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About Us
We believe that behind every beginning, no matter how unpromising, there is the potential for quality
Richard Rose-Casemore, Richard Jobson and Rodney Graham founded Design Engine Architects in 2001 with a vision to exceed our clients’ expectations by delivering dynamic, award-winning architecture.
Our approach is inspired by intensive research leading to responsible innovation. Our buildings are distinguished by high quality design and technical resolution, not formulas or style.
Studio Culture
To transform individual knowledge into collective wisdom, our approach is to promote democracy in design
Through design reviews, project workshops, and our Friday Feedback sessions, we facilitate open discussion that harnesses the energy and enthusiasm of our collaborative team.
Our Friday Feedback sessions have been instrumental in shaping the culture of the studio as we gather with wine and share a particular experience that is loosely educational and undoubtedly social.
Awards
We see awards as recognition for our commitment to creating outstanding projects
Civic Trust Award, Highly Commended
2023
Civic Trust Award, Winner
2022
RIBA Award, Regional South, Winner
2022
Civic Trust Award, Winner
2020
Modelmaking
Physical models are created internally and serve many purposes during design development
Our philosophy is to test design ideas through both digital and analogue processes. We use three-dimensional models alongside drawings at the briefing stage to describe spaces, layouts and adjacencies. This may be an early exploratory maquette or a floor plate model to advise end users. Once the design is finalised we create presentation models for planning, funding and exhibitions.
We use accurate digital models throughout the design development of a project, from which we create fully rendered visualisations at key points in the approval process.
We find that the fabrication and testing of certain elements can be critical to the success of projects. This process is both exciting and practical, as it brings potential issues to the surface and reduces risk prior to on-site installation.
Sustainability
We take a holistic approach to design that seamlessly integrates structure, space and environmental performance
As an ISO14001 certified company, we are proud of our commitment to environmental protection in our architecture. Recognising our responsibility to help and protect the environment, we have played our part in creating a greener studio by reducing our plastic usage, our contribution to landfills and our carbon emissions on a daily basis.
When working with our clients, we are conscious of our environmental responsibilities and therefore always design according to first principles. This ensures we adopt best practices from the outset, rather than applying secondary green ‘bolt-ons’ to improve the performance of our buildings. We rely on passive systems rather than high-tech solutions, which means we make the building work hard on its own.
We have defined a framework of five themes which we explore within designs, this offers our clients a holistic approach to sustainable design principles, enabling their projects to co-ordinate with multiple sustainability accreditations. Find out more on our sustainability page.
