Defining the range and scope of our non-residential projects is almost impossible. And, actually, we’d much rather talk about people than projects. That puts us on a much firmer footing and on much safer ground. In other words, we’re as careful about choosing our clients as we’re sure you are about choosing your architect.
Are you a pile-it-high-sell-it-cheap retailer intent on cutting corners or a fast-food entrepreneur with little regard for sustainability? Then we’re probably not the architects for you. Are you an independent business, community group or local council looking to create a healthy space for your staff, your customers and yourself? Then we’d love to talk.
Do you care about healthy spaces and want to make your shop, workspace, gym or yoga studio somewhere people want to be? Whatever the size of your business or the space it inhabits, we can’t wait to get involved.
We believe the very best spaces and places come out of great partnerships.
We believe the very best spaces and places come out of great partnerships. If we understand each other, if our missions align, if we can speak plainly and honestly, one business to another, then good things will come.
But let’s not rush in too fast. First, we all need to take a big step back. Where are you going with your business? What are your long-term goals? How will this building project help achieve them? And who exactly are your ideal customers? What are their motivations, their objectives, their dreams? To understand you and your business, we need to understand them too.
Creating a new space, or rethinking an existing one, is a chance to go deep, to reset and to define your journey.
The answers to all these questions – just a few of the many we’ll be asking you – might be difficult to articulate, but that’s the point. A building project isn’t just about bricks and mortar. Creating a new space, or rethinking an existing one, is a chance to go deep, to reset and to define your journey. We’re here to help you do that. Part of our job is to get to grips with the processes which underpin your business – and the particular demands that these make upon your building and its materials.
West Sussex Architect Company
We don’t want to skim the surface or dodge the bigger questions. We want to make sure you’re right on track, heading in the right direction, and aiming for the best – whether that’s creating the perfect balance of openness and retreat in your yoga studio or hitting the sweet spot with a seriously uplifting workspace. But of course talking about a ‘perfect balance’ or ‘sweet spot’ will never quite cover the complexities and intricacies that go with running a business.
Our design for a microbrewery is a case in point: an exercise in form, yes, but most of all an exercise in durability and function. With so many enthusiastic visitors, everything has to be able to withstand the test of many hands and many unexpected knocks.
Your brand plays a big part, too. Your physical spaces should reflect your values, tell your story, and embody your view of the world. When we had the chance to design our own workspace, a converted dairy far from the beaten track, we made absolutely sure we practised what we preached. Now every one of us – Archi the whippet included – loves our little place of calm and creativity amongst the fields and woods.
As Michael Eisner, the former CEO of Disney, said, ‘brand’ is the product of a thousand small gestures, and, if we’re talking about a building, that means the product of a thousand details. If you pride yourself on the sustainability of your coffee business, say, let’s not talk of carefully chosen coffee on the one hand and then source mass-produced plastic furniture on the other. The chairs, the feel of the door handles, the curve of the banister, the materials beneath your feet – let’s make sure all of these add up.
We’re business people too, and we’re not afraid of looking your commercial imperatives in the eye.
Of course the numbers have to add up just as perfectly. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be doing our job. We’re business people too, and we’re not afraid of looking your commercial imperatives in the eye.
But it’s always got to be about more than that. And even as we turn a handsome Georgian building* (a former high-end casino, no less) into a modern workplace, keeping a laser focus on our client’s bottom line, we’re looking far beyond. We’re imagining people – next year, next decade, next century – walk through these doors ready to be inspired. We want to make their lives better too.
Your business might not be your home, and the numbers on that spreadsheet might not be your personal bank balance, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take as much care over these as if they were. And while we’ll always love the privilege of creating one-off homes**, working on these more public projects with you – places to work, to learn, to play, to relax, to eat, and simply to gather – opens up so many possibilities. Just imagine the lives we can touch, the experiences we can shape, and the futures we can reach.