Research

The London School of Architecture

Solidspace is part of The London School of Architecture practice network and this year, our director Petra Marko is teaching the Design Cities module and co-leading the Design Think Tank on the theme 'Generational Shift'. We believe there is a role for architect-developers and engaging with architecture education from client perspective. Expanding practice beyond the role of architect is vital for the profession to stay relevant and we look forward to support the students in their research and design investigating how to unlock opportunities in the city.  The LSA is England's first independent school of architecture since the Architectural Association opened in 1847. Described internationally as ‘possibly the most ambitious’ of alternative educational models, the LSA has been said to show how ‘innovation and high standards are perfectly compatible’ and how ‘beneficial change can be achieved within existing institutional frameworks’. The London School of Architecture in their own words… www.the-lsa.org/

Publication

Collected Volumes

‘Collected Volumes’ jointly published by Solidspace and Fifth Man is a collection of essays that tells the story of 81-87 Weston Street, featuring essays by Roger Zogolovitch, Simon Allford and writers Alan Powers, Hank Dittmar and Owen Hopkins. 81-87 Weston Street’s collected volumes are the most recent iteration of a strand of thinking which has lasted almost 15 years. Guided by a belief that, by placing volume at the centre of the design, living spaces which are modest in plan can become extraordinary in experience, Solidspace has explored split- section living across a range of building scales and with a growing circle of architects and designers. The project at Weston Street is also the product of slow architecture, evolved via setbacks and breakthroughs, at different sites and scales but always out of a long and creative partnership between developer and designer. Delays to the programme are not always welcome, but offer the space…

Consultancy

Westminster Feasibility Study

Solidspace were commissioned by Westminster Council to carry out a feasibility report for a number of privately-owned sites in the borough that were to form part of the Council’s Development Opportunity Framework. The document prepared by Solidspace set out broad principles for development in the area, then studied the opportunities for individual sites, highlighting variations in height and massing as well as contextual responses and a schedule of areas.

Development

87 Weston Street

87 Weston Street is our latest office project and is located less than 200m from London Bridge station and directly adjacent to the neighbouring park in the Bermondsey conservation area. We have been working on this project for over 10 years with long standing collaborator and architect Simon Allford, co-founder of AHMM, the practice that won the RIBA Stirling Prize 2015, the highest architectural accolade. 87 Weston Street comprises almost 5000 sq ft of ground floor 'Brutalist' space with typical ceiling heights of 4m. The office has access to the private gated courtyard. This area of London has undergone a significant amount of change in the last decade and we have watched as it has changed and evolved. Now, the area is home to the bustling Borough Market and the ever popular Tate Modern, which is located just a short walk from Weston Street. We are currently on site and the office space is scheduled to complete by the end of…

Participate in a Solidspace project

At Solidspace we are keen collaborators and believe that team work leads to successful projects. We often work through forming joint ventures with partners.  These partners could be landowners, architects, other development partners or self-builders. We have worked with some of the best names in architecture and support many of the best emerging names in the industry. We often call upon engineers, cost consultants and planners as well as engaging with local communities, artists, designers and creative-thinkers along the way. We are always interested in hearing from people who are keen to enter into joint ventures with us: Have you got a plot of land you wish to unlock the potential of? Do you need advice on pushing through an independent development project? Are you a self-builder or architect looking to employ our innovative split-level DNA in one of your projects? Whatever it is we are always keen to hear from you so…

AHMM

Solidspace has been working on and off with Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) for many years now. We were delighted when they won the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2015 for their design of Burntwood School in South London. We are currently pleased to be working closely with Simon Allford on our latest development at Weston Street creating eight tessellating Solidspace apartments on a site in the heart of Southwark just moments from the Shard.   AHMM, in their own words... AHMM make buildings that are satisfying and enjoyable to use, beautiful to look at and easy to understand. We design very different buildings for very different people to use in very different ways. We believe in making places as well as buildings, that work over time and have lasting qualities intrinsic to their architecture. For us, a project begins with a strategy, not a design solution. This strategy arises from understanding the…

Jaccaud Zein Architects

We have worked together with Swiss designers, Jaccaud Zein Architects on our development at Shepherdess Walk and really respect them for their precise approach to detailing and material finishes. They embraced the Solidspace DNA in their designs and made this project a true and successful collaborative process.  Jaccaud Zein Architects, in their own words... Jaccaud Zein Architects was founded in 2012 in London as a partnership between Jean-Paul Jaccaud and Tanya Zein. Both partners are of Swiss origin and graduated from the Ecole Polytecnique Federale de Lausanne Switzerland (EPFL). Our work is sustained by an interest for interventions in complex built environments with strong specific identities. All our projects draw on their context to provide sensitive and specific responses and a strong emphasis is put on the definition of atmosphere and the sense of place. We maintain a firm belief in the values of craftsmanship and of know-how. The physical and emotional properties…

Artifice Books

We collaborated with architectural publishers, Artifice books on Roger's latest book Shouldn't we all be developers? You can visit their site to see what other books they have worked on and purchase a copy here. Artifice, in their own words... Artifice books on architecture was founded in 2011, as a publisher dedicated to books on architectural ideas, theory and/or projects. Our commitment is to expanding and positively contributing to architectural discourse, including publishing book titles exploring history and theory, sustainability, technology, urbanism, and/or selected projects or firms. Our interest lies in architecture's place in today's world, and how people understand and engage with buildings and the built environment. Our publications include showcasing projects by award-winning architectural firms, and critical texts by prominent writers and theorists.   More collaborators

Stephen Taylor Architects

We have worked with Stephen Taylor Architects on our Solidspace homes in Stapleton Hall Road, where they interpreted the Solidspace DNA to create two mirrored houses arranged over seven levels. This project went on to be shortlisted for a New London Award and has been extensively written about in the press, including an article in the Financial Times in 2016.   Stephen Taylor Architects, in their own words... Stephen Taylor Architects is an award winning RIBA Chartered practice that work both domestically and internationally to produce high quality contemporary buildings and urbanism. Stephen Taylor has led the office since 1993. The practice was named AYA Architect of the Year in 2009 and again in 2010 for their work in housing and masterplanning. With a continuing commitment to architecture’s social dimension, as well as its capacity for artistic and cultural expression, they recognise the collective process by which buildings and cities are…

MW Architects

MW Architects designed our houses at Essex Mews, a development of three new homes, which has won multiple awards including the RIBA 2013 Regional Award, Evening Standard 2013 New Homes Award (Best Small Development) and the Ideal Home Show 2013 Blue Ribbon Award (Housing Architect of the year). The project was also shortlisted for a 2013 New London Award. MW Architects, in their own words... MW Architects is an award-winning practice founded by Matthew Wood in 2009. Specialising in residential design they are passionate about improving people’s lives through good design. The young and expanding team at MW Architects adopt a refreshing back to basics approach, prioritising quality of space and natural light.   More architect collaborators  

dRMM

We worked with dRMM back in the early noughties on Centaur Street, a project that saw four Solidspace apartments built on a tight urban plot adjacent to a railway viaduct. We love the way this practice challenges traditional notions of architecture and are playful with their thinking.   dRMM, in their own words... dRMM is a London-based, international studio of architects and designers founded in 1995 by Alex de Rijke, Philip Marsh and Sadie Morgan. They are renowned for creating architecture that is innovative, high quality and socially useful, and have won numerous awards including the Building Design (BD) Architect of the Year 2013-14 and Building Design (BD) Housing Architect of the Year 2014-15. We owe our reputation to an incredibly talented and resourceful team who work in the belief that outstanding architecture comes about through client collaboration, creative design, environmental awareness and building innovation. Clients trust us because we go out of our way…