1992
1997–2003
Tanbridge House School
Jersey College for Girls
discovers ‘one of the most inspiring new squares in Britain’, a sunlit atrium in which students can socialise, study and relax. At St Matthew Academy (pages 12–19), Cardiff University Professor of Architecture Richard Weston is impressed by an ‘immensely civilised’ building – ‘devoid of overtly “clever” architectural moves’. Weston is spot on in this
observation: there is not a clear house style but, instead, a shared set of civic values regarding what is important about architecture. During the course of putting this monograph together, I held many conversations with the practice’s architects. As one of ArchitecturePLB’s directors succinctly elaborated: ‘There are no obvious “wow factor” features in our work, and little in the way of “quotes” from work by other architects seen in the pages of architecture magazines, or from famous buildings, and certainly no hint of a longing for bombastic “icons”.’ It’s an explanation that rings true for the whole practice, and one of the themes that architectural historian Dr Sutherland Lyall expands upon in more detail in
the first of his exploratory essays on the practice, Architecture of the Humane (pages 26–29). Another thing that came out during the conversation is that this is a practice that loves to talk. In the best possible sense, ArchitecturePLB wants to collaborate with its clients, to tease out the underlying desires of a brief, with an analytical approach that is almost Freudian in its precision. Understanding and meeting clients’ needs in this way is essential to what is perceived as a service. Individual relationships are fostered between lead architects and clients that in return produce individual responses and buildings for the commissions. ‘We find it important to understand everything from practical requirements to circulation and the aspirations of our clients,’ explained one architect. While this naturally holds true
for most good practices, what is more unusual is the way in which ArchitecturePLB is able to home in on the essentials of a brief; it has a genuine knack for seeing what are the elements of a building that will provide lasting value. These are often qualities such as the provision of natural light, internal vistas for the
eye to rest on and spaces that feel generous. Much of this is free: it is about intelligent design rather than about spending more to have a higher spec project. That’s not to say the materiality of a project is not important – it is earnestly considered, as Lyall’s second essay The Importance of Materials reflects (pages 30–33) – but that the work evolves in a holistic manner, always balancing the cerebral and physical. There is a clear joy in the work, together with an enduring belief in architecture’s social role in shaping backdrops for a progressive and inclusive society. Yet, there is nothing patronising about the practice’s design; it is always fresh, and displays pleasure in the task at hand rather than imposing predetermined theoretical or formal dispositions on projects. The solutions adopted by ArchitecturePLB create a human architecture that helps people feel at ease with their environment while enjoying the building as an effective backdrop for social interaction. Even within large spaces, a human scale exists, taking into account ‘the little man in the street’, as Alvar Aalto would say. It is a tradition with which the AR has much sympathy.
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