Many clients find the prospect of embarking on a building project daunting, especially when they first see all the components involved from the beginning to completion. A good architect will guide their client through the process, explaining the options at every step.
‘It’s July 2022, exactly a year since we moved into our new studio and gallery space in Hampton, West London, and what an eventful year it has been.’
We join JOA co-founder Jane O’Connor walking across London from Waterloo to visit a client’s site in Euston. Setting off across Waterloo Bridge she reflects on her career to date as we admire the ever changing panorama of the skyline, pointing out several buildings she has worked on over the years. She first moved to the city she now calls home over 20 years ago to work for a practice specialising in theatres, initially working on the National Youth Theatre HQ where she transformed a listed old gentleman’s club and warehouse into offices, rehearsal rooms and workshops.
In 2019 we were approached by the building services engineering Partnership to set about planning a complete refurbishment of their HQ. The brief was clear, to have their people’s wellbeing and sustainability of the built environment at heart. They wanted to increase collaborative working spaces, upgrade their client facing areas and achieve the highest possible BREEAM rating, all with the aim of promoting positive health and wellbeing across their workplace. In early 2020, world events took over and with it a need for our client to review their project priorities without compromising their vision. We adapted our design to address their changing working practices and to be compliant with Government regulations and social distancing measures so that we could deliver a sustainable solution that meets their current and future needs.
Applying workplace design good practice to the home to make a better working environment. https://www.metro.news/app/2107788
When we were set the task of extending and redesigning the complete ground floor of a West London semi-detached family home, we used our architectural knowledge and design expertise to ensure the result was not just a typical suburban extension but a well-designed and thought-out space that fulfilled the needs of the family.
In the last few weeks our world seems to have tilted on its axis and we have had to adjust abruptly to a “new normal”. Realistically we know this situation won’t last forever but many of us have had to throw together home-schooling and home-working environments at short notice. As the restrictions slowly lift it is increasingly important for your well-being to make your home working environment a sanctuary or place of safety.
We’re working on a number of refurbishment projects for historic west end theatres. As with any refurbishment of a historic building, thorough understanding and exploration is essential.
More sculpture than building in the truest sense, it was still definitely worth a visit. Although next time I’d take wellies, the approach to the entrance was a bit muddy.
Mood images are an effective means of communication between the client and the architect. They are not intended to be used to plagiarise.
