I decided to start this blog with a quote from Milanese architect Ernesto Nathan Rogers. The slogan “dal cucchiaio alla città” (From the spoon to the city) explains the typical approach of the Italian architect designing a spoon, a chair, a lamp or a skyscraper.
I always found this approach very effective in its simplicity and I think it summarizes my philosophy of architecture. At the basis of any design there is creativity, no matter what the subject is. Creativity then needs to be supported by technical skills that allow ideas to turn into construction, it’s that simple!
The goal of this blog is to observe and comment on what’s happening around me in Hampton, The Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London with a particular focus on the South West part of the city including places like Teddington, Twickenham, Richmond, Kingston and Surrey. I’ll try to keep an eye on traditional and new architecture, urban design, village plans and so on. I’ll also propose solutions to any problem I’ll come across. I’ll use several tools to illustrate my point, in particular hand sketching, in order to observe and understand my surroundings in depth.
This blog will not only focus on the architecture of Hampton, it is also a way to showcase our work as an office and to discuss our projects in their context. We see design as an opportunity to enhance our clients’ lives, but also to enhance the look of the built environment.
Any comment is welcome as the end goal of this blog is to help reach a better understanding of our urban context, promote debate within the local community and ultimately explain how Square One Architects addresses each project, no matter how big or small. I hope you enjoy the blog and look forward to hearing from you all!
Iacopo