As a practice identified as one to watch in the Regenerative Architecture Index, we spoke to Studio Knight Stokoe about legally recognising the environment and society as stakeholders, becoming a B Corp, circadian rhythms, being resilient, regenerative, and empathic and fostering a zero-overtime culture.

A project known as ‘Plant’ – formerly Mountbatten House, originally Gateway House – is situated in central Basingstoke. The building and landscape were Grade II Listed in 2015 for their unique design and terraced, cascading roof gardens, of which Studio Knight Stokoe have been working on giving a new lease of life. (Credit: Hayes Davidson)

Could you expand on how you amended your company’s Articles of Association to recognise the environment and society as key stakeholders? And how have you legally embedded your commitment to environmental and social regeneration into corporate governance?
When establishing our company, we were committed to integrating the environment and society as fundamental stakeholders, and becoming a Certified B Corp was a key step toward achieving that. We collaborated with legal experts and followed B Lab UK’s guidelines to amend our Articles of Association. This amendment, based on the B Corp legal framework, ensured that our Articles legally recognised both the environment and society as primary stakeholders, explicitly affirming that profit is not the sole driver for our business.

One of the legal requirements for B Corp certification is to include specific mission-aligned language in a company’s Articles of Association. This language, which we adopted verbatim, commits us to use our business as a force for good by focusing on creating a material positive impact on society and the environment. Additionally, it mandates us to consider broader stakeholder interests alongside traditional business considerations. Once we finalised these amendments, we filed the updated Articles with Companies House, embedding these commitments into our corporate governance and making them legally binding.

To maintain transparency and accountability, we also publish an annual Impact Report, another requirement for Certified B Corps. We consider this report essential for fostering regular, open communication with our stakeholders and demonstrating our ongoing progress and future plans. It serves our internal stakeholders — staff, directors, and board members—and our wider audience, including customers, partners, and suppliers. By detailing our social and environmental performance and comparing it to previous years, this report shows our impact areas, allowing us and our stakeholders to see our progress and areas for improvement.

This commitment also influences our daily operations. Knowing we are accountable to our stakeholders encourages us to make positive, thoughtful decisions that continuously improve upon those we made in the past. The B Corp framework isn’t perfect, but it provides us with a powerful structure and guidance for building a company that genuinely considers the well-being of society and the environment as central to our mission. Through this framework, we stay focused on making positive contributions and maintaining transparency, allowing us to share our journey, achievements, and things we could be doing better, with the world and our collaborators in a way that reflects our dedication to using business as a force for good.

When did you become a B Corp and what led you to this?
We became a Certified B Corp in April 2024, a milestone that reflected our values and long-term commitment to social and environmental impact. Our journey started almost immediately after we incorporated the company, driven by a desire to build an organisation where positive impact — not just profit — is central to every decision we make.

Initially, we achieved B Corp Pending status, which we held for one year. This period was required for us, as becoming fully certified meant demonstrating over 12 months of responsible operation. During this time, we made a conscious effort to maintain momentum, prioritising certification to demonstrate that we were actively pursuing our values and weren’t standing still.

Our exploration of B Corp certification began before the company was officially established. We envisioned a company model in which societal and environmental considerations would be at the core of our operations. We would avoid a profit-centric approach that benefits only a select few. Instead, we wanted to create a structure in which our mission and values would shape our outputs and define our professional integrity.

B Corp ticked all of those boxes and more. Its rigorous and challenging certification process appealed to us because it matched our commitment to high standards. B Corp’s focus on transparency and accountability aligned perfectly with our vision of responsible business practices. Additionally, seeing other companies we admired either certified or working towards certification gave us confidence that our efforts would be meaningful and that our commitment to the B Corp movement was worthwhile.

You mention that the studio operates under three overarching design drivers: resilient, regenerative, and empathic. How did these come about? And how do they operate in practice?
The three design drivers: resilient, regenerative, and empathic, stemmed from our desire to define a unique approach that prioritises what’s important to us and underpins how we work rather than focusing on competing in a conventional sense. While setting up the studio, we saw value in identifying a unique selling proposition, not to differentiate from “competitors” per se but to clarify our core commitments in design and business. This reflection led us to focus on resilience, regeneration, and empathy as foundational to our practice.

