James Soane is a qualified architect, writer and educator receiving his degree in architecture from Cambridge University then taking his diploma at UCL, passing with distinction. He joined Conran & Partners in 1992 becoming a director in 1999. He went on to set up Project Orange with his partner, Christopher Ash. Their agile architecture and interior design studio has a broad and original portfolio of work in the UK and overseas. The practice is pursuing regenerative design principles . Their work has garnered a number of prestigious awards and attention in the press.

James recently completed a new build sustainable house in Suffolk, the fit out for Nhow Hotel in Fosters’ 250 City Road scheme. He has collaborated with Peabody at Thamesmead on a Green and Blue master plan as well as the refurbishment of the Moorings Social Club. The practice recently secured planning for 45 new passive house homes in rural Suffolk and a mixed-use regeneration scheme in Dalkey, Dublin.

He has taught architecture since 1991, first at the Bartlett then Kingston University and was the chair of the RIBA New Courses Committee for six years. He has been an RIBA Awards Judge and an external examiner at Westminster University. Along with Will Hunter, James set up the London School of Architecture, launched in October 2015, where he was director of Critical Practice and Research until 2021. He was then a fellow of Critical Practice, teaching ‘Humanity and the Planet’. He is a frequent contributor to the architectural press, academic conferences and continues to lecture.

As an author his first book was ‘New Homes’ published by Conran Octopus. His most recent book is ‘A Gendered Profession’ published by RIBA where he was a contributing editor. The most recent is titled ‘HELP’ and considers how architects can respond to the climate emergency. He was a member of the RIBA Ethics Committee in 2019 and was the Presidents Champion for Education in 2021. Recently he engaged with the local community, as part of the Neighbourhood Planning Group who have written a comprehensive new Neighbourhood Plan for Lavenham.