Attention to Detail

Our favourite educational spaces have qualities that are not always easy to quantify objectively and are sometimes unrelated to design in a conventional sense. We spend time thinking about the associations and emotional resonance of our buildings, imagining the day-to-day lives of our spaces and how they will be transformed by their occupants. In this respect, the fine grain of finishes, details and tactile surfaces are crucial to the success of our work and as such we invest a great deal of effort into getting the texture, tonality, sound and colour of our buildings right. This often involves physical modelling, testing and prototyping of materials or details as the design progresses.

We frequently work with individual makers and specialists to complete decoration or furniture design so that we have a more direct, personal relationship with the final atmosphere of the spaces. This creative approach needs to be underpinned by sound technical knowledge and a pragmatic attitude to materials and detailing, to ensure that these intensively-used buildings are robust, can be maintained easily and age well over time.