Residential

MOST has designed everything from private extensions and refurbishