plinth

The practice

Four people in an old salt mill.

Plinth was founded in 2011 by Hester Quaile after twelve years drawing museums for other people. We now work from the first floor of Saltmill Yard, with a model table, a plan chest and a view of the canal.

The studio at Saltmill Yard: a long model table, shelves of card models and a wall of north light
The studio, Saltmill YardPhoto placeholder

Small on purpose.

We take on around eight projects a year. That is enough to keep four people busy and few enough that a director draws on every one. We charge a fixed fee for each stage, agreed before we start, and we tell you early if a project is not one we can do well.

We work across the Harrow Vale and up to an hour from the studio, so we can be on site within a morning.

See what we have built

Approach

Four things we hold to.

None of them is original. All of them are easy to forget when a programme gets tight.

Keep what is there

The greenest wall is the one already standing. We start every project by asking what can stay.

Draw it until it is simple

A good plan takes forty sketches. We would rather spend the time on paper than on site.

Build with the weather

Sun paths, prevailing wind and where the rain runs decide more of a building than its style does.

Stay for the snagging

We are on site until the last door closes properly, and we come back a year later to check.

People

Who you will be talking to.

Everyone here draws, visits site and answers the phone.

  • Portrait of Hester Quaile

    Hester Quaile

    Founding director

    Architect. Leads civic work and every first site visit.

  • Portrait of Dev Marwaha

    Dev Marwaha

    Associate

    Retrofit lead and certified passive house designer.

  • Portrait of Ruth Amberley

    Ruth Amberley

    Architect

    Houses and interiors. Keeps the specification honest.

  • Portrait of Sol Petrakis

    Sol Petrakis

    Architectural assistant

    Drawings, models and the measured surveys.

Recognition

Awards and shortlists.

Nice to have, and mostly a credit to the builders.

Awards won by Plinth projects
YearAwardBodyProject
2026Small Project of the YearThe Retrofit RegisterGatehouse Surgery
2025Conservation AwardNorthern Brick SocietyCorn Exchange Library
2025Shortlisted, house of the yearThe Lintel PrizeWeir Cottage
2024CommendationHarrow Vale Civic SocietySedge Common Hall
2023Regional House AwardAssociation of Small PracticesKiln House

Want to meet us at the studio?

Come and see the models and the drawings. Visits are by appointment, Monday to Friday.