Curl la Tourelle Head Architecture

If there’s one thing we’ve learned makes better buildings, it’s empathy. Architecture never happens in isolation—and simply by being interested and engaged, we’ve found it’s possible to open up the conversations that connect a scheme to its clients and community.

We believe that the more constraints there are, the better the architecture. If there aren’t any constraints, we create them. Challenging sites, existing buildings and complex briefs almost always present incredible opportunities for great design.

To limit our environmental impact, we start with what is already there. By manipulating the form and fabric of a building—whether new or existing—we can work with the existing conditions of topography, light and orientation, and harness the natural energy sources offered by air, ground and water.

If a site’s constraints guide the bigger design decisions, then it’s empathy that informs the smaller, social details. These details frame the human narratives that aren’t included in the brief, anticipating specific moments in the users’ lives.

Good architecture is as much about what happens on the building site as it is about what’s on the drawing board. By working alongside contractors as well as clients we can ring-fence the ideas and details that matter, championing quality and sustainability throughout construction.

Work Studio Activity News Contact

Work

Alfreton Park Community Special School
Alfreton, Derbyshire

Client

Derbyshire County Council
Alfreton Park Community Special School

Awards

Architect’s Journal Architecture Awards 2023, School Category, Winner
Civic Trust Awards 2024, Regional Finalist
Selwyn Goldsmith Award for Universal Design 2024, Regional Finalist

Fresh Air and Fun! Alfreton Park SEND School features on cover of this months RIBAJ

"Fresh air and fun," is how Alfreton Park Community SEND School is described in this months publication of the RIBA Journal. The feature, written by Hugh Pearman and entitled 'On the high ground,' describes the Special Building that is Alfreton Park School."The design has clearly worked. The school has an upbeat, social atmosphere and is (as the student roll attests) very popular. Headteacher O'Donnell commends the collaborative design process, citing a reduction in pupil behaviour incidents and a rise in positive communication, compared to the previous school."We are grateful to have the opportunities to share and discuss the pressing SEND schools crisis and the importance of engaging directly with schools and pupils to understand what the future of designing for SEND should look like. Thank you to Hugh Pearman for taking the time to discuss Alfreton with us, and his kind words on the project. Read it here