We think about architecture and engineering with a human eye and a broad skill set, and we design so the individual parts add up to one coherent, liveable whole rather than a set of separately optimised pieces.
About
How We Work
Research
Before anything is drawn, we establish what the plot, the regulations and the numbers will actually allow. Research is not a preliminary formality here — it is what keeps a design from being redesigned twice.
The site first
Orientation, slope, access, what the neighbours cast in shadow, what the wind does in August. The constraints usually contain the idea.
The rules as written
Coverage, height and setbacks read against current planning — before an offer is made on land, not after.
The cost, early
We price while the scheme is still a sketch, so the budget shapes the drawing instead of arriving as bad news after it.
Method
Our method evolves with each project, but the human relationships at the centre of it do not. One team, one project file: architects, engineers, surveyors and inspectors working from the same office on the same drawing set.
As cohesive as possible
In how the team is organised — no handover to a firm that was not in the room when the decision was made.
As inquisitive as possible
In looking for the solution, including when the obvious one is available and merely adequate.
As open as possible
In talking to clients and consultants, especially about cost, programme and risk while they can still be changed.
Delivery
A drawing is a promise; the building is the proof. We follow projects through permitting and onto site, and we inspect what has been built — including buildings we did not design.
Permits that move
The full application package prepared and steered through the authorities, with the correspondence that actually advances a file.
On site, in person
Coordination with contractors and trades, and the awkward questions asked while they are still cheap to answer.
Independent eyes
Condition and inspection reports written plainly, whether the news is good or not.
Sustainability
Sustainability is a mental attitude rather than a feature added at the end. On this island it mostly means designing for the climate you actually have — shade, mass, cross-ventilation and orientation before mechanical systems.