News

Our London Studio team (with a few colleagues from our southwest studio too!) had the pleasure of welcoming inspirational architect and RIBA president, Simon Allford to Brixton last week.

Simon is a co-founder and director of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM), current RIBA President and Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Architectural Foundation.

We kicked off the visit with a tour of the studio, which currently houses our London Festival of Architecture exhibition and a selection of project boards which showcase our work. From competition entries to technical delivery, we were able to discuss some of the highlights and challenges across the breadth of our projects, as well as broader conversations including ambitions for the practice. This was followed by an enthusiastic Q and A with the studio team.

Discussions covered topics such as architectural education, communication and reflection within the design process, and flexibility within built design. Our key takeaways include:

“Make the profession respect itself”

With a constant race to the bottom, we should be promoting good fees for good work and not underrating our worth.

“Create a feedback loop”

Communication is key – we often aren’t learning what we could from those around us, so find ways to reflect on past designs and teach others.

 “Understand the real brief”

Architecture is not just for foreseeable uses and today’s client. Design structures which can flex and change over time, building in tolerance and adaptability so use can change.

“Make the profession more accessible and affordable, so it reflects society today”

Educate and share within the local community, promoting architecture and design, supporting alternative methods to qualification for a more diverse pool of emerging architects.

We are thrilled to share this fantastic short film produced by You See Media…giving a glimpse of our Re-Imagining Brixton Exhibition, which was part of this year’s London Festival of Architecture, with its focus on Brixton and based on the notional theme ‘in common’.

Through our own art and explorations, we have discovered more about Brixton ourselves, while opening our studio to the local community has been a wonderful, uplifting experience too.

We have enjoyed the opportunity to forge new connections with local people, charities, businesses and schools, as well as reinforcing existing relationships. We are always looking for more ways to engage and support the local community and look forward to continuing to develop these old and new associations.

We’d love to thank all our partners who supported us in the creation of the exhibition, including South Bank UTC, Lawrence Barraclough at You See Media, support and promotion from the LDN Collective, and of course our wonderful guests, who attended our launch event and subsequent exhibition.

Due to the positive response we’ve had and continuing popularity, the exhibition has been extended for a few more days, so please do come down and check it out!

Thank you to You See Media who made this fantastic film about Elephant Park in collaboration with the LDN Collective.

Architectural Director Abigail Baggley and non-exec Director Ed Watson make observations about the successes in architectural detailing, and discuss how the development has anchored itself within the community, creating a really exciting bustling working and living hub within Elephant and Castle.

For those who don’t know, Elephant Park is a residential-led mixed-use regeneration scheme creating 3,000 homes, 6,000 jobs, 50 shops, restaurants and cafes, with 1,200 trees (170 of which, were there already!)