14
INSIGHTS
mimics natural water cycles. Planting structures follow ecological succession. Apparent naturalness is carefully structured. True biophilia reduces friction between perception and environment – internally and externally. Lambrechts: Biophilic design is often simplifi ed to greenery. It is fundamentally about environmental coherence and human psychology.
The recognised principles include environmental features, natural forms, dynamic light, prospect and refuge, place based relationships and human nature connection.
Biomimicry deepens this thinking. Natural systems resolve load and water movement effi ciently and legibly. Through parametric modelling and close collaboration with highly accomplished structural engineers, we refi ne spans and junctions so that complexity is resolved with precision.
“Wellness design becomes systemic – integrating architecture and landscape”
Sometimes structure is expressed; often it is concealed to preserve interior calm. Excessive visual articulation or exposed services increase cognitive load. Controlled detailing and proportion reduce it. Heritage projects reinforce this discipline. Historic buildings demonstrate human scale, structural honesty and material restraint – lessons equally relevant in contemporary mixed-use developments or hospitality interiors.
Simplicity at this level is engineered.
DOES TRUE WELLNESS-LED DESIGN INCREASE RISK? Lambrechts: It increases responsibility. Natural ventilation strategies, exposed timber, refi ned structural spans, acoustically calibrated interiors and integrated landscape require rigorous coordination – particularly regarding moisture movement, fi re performance and sound transmission.
Engineering literacy and Principal Designer oversight allow those complexities to be resolved safely and elegantly. The greater long-term risk lies in delivering environments that neglect measurable wellbeing.
IS THERE A SHIFT AWAY FROM OPEN-PLAN- ABOVE-ALL-ELSE? Lambrechts: In residential projects, yes. Open plan works well for younger families, but from early adolescence autonomy and acoustic separation become important.
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We now design ‘layered’ homes – adaptable partitions, secondary lounges and defi ned study areas. In workplace interiors, a similar recalibration is occurring. Open-plan offi ces are being replaced with varied spatial typologies – quiet zones, collaborative hubs and acoustic refuges. Webster: Cosiness – in domestic, hospitality and landscape settings – is returning as a psychological strategy. Texture, enclosure and acoustic softness create security.
HOW DO YOU MANAGE WORK/LIFE BALANCE? Webster: Design informs how we live, but structure is essential. I work primarily from home; Pablo works in the studio. That separation creates rhythm. Lambrechts: Clear professional roles and disciplined boundaries sustain longevity.
AS A HUSBAND-AND-WIFE TEAM, ARE THERE MORE PROS THAN CONS? Lambrechts: Alignment and trust are strengths; strategic decisions are unifi ed. Webster: Defi ned roles prevent professional overlap from becoming domestic tension.
WHAT PROJECT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Lambrechts: Leading the design of the Google HQ King’s Cross remains formative. Achieving BREEAM Outstanding while maintaining spatial generosity demonstrated that environmental performance, interior experience and urban context can coexist. Webster: Projects where architecture, interior design and landscape architecture operate seamlessly – from masterplan to material detail – are the most rewarding.
WHAT’S ONE THING THAT WOULD MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER? Lambrechts: Greater planning certainty at urban and building scale. Webster: Earlier integrated consultant appointments.
WHAT IS YOUR GOAL FOR THE PRACTICE? Lambrechts: To embed technically rigorous, wellness-led architecture and interior design across residential, mixed-use, educational, hospitality and commercial environments – integrating masterplanning, building design and landscape architecture from inception. Webster: To continue delivering environments that feel calm, legible and enduring – where performance and experience are inseparable.
ADF APRIL/MAY 2026
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