About Us

Our Design Goals

Good architecture is about well handled proportions, interesting and exciting spaces, good use of light and shade, interesting and exciting views. The journey through a building should be enjoyable with good transitions of spaces, light and views that catch your attention. You should enjoy the spaces you are in and feel emotionally attached.

Good context is paramount and a new building should respect its surroundings. 

Balance and proportion are the right approach to good design. This is all about the ratio of window to wall areas and the proportions of each. Symmetry is something to be reserved for monumental architecture and is used to make a statement. An example of this is in the design of stately homes which are intended to show off wealth and standing. An old adage is that form should follow function and attempting symmetrical form breaks away from this to the detriment of the function. Symmetry rapidly becomes boring whereas a well balanced building attracts greater interest.

Modesty is also a good attribute which usually means the building will fit well with its surroundings, especially if cues are taken from the neighbourhood such as form and materials. 

Magazine architecture can be trendy with popular imagery but is often not suited to its location and can be sterile and uncomfortable to live in or look at. This can be due to excessive glazing which, when first encountered, can have a good wow factor but can soon get boring because the view is the same no matter which part of the room you are in. Views should be well framed and then they will change as you move about and hence provide more interest. Externally large areas of glazing can be impressive but often do not fit in with the surroundings. Large areas of glazing are also less energy efficient and can result in overheating as well as the more obvious heat loss.

This is not to say that a modern style cannot fit in. Contrasting materials can work well as long as the building maintains the values described above. Architecture should not really indulge in fashion which can change rapidly and leave a building out-dated. 

We must also consider the well being of our planet for future generations, and where possible we should reduce the use of oil based plastics and consider the sustainability of materials, which includes travel distances and the depletion of our ever reducing forests. 

We also need to consider the energy efficiency in use of the buildings we design

Our bottom line is that architecture should have a sense of purpose and be valued long into the future.