffs, no dilution of design intent. Just consistent, committed architectural leadership across every stage of your project.

Work With Us

How Context Works

Studio Context was founded on the belief that every home deserves genuine architectural thinking regardless of its scale or budget. We combine technical expertise with a deeply personal approach, working closely with each client to design homes that are considered, purposeful, and entirely their own. Based in Solihull and working nationally, we bring the same commitment to every project we take on.

The Brief Behind the Brief

We don't take what you ask for at face value. We take time to understand the life you're designing around, so the home we design is genuinely tailored to you, not just to your initial request.

View from rear extension toward garden, terraced home Redfield Bristol — Pivot by Studio Context

Design at Every Scale

Bespoke doesn't mean expensive. We bring the same design rigour to a considered extension as we do to a substantial new build. Every project, regardless of budget, is approached with genuine architectural care.e.

One Architect, Start to Finish

You'll work directly with Ryan Gormley throughout your project. No handoffs, no junior staff, no dilution of attention. The person you meet at the start is the person who sees your home through to completion.

Technically Capable, Personally Invested

From basement construction to complex MEP coordination, we bring real technical depth to residential work. Combined with a genuinely personal approach, it means your project is in experienced hands — and you'll always feel it.

  • "We'd been thinking about the extension as soon as we purchased the property. Ryan made the whole thing feel manageable - he listened to how we wanted to use the house and the additional space and the design came from that. The existing architecture was bold already, and Ryan managed to design an extension that felt like it belonged from the start."

    Taper - 2025

  • "We came to Ryan with a consented scheme that we knew had more potential. He identified opportunities we hadn't considered and delivered a design that genuinely added value both in terms of the space created and the quality of the finished product. Straightforward to work with and commercially switched on."

    Deb and Amos Casey - Casey Construction Midlands Limited

    Tie - 2025

  • "Honestly we weren't sure what we wanted when we first got in touch. Ryan helped us figure that out. The end result is something we wouldn't have arrived at on our own and it's become the room we spend most of our time in. The process was a lot less stressful than we expected."

    Hayley Al-Siaidi and Tim Walker

    Pivot - 2024

  • "We had a lot going on - first baby on the way, a big project, a tight timeline. Ryan kept everything moving without it ever feeling chaotic. The house looks completely different from the outside and works so much better inside. We wish we'd done it sooner."

    Jack and Ruth Polson

    Gable - 2023

Let’s Get Designing

Whether you have a fully formed idea or just a feeling that your home could work harder for you, we’d love to hear from you. There’s no obligation and no pressure; Just an honest conversation about what you’re looking to achieve.

Get in touch via the form to the right, or call the studio on +44 [0] 1564 330 564.