Our Philosophies

A critical Practice: Architecture is more than just a problem-solving exercise that addresses functional difficulties. While functional requirements must be addressed, architecture should go beyond that. We want to create a profession that utilises architecture to reflect on life. Given the innate human desire to strive for greater levels of reality, we endeavour to build propositions about how to live through our architecture.

The Aesthetics of Absorption: The aesthetics of architecture are often judged by how it appears to the eye. But what happens after the novelty of the original vision wears off? The practical use of architecture often comprises a daily pattern of inhabitation in which the conscious spectacle of observing the structure fades into the background after a while. Daily routines create memories that are absorbed by the structure and influence perceptions of architectural beauty. The measure of a good building is not so much to be evaluated by the initial impression as it is to be judged by whether one can dwell in for several years and look back on those years with fondness.We aspire for an aesthetic of absorption rather than an aesthetic of expression. Our objective is to create spatial arrangements that enable an inhabitation culture.

A Negotiated Practice: If architecture is to be cultural, we must recognise that “culture” is not a defined notion because it does not exist just in the past. When culture is engaged in the present, it is most alive. Because definition is difficult, a component of culture is always open, and the amount of collaborative rigour with which this openness is constantly challenged and negotiated is a characteristic of a good culture. As a result, we avoid introducing a preconceived language of expression to each project on purpose. We avoid a practise dominated by famous personalities. We seek for sources of renewal in the site, client, project team, consultants, and other collaborators, and we assess each project with fresh eyes.Our objective is to use this collaborative approach to focus on the value that design can provide to each individual project.

Building a Site: Buildings do not exist in isolation; they are constantly entrenched in situations, and our designs must contribute to the development of that greater environment. The first setting to consider is that of nature. We strive to maximize the interaction between architecture and landscape at all times, and we are highly aware of the character of the places where we locate our work. We attempt to build in a way that reacts to the site’s climate, wind, topography, vegetation, and physical and cultural aspects.