Testimonials.
Elly Deacon Smith - Director - Arbor Architects
“Arbor Architects have had the pleasure of working with Ben Shirley over a number of years during his role at NMITE in Hereford. Throughout this time, Ben has consistently demonstrated deep knowledge and enthusiasm for all things timber, coupled with a generous and engaging approach to collaboration.
Ben’s expertise in the practical application of timber in construction is exemplary. His understanding spans not only technical robustness and buildability, but also the wider principles of sustainability and circular re‑use, ensuring timber is used intelligently, responsibly, and with long‑term value in mind.
South Studio is a natural evolution of Ben’s work and thinking, and we have no doubt that his practical insight, academic rigour, and passion for timber will make the studio a valuable resource for the built environment sector. We highly recommend Ben and South Studio to anyone seeking thoughtful, well‑informed expertise in timber‑led design and construction.”
Sam McElhinney - Programme Director (Architecture) - UCA
“I first met Ben Shirley when he joined our BA Architecture course at the Canterbury School of Architecture. Throughout his studies he was a standout student, notable not only for his maturity and ability to self‑organise, but also for his exceptional skills in making and timber construction, grounded in a deep, hands‑on understanding of materials and fabrication.
Since graduating, Ben’s development has been remarkable. He has built genuinely cutting‑edge knowledge of timber construction, with a rare emphasis on buildability, craft, and sustainable practice, placing him among the most advanced practitioners working with timber in the UK today.
We regularly invite Ben back to the school to lead tutorials and workshops with our students, where he is a consistently popular and engaging contributor. He combines deep technical expertise with clarity, generosity, and enthusiasm, making him an outstanding educator as well as an accomplished and forward‑thinking practitioner.”
Andrew Simmonds - Partner - Simmonds Mills Architects
“Ben Shirley is a conscientious and rigorous designer-carpenter whose work bridges craft, technical systems and pedagogy across both traditional and innovative timber construction. He delivered the carpentry training component of Simmonds Mills Architects’ ARC project at Islamic Help’s Children’s Ecovillage in coastal Tanzania, working directly with local staff on roof construction techniques and on the diagnosis and treatment of wood-boring insect damage and timber preservation in a hot-humid climate. He adapted his teaching to an unfamiliar setting and to the constraints of on-site materials and tools, and the staff have since applied that training independently in subsequent building work on the site. His combination of hands-on competence, applied research background and ability to teach across cultural and climatic contexts is unusual and was well-suited to the project.”
Rupert Scott - Director - Open Practice Architecture
"I taught Ben Shirley during his RIBA Part 1 studies and remember him as an engaged, thoughtful student with a clear and developing design voice.
Even at that stage, there was a consistent interest in timber construction running through his work, which felt self-directed rather than prescribed. Alongside this, he showed a careful, iterative approach to design, using drawing and making as a way of testing and refining ideas rather than treating them as finished representations.
He was responsive in critique and increasingly confident in connecting design thinking with constructional logic and how buildings are actually made.
Since graduating, it has been good to see him continue developing this direction through further study and professional work, including a Master’s, deepening his knowledge of architectural design and timber construction. South Studio feels like a natural continuation of this trajectory, curious, material-led, and grounded in a strong interest in how architecture is built as well as conceived."