Rooted in research: In Glasgow, the landscape-led renewal of George Square has been guided by many rounds of open public debate.
Rich variety in the character of our buildings reflects a precise response to their use and their place. What they share are consistency in the design process and common principles.
Our approach is rooted in the understanding that the built environment is a collective cultural achievement, and shapes how we all live, work and come together. It is not a blank sheet. Additions should be a considered response to what already exists, and contribute to the common good. Every project can deliver positive change beyond the site boundary.
Buildings must above all be useful. That premise guides our extensive work in adapting old buildings – some historically important and others less so – and the design of new ones to absorb change over time. They must meet the highest standards for sustainability. Their design should do more with less; through efficient use of space and materials we can make something greater than conditions seem to allow.
At Waterloo Station in Sydney, stories of local and Indigenous communities shaped a pervasive architectural narrative that ties new development to its sensitive setting.
We start every project with an open mind, analysing objectives, consulting widely and testing assumptions. Intensive research and discussion ensure that the places we design are accessible, inclusive and fit for use.
As contemporary architects rooted in the modernist tradition, we believe great architecture has a coherent order. A clear proposition is translated into a rational diagram: the plan and form are a logical response to the function. Rigour at this stage ensures that buildings are sustainable, affordable and adaptable. That powerful, central idea is elaborated in the choice of materials and detailed design to produce buildings whose character grows naturally from their purpose.
Function and form: The evocative flared plan and rising roofline of our cathedral at Kericho emerged from the worship traditions and equatorial climate of the Rift Valley.
DescriptionBuilding in context: In east London, zero-carbon Olympic Energy Centres turn enclosures for bulky generators into rugged landmarks, recalling the city’s industrial past.
Contemporary response to history: Solar shading at the British Embassy in Algiers was inspired by spiral columns in historic Algerian palaces and fabricated from steam-twisted timber in Wales, creating a new connection between two building traditions.
Pragmatic and poetic: Prefabrication of the steel canopy over Sydney’s Central Station enabled construction while the busy concourse remained in use and allowed an elegant, curved form that lends a new lightness and sense of movement.
In the studio, projects are developed through collaborative exploration and continuous review, and design teams make extensive use of physical models as a shared focus for the discussions that hone our ideas.
The way buildings are put together is integral to our thinking. We are deliberate and wide-ranging in the selection of materials and construction systems. Conditions might call for economy or fine craftsmanship, traditional methods or technical innovation, an expressive structure like the concourse at King’s Cross Station or subtle integration of new elements in heritage settings like the Roundhouse.
Research and development: In Oxford, the conversion of a former power station for Saïd Business School introduced a layered skin of perforated metal and glass, balancing the need for privacy, outward views and the retention of the building’s industrial character.
The right solution will enrich experience while meeting practical needs. We think, too, about how construction projects can produce associated benefits, from new knowledge to economic opportunity. Our buildings are made to last, and the act of making them leaves its own legacies.
The challenges of designing transport infrastructure differ greatly from those we tackle in making settings for learning or education, but the same thinking guides everything we do. That consistency matters. The qualities we seek in our cultural and civic institutions should also characterise the ordinary spaces of everyday life – rational and robust, atmospheric and eloquent.
Appropriate technology: For prototype low-cost schools
in Malawi, advanced climate modelling ensures comfort for
students, in mud-brick buildings whose simple construction
enables local employment.
Appropriate technology: For prototype low-cost schools in Malawi, advanced climate modelling ensures comfort for students, in mud-brick buildings whose simple construction enables local employment.
Lasting legacy: The rapid reconstruction of Haiti’s Iron Market after a devastating earthquake was coordinated to create much-needed jobs for hundreds of skilled artisans.