03•2024
03•2024
WatchHouse
WatchHouse
Drawing inspiration from the modernist architectural features of lobbies found in civic buildings, the project is rooted in an approach to craft an inviting, unique space whilst establishing a sense of connection to the broader building. The concept store was developed to echo the clean lines and grid patterns characteristic of Miesian buildings, introducing sculptural objects throughout to partition the space.
The flexible nature of the space offered a new opportunity to delve into the intricate connection between the art of coffee making and the customer experience. Embracing WatchHouse’s values and passion for creating spaces where people want to ‘spend time’, we looked to imagine a sanctuary in the city – somewhere that felt beautiful and inviting, whilst also being highly functional.
Central to the design is an eight-metre stainless steel counter which acts as a stage for the theatre of coffee-making to unfold but also as a communal workspace, nurturing a fluid motion of activity around the centrepiece. Whilst the adjacent atrium offers comfortable seating, we looked to carve out pockets of relaxation throughout the store itself, incorporating a large coffee table and bench which provides customers with moments of quiet respite as they await freshly brewed coffee.
Each of the furniture pieces were designed and crafted in house by the studio, including the sculpted steel counter and the large oak table which was skillfully made from solid blocks, designed to emulate the aesthetic of stacked timber, complementing the grid-like ceiling and evoking a sense of organic unity.
Title: WatchHouse
Location: London
Year: 2024
Client: WatchHouse
Photographer: Ståle Eriksen
Type: Retail
Status: Completed
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03•2024
03•2024
Las Maravillas Farmhouse
Las Maravillas Farmhouse
The restoration of a farm building in Andalucia looks to make use of a series of dilapidated buildings across 350 hectares. As well as major internal works we are proposing to introduce new walls into the landscape that cut through the site, helping to deal with the topography while also framing and forcing new vistas.
We have been working closely with with the client’s and our collaborator, Charlotte Taylor, on the design the new buildings and restoration across the vast site in in Southern Spain to create an ecological wellness retreat including its own farm, stable buildings and a series of homes.
The design of these new structures takes into account the traditions of building within the area and looks to use local materials and techniques from the region. Over the next few years we willl work with the clients and their team to support the development of the land and all of its associated industry, including a number of interventions that will support wellbeing and leisure.
Title: Las Maravillas
Location: Andalucia
Year: 2023-Present
Type: Cultural & Wellness
Status: Planning
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05•2022
05•2022
La Falda
La Falda
La Falda is an experimental project completed as part of a renovation to a primary school in Alicante, clad in tiles made from recycled bitumen panels. The project formed part of a larger phased masterplan for the development of the school that began in 2015.
The undulating forms were designed to reference the terracotta tiles synonymous with the region and the colour palette of southern Spain. Our concept was the design of a low-tech solution that could be easily constructed by the studio and a team of students in a matter of days. The self-build was completed on a very tight budget and has radically changed the architecture, helping to give new life to a tired building at the school.
In accordance with Spanish planning laws, the school’s location on designated agricultural land means that any new buildings have to be classified as ‘temporary’. The current primary school is housed in a 30-year-old prefabricated structure which has inevitably weathered over the years, and we wanted to help provide a distinctive architectural identity that would transform the project and could inspire the students in the years to come.
The developed of the project involved rigorous material investigations as well as the testing of paints and different colour variations to help achieve an effect that feels almost crafted. The choice to use the corrugated sheets came from the economy of means and the resources available, yet the versatility and malleability of the material offered an opportunity to create tiled-sized panels that could cover a large area of the façade. The project was a search for new methods of using the material – which is often used to clad warehouses and farm buildings – in an inventive and beautiful way.
The result is a patchwork of tiles in different shades of red that have a richly textured surface. The subtle tonal variations of the façade give the building its dress-like quality.
Title: La Falda
Location: Alicante
Year: 2018
Client: Sierra Bernia School
Type: Cultural
Status: Completed
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Construction Skills School
Las Maravillas Farmhouse
Jesus College