how we work
We start with what's possible, not what's easy
Every project we take on is someone's home, income or livelihood. So we start by working out what's actually achievable on your site — often more than people expect — then design around what you need rather than a house style, and keep you in the picture from first sketch to completion.
Our story
Why we work the way we do
Founder Ismael Kiyani spent five years working on high-rise residential and commercial schemes in Birmingham city centre. Technically demanding projects, and a thorough grounding — but the same pattern kept repeating. The design was shaped by the spreadsheet long before it was shaped around the people who'd live and work in it. And a good number of those schemes never got built at all: consent secured, site sold on, nothing on the ground. He founded Kiyani Architecture and Developments in 2022 to work the other way round. We start from function and from the person who'll use the building, and we design schemes that get delivered rather than filed. It's work you see completed, and you see what it does for someone's home or their livelihood. That principle isn't limited to homeowners. We work with developers and investors on the same basis — design and function first, because those protect the numbers rather than compete with them. A scheme that's good to live in and straightforward to build holds its value. One that only works on paper doesn't.
What we believe
Our values
Ambition before compromise
Most people ask for less than they can have. We test what's genuinely achievable on a site before anyone settles for the safe scheme.
Function first
Design decisions start from how a building will be used and by whom — not from a house style, and not from a spreadsheet.
Built, not just approved
A consent nobody can deliver is worth nothing. We design schemes that work on site as well as on paper.
Straight answers
On cost, on timescales, on what a planning officer is likely to say. You get our honest read on all of it, even when it isn't the one you were hoping for.
Our network
You won't have to find them all yourself
Since 2022 we've built up working relationships with a carefully chosen group of construction professionals. When you need a structural engineer, a quantity surveyor or a reliable contractor, we'll make the introduction — with no obligation and no mark-up. It's simply part of the service. You're never obliged to use them, and we'll tell you honestly where a specialist is worth the money and where it isn't.
Let's work together
Whether you have a project in mind or simply want to explore what is possible, we would love to hear from you. No obligation, no jargon.