A converted heritage water tower alongside a contemporary steel and timber canopy structure

01 — Structural Engineering

Structural Engineering Design

Structural design for new buildings, extensions, alterations and complex refurbishments — from concept through to construction, for architects, developers and private clients across London and Kent.

What this covers

Every project starts with the same question: what does this structure actually need to do, for the people who will use it and the building it sits within? From there we develop a scheme that is efficient to build, straightforward to coordinate with the wider design team, and true to the architectural intent it was asked to support. Our involvement is structured around the RIBA Plan of Work and the Institution of Structural Engineers’ companion structural stages, so every party on a project knows what to expect from us and when.

RIBA Stages 0–1 — Strategic definition & briefing

Early structural options, site constraints and cost-informed advice at feasibility, so a scheme's viability is understood before significant design fees are committed.

RIBA Stages 2–3 — Concept & spatial coordination

Structural options developed and coordinated with the wider design team, from initial concept through to spatial coordination of structure, services and architecture.

RIBA Stage 4 — Technical design

Structural design taken through to construction-issue detail, coordinated with architects and other consultants and ready for tender.

RIBA Stages 5–6 — Construction & handover

Site inspections, technical queries and design changes handled promptly through to practical completion and handover.

Engineering that serves the design, not the other way round

Structural design succeeds when it disappears into the architecture rather than fighting it. We work closely with design teams from the earliest sketch stage, testing structural options against the design intent so the two evolve together rather than being reconciled at the end.

That collaborative approach also keeps schemes buildable. A design that looks efficient on paper but is awkward or expensive to construct isn't efficient at all — so we test constructability and sequencing alongside the structural logic itself, not as an afterthought once drawings are issued.

Illustration of a new-build structural frame under construction

Local coverage

Structural engineering design across London & Kent

The structural questions our clients bring us vary by setting: in London, they are often compact infill sites and basement extensions in terraced streets, where party wall and ground movement risk shape a scheme from the outset; in Kent, they more often involve barn and oast conversions or new dwellings on rural plots, where variable ground conditions and local authority context matter most. AEVUM works from our offices in London and Kent, serving projects across the UK and internationally, so wherever a scheme sits we bring engineers who understand what shapes it. Our directors stay involved from first sketch through to completion — and where a project touches historic or listed fabric, that structural input is backed by our Conservation Accredited (CARE) engineers.

Frequently asked questions

At what stage should a structural engineer be brought in?

As early as feasibility, ideally before a scheme's layout is fixed. Early structural input identifies constraints and opportunities while a design is still flexible, rather than after drawings have already been produced.

Do you design for both new-build and existing buildings?

Yes. Many of our commissions combine the two — a new-build extension to an existing structure, for example — and we design both elements as one coordinated structural strategy.

Can you work directly with our architect and other consultants?

Yes, this is how the majority of our projects run. We coordinate structural design directly with the wider design team throughout, from concept through to construction.

Discuss a structural engineering project.

Discuss a project