An integrated design approach generates more innovative and sustainable outcomes. To build sustainably requires us to design holistically, where engineering is integrated from the outset of the design process. The practice has two in-house engineering groups, with a focus on environmental and structural engineering. Working alongside design teams in an open, collaborative environment, the groups strengthen the studio’s environmental agenda, capabilities and commitment to integrated design.
Engineering
The Structural team works on the design and delivery of projects all around the world. The design ethos of the team is to find the most elegant minimal resolution to the structural challenges of a particular project – to identify the ‘inevitable’ solution, where nothing more can be removed...
The Design Communications team is responsible for the creation of visual artwork for all projects from sketches through to photorealistic imagery. Playing a key part in the explorative design process, the team creates and designs artworks that illustrate the complex relationships within the built environment with a strong focus on storytelling.
With our three in-house workshops, we construct presentation models, sketch models and mock-ups of all styles, sizes and scales. Speed, combined with an ability to quickly interpret a brief, is paramount in providing a reactive service. We maintain an up-to-date knowledge of all modelmaking activities, from techniques and styles to innovative new technology. This is in parallel to maintaining and developing our traditional handcraft skills. Our deep understanding of the latest industry developments is vital to our success and our ability to develop as a team. Our workshops are fully equipped with an array of digital and traditional machinery. Due to the growing demand for model innovation, our workshop spaces have grown with our creativity to incorporate larger workshop facilities, allowing us to expand our team, fabricate large-scale mock-ups and create large presentation and competition models.
The Technical Design Group ensures that specialised solutions and innovation, alongside construction quality and technical detail, are present in all the practice’s work. The Technical Design Group carries out reviews of the technical design of projects at regular intervals after scheme design until completion. This ensures that high standards of technical quality are maintained in every project.
The Applied R+D (Research + Development) team is an integrated multi-disciplinary team of architects and engineers, who are also expert programmers. Our expertise ranges from art, aerospace engineering, and computer science to landscape architecture, structural engineering and applied mathematics...
The Specialist Modelling Group focusses on three core areas, Geometry and Building Physics and Innovation. The Geometry team works on Complex Geometrical Modelling and Fabrication Strategies. The Building Physics team looks at the movement of natural light, air and sound, while focussing on occupant comfort. The Innovation projects include collaborative research with universities and industry partners, exploring far-reaching ideas from bio-inspired engineering to extra-planetary 3D printing.