Powell Tuck Associates

Powell Tuck Associates is an architecture firm which provides inter design, furniture design and also offer landscape services. This firm specialises in commercial and residential designs. I have been amazed at their creativity and the modernity of their designs and therefore certainly interested in working commercially as well as residentially. The freedom of working commercially is a big factory in my desire to work in this area. Looking at some of the Powel Tuck Associate projects has further confirmed the financial liberty that comes with commercial designs. There is a much bigger budget in this area that allows designers to be more creative. 

Powel Tuck Associates is an architecture firm which provides inter design, furniture design and also offer landscape services. This firm specialises in commercial and residential designs. I have been amazed at their creativity and the modernity of their designs and therefore certainly interested in working commercially as well as residentially. The freedom of working commercially is a big factory in my desire to work in this area. Looking at some of the Powel Tuck Associate projects has further confirmed the financial liberty that comes with commercial designs. There is a much bigger budget in this area that allows designers to be more creative.

Background

Powel Tuck Associates was found in 1990 by Julian Powell Tuck. Julian Powell Tuck started his own architecture and interior practice at just the age of 25 after being told by his tutor that he was unemployable while studying at the University of Brighton. His practice has generated many outstanding projects that were clearly distinctive from the rest. Some of his best work includes the metropolis recording studios in London and villa zapu in California and they have both been awarded and greatly publicised for its success. 

The firm ethos is very simple and the following quote from their website emphasises on that.

“Powell Tuck Associates emerged from this ethos of challenging design and architectural conventions with a strong conviction for design solutions of the highest creativity and quality of instigation. This ethos continues to be at the heart of the practice, which is now under the directorship of Adrian Lees and Angus Shepherd. Powell Tuck Associates' work, whether new-build or conversion, is rooted in a common philosophy. When building new our work could be described as `contextual', but also `dramatic', `ambitious' and `contemporary' we are primarily concerned with making beautiful spaces, which function well. We are also concerned with the relationship between spaces, both internal and external, and how these spaces are animated by light and texture. Externally our buildings work with their surroundings and are designed not to give too much away. They are designed to age gracefully.”A simple ethos but very determining, it is obvious from their success and portfolio that they are indeed astonishingly creative and have put a lot of effort in delivering a quality architectural or interior space. As a result of their hard work, this firm has also won several awards that clearly show their quality. In 2004 they won the D&AD silver award for best residential design.

Also in 2004 they also won the FX award for best Residential interior, and in that very same year they picked up and award for best residential category. In 2003 given by the daily telegraph, Powell Tuck Associates won award for best home building and renovating. Another award won was in 2002 when the practice was awarded best residential design by FX.   

The image below is of the award winning interior for best home building and renovating, the following quote is from one of the judge who judged the competition won by this interior.

"This is an exciting and bold contemporary house that is coherent in all aspects of its design. The building's form, the colours and textures of the external materials, and its relationship with its private courtyard setting are all aesthetically very well balanced. The relationship between the live and work aspects is efficient and unobtrusive to either function. The orientation and format of the living space makes optimum use of the overlooked urban site. The interiors - particularly the light filled first floor living spaces - are at once dramatic and elegant. The pragmatic use of honest, rough, inexpensive finishes in the interior creates a utilitarian aesthetic that perfectly suits the building's crisp linear architecture. Most importantly, however, the building clearly functions very successfully as a family home for its owners and their four children: an exemplary new urban home that represents excellent value for money." 

Powell Tuck Associates is more than just an architecture firm; they also offer many other services for their clients. According to the practice, they always look to offer a cost-effective building to their client with lots of respect for individual requirements. They also try to always have a clear communication through their design in relation to the client requirement which will also be constructed with great efficiency but also with high quality. The following quote further solidify the statement made above. “We value efficient design and contract management and have considerable experience in project management and leading and co-ordinating design teams. We offer a complete range of services and have well-established relationships with trusted and vetted specialists.”

