Lucas Lawrence

I am lucky enough to work on a truly diverse range of projects in the studio, from large-scale transformational designs to more independent architectural projects. Whatever the project, I have found that the world outside architecture has as much influence on the places we make as the world inside our Studio, and I am very committed to working in partnership with the whole development team to drive projects forward. While this approach does complicate things, it also makes the more complex possible, and this is the key for me: never settle for ordinary, because if we are able to address people’s problems and make their lives more joyful, we should strive as best we can to do this.

There is a lot of designing (and redesigning) along the way but there is also a lot of talking, doing our best to understand the challenges and aspirations of all the people we work with, from our clients and local authorities to our design collaborators. Designing places, buildings or landscape is always a collaboration, and I try to make this process as enjoyable as possible.

Clapham One was a key project for me. Leading this mixed-use development as project architect, in partnership with our clients, both the developers and the London Borough of Lambeth, taught me the importance of communication. I now lead multiple projects in the studio with a real variety of uses, from industry, to offices, to housing and beyond; from urban design, to architecture and public realm.

Alongside my project work, I have also enjoyed the challenge of growing the studio, from its nascent beginnings to the 70-strong practice we are today. The ability of everyone in the Studio to always find the unexpected and solve the problem in front of them continues to inspire me. For them and for me, no challenge is too complex to tackle.