Resilience is a central principle, especially given the urgent climate and biodiversity crises faced by our generation and future generations. For us, resilience isn’t optional or something to consider only when budgets allow; it’s a fundamental requirement. Our projects aim to create landscapes and urban spaces that adapt to and withstand environmental shifts and challenges. Every project must inherently possess resilience, reflecting our belief that we can’t afford to think otherwise in the current global context.

Regeneration builds on this by shifting our role from merely sustaining to actively repairing and enriching the environments we design. Regeneration isn’t just a goal; it’s an approach woven into our design methodology. Our designs aim to positively impact ecosystems, contributing to the natural world rather than merely avoiding harm. This principle is critical for us and guides how we approach landscape architecture and urban design, making it a baseline consideration across all our projects.

Empathic design addresses a different yet equally significant dimension. While resilience and regeneration respond to environmental needs, empathy responds to human needs. In our experience, empathic practice hasn’t always been prioritised, and yet it’s essential for creating spaces that truly serve and resonate with their communities. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of empathy within workplaces and the design itself. It brought attention to staff well-being, flexible working arrangements, and even the concept of a four-day workweek. Empathy in our practice is not limited to internal operations; it extends to our design work. Empathic design, though often more common in fields like product design, is emerging in architecture and construction, especially with recent shifts toward inclusive co-design, equitable collaboration, and community involvement throughout project lifecycles. We work closely with stakeholders and communities to ensure our designs are inclusive and meaningful to those who interact with them.

Novers Hill Competition Process Illustration that looked to develop a brownfield site which was formerly the location of a primary school in Bristol. (Credit: Studio Knight Stokoe and Mitchell Eley Gould Architects)

And finally, could you explain a bit more when you say that, with regards to employee wellbeing, you make consideration for circadian rhythms and seasonal variations?
Our approach to employee well-being thoughtfully incorporates circadian rhythms and seasonal variations, recognising how these natural cycles influence health, focus, and productivity.

As a starting point, we’ve sought to allow as much natural daylight into the studio as possible. We’ve also designed our studio lighting to support natural circadian rhythms to mimic the sun’s daily light/dark cycle. Using advanced lighting features like colour tuning, intensity adjustments, and correlated colour temperature, our lighting setup shifts throughout the day to mirror the natural progression of sunlight. This alignment helps regulate employees’ internal clocks, supporting better sleep, mood, and energy levels, which are all crucial to maintaining well-being.

We also encourage employees to work outdoors when possible, as exposure to natural daylight has well-documented health benefits. By providing secure outdoor Wi-Fi, laptops, and tablets, we create a flexible work environment where employees can seamlessly shift between indoor and outdoor settings, allowing them to benefit from fresh air and sunlight whenever feasible.

In addition to the physical environment, we offer flexible work schedules that allow employees to work during their most naturally productive times. Recognising that some people are most focused in the morning while others peak later in the day, we’ve built a system accommodating these differences. This flexibility allows both early risers and late starters to work at their optimal times, promoting productivity, greater job satisfaction, and mental well-being.

We also consider how seasonal changes, particularly winter’s reduced daylight, can impact both individual’s and the team’s overall wellbeing. For instance, some individuals may experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD), where reduced exposure to sunlight can lead to fatigue and mood changes. To support employees during these periods, we provide flexibility in working hours, allowing people to adjust their start and end times in winter as long as core hours are maintained. This lets them make the most of natural daylight during the shortest days.

Our commitment to a zero-overtime culture also becomes even more significant during winter, when energy levels may be lower. By respecting work-life balance and avoiding overtime, we help employees manage their workload sustainably, enabling them to recharge fully during challenging months. We also support comfortable home-working setups to offer additional flexibility, ensuring employees can work in environments that suit their personal and seasonal needs.

Visit the Regenerative Architecture Network to read responses from all of the 68 practices who participated in the Regenerative Architecture Index.