Design Engine » Interiors

London School of Economics

James Ferrero — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:09:11 +0000

Design Engine have completed the remodelling of the main reception of the Old Building, off Houghton Street, WC2. This is the main entrance foyer to the LSE and its famous Theatre, which was in need of a major transformation to meet current security, access and wayfinding improvements. The project, which was won in competition, includes a new green room for the theatre, toilets, reception and split-level waiting areas. Central to the scheme are glass cabinets, which clad the existing walls, offering information, signage and inspirational extracts from luminaries’ speeches given from the theatre.

UoS Student Union Café | Southampton

James Ferrero — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:09:50 +0000

The Student Union building at Southampton University was designed by Sir Basil Spence, the architect of Coventry Cathedral. The building occupies the site of a former brick quarry. One of the design concepts was to re-establish the ground level datum of the site before excavation of clay began. Sir Basil Spence located steel framed glass boxes above this datum, possibly influenced by the Californian Case Study Houses undertaken in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Our cafe sits below this datum within the clay zone, enjoying views across the now landscaped quarry bed.

Wessex Academy | Winchester

James Ferrero — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:58:22 +0000

The Wessex Academy is a dance-based alternative learning programme designed to engage, and reframe the attitudes and behaviour of young offenders and people at risk of offending. It is modelled on an intensive and demanding contemporary dance training programme set in a professional dance training environment.
While it is delightful when participants go on to further their dance education – as has happened – the main focus of the work is on the cultivation of transferrable skills and attitudes and a new sense of belief in self and others. It is the achievement of this shift in an individual’s sense of their own potential and power to change their lives that lies at the heart of Wessex Academy.

UoS Vice Chancellors Reception

James Ferrero — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:23:44 +0000

This is our third interior project for the University Of Southampton.

The current Vice Chancellors Suite is situated within a 1960’s building that suffers from inadequate natural ventilation and daylight due to internal rooms mid plan. The reception and meeting space is also inadequate to meet the current needs of the university.
The brief was to provide a showcase reception environment to promote the university, as well as creating much needed meeting and video conferencing facilities. To overcome a long and unclear route to the offices through adjacent buildings the university also required a new dedicated entrance to the suite from street level.
The main move in the design has been to open up the the floor space and depth by removing the internal rooms. In their place we have made a new reception area beneath an existing pyramid ceiling and roof light. Bespoke elements of furniture are located within the spaces to provide reception desks, display cabinets, credenzas and storage.
Strong colour has been used to theme and line this furniture and to reflect light within the interior environment. We have signalled the new ground level entrance by cladding an existing brick arch with the same coloured lining.

UoS Sports Reception Station | Southampton

James Ferrero — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:07:04 +0000

The University of Southampton approached Design Engine to redesign their Sports Complex reception area in 2007. Central to this space was a new reception station, acting as the security line, welcome and information point and administrative heart of the centre. The project was built over the summer months of 2008 as a fast-track fit-out and has been very well received by University staff and students alike. The desk is fabricated in Corian, and resonates in its sinuous form with the pool seen through the reception area glass screen beyond.

Visit Britain | Singapore

James Ferrero — Wed, 29 Sep 2004 15:18:04 +0000

Funded by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, VisitBritain was created in 2004, to market Britain to the rest of the world. Formed by the merger of the British Tourist Authority and the English Tourism Council, its mission is to build the value of tourism by creating world-class destination brands and marketing campaigns. Won in 2004, the design for the pilot office in Singapore extends our prestigious interior architecture portfolio and will form the template for a roll-out programme of office fit-outs across Asia.

Comfort Station | Leighton Buzzard

James Ferrero — Tue, 25 Sep 2001 15:12:22 +0000

The ‘comfort station’ facility (public conveniences and associated functions) for the town of Leighton Buzzard occupies an existing alley and part of a 1960’s lift-slab car park. The challenge of the project was to provide a high quality, cutting edge facility, which injects value into an uninspiring site. The scheme consists of a naturally lit main lobby space, off which male, female and parent/toddler toilets, dedicated baby change facilities and showers are accessed.
The comfort station incorporates a remodelled stair and lift lobby for the newly refurbished car park. An attendant’s booth located at the intersection of these facilities, combined with disabled wc and payment machines, ensures a secure environment. Attention to detail and careful specification of a range of modern, functional and tactile materials has been employed to raise the ‘public’ quality of the facility.