There is a great list of service that Powell Tuck Associates offers. Those services are feasibility studies, measured survey, project management, contract administration, architectural services, planning applications, landlord submissions, statutory authority submissions, detailed design, site inspection, interior design, lighting design, and furniture design. Further more to this list, there is more services which can be obtained and they are structural engineers, service engineers, quantity surveyors, lighting designers, interior designers/decorator, party wall surveyors, acoustic consultants, landscape designers, graphic designers, specialist makers and artists. These are all the services the practice offer, this services are enormous and any client can benefit from them. 

The practice always pays their junior designers although it unknown exactly how much the salary of a junior designer is. There is also opportunity of internships which requires a strong candidate and the competition for this position is immense. Candidates should have a strong portfolio clearly showing their ability to draw, produce 2D CAD drawings as well as 3D renderings. I would prefer to work as a junior designer because that means I have been employed by the company, even though the salary might be low at the start, there is however a chance of increasing the salary once I have gained some experience. The problem with being an intern is that you would never know for sure whether the company will keep you or let you go at the end of the internship. 

Case Studies

One of the best projects they completed in my opinion is the Bloomberg. Bloomberg was a project that was basically two different sites; the international financial news agency funded the project and they were tasked to carry a feasible study and create a master plan for the redevelopment of the whole site. These sites were completely different, one was built in 1930 by Giles Gilbert Scott and the other one was a contemporary office building by foster and partners. 

 

    

After this brief, the practice then provided architecture and design services which enabled the development of a new link building and the fit-out of the two largest buildings.

“The centrepiece of our new design was the reworked entranceway, where we created a double height space which draws visitors and staff into the core of the building. The journey up through the building now allows clear sight of the offices and activities taking place, with a contrast from the new technologies used in the entrance to the light and airy pantry area above. Where there had been a disconnection between the two buildings, a key element of the new design worked to bring them together, by introducing a series of walkways.

 

Alongside these major alterations, the project included detailed fit-out design packages for an auditorium, new TV studios and ancillary technical areas, offices with live broadcast stations, new catering facilities, training rooms, a public art gallery and other art spaces within the complex. We also designed the building signage strategy and system and provided specialist furniture design.”

Deepwater

“From the beginning, this project was about creating a home and work space of uncompromising quality; a sanctuary in the heart of London, tucked away behind an archway and an old brick wall, which was all that remained of the Victorian stables that had once occupied the site.

The outside of the house presents a modest - almost austere - face to the visitor, but one which draws you in through a sequence of ground floor spaces with glazed walls that wrap around two sides of a large courtyard garden.

The material theme throughout is a restrained choice of natural, durable materials which both ground the building and create a sense of quiet. A granite wall stands tall in the double height entrance hall; a glass-sided bridge leads from the main house to the guest wing, worked limestone walls sit unadorned. The house is filled with daylight by the judicious use of courtyards and light wells.

This was a project that we took to with gusto, and that, on completion, exemplified many of the philosophies we believe in - how a space is configured, how it slowly reveals itself, how particular materials and the way they're used bring weight and continuity, and how light can be utilised and played with to endless effect.”

The owner of the place seemed very pleased with the result of work, he was quoted saying, ““You have created a unique and inspiring building, and combining your great architectural strengths with a home that is unmistakably mine.”

My practice

As a designer, I have often found myself asking questions on what would best suit me in the industry. Realising my strength in 3D rendering and modelling, I have decided to use this strength a little bit more. After a placement in a visualisation firm, I became really interested in pursuing this as a career. After I graduate I would like to work within an architecture or interior design firm as a 3D modeller, I would rather do the computer part of the design process and not so much as an interior designer myself even though I would not mind also working as an interior designer. It is however a better role for me as a modeller. With this skill I can not only work in architecture, I can also be involved in furniture design, animation and many other discipline of the same nature.

When I graduate I would like to work abroad if the opportunity was presented to me. The reason behind this is the fact that I enjoy different cultures. Being in a different country not only means a different lifestyle but it also means a different style of architecture which can only improve my glossary of different architectural styles.

Working in London

A typical scenario of working in London would have to be a very fast paced life. Working for one of the top practices in London would mean having to work with a number of people because big practices usually have many designers. This is mainly due to the demands they have and therefore need more designers, so a scenario in a top practice would have to be working under extreme pressure to hand in deadline. Being a habitant of Bradford, it would be a smart idea to move to London so I can be closer to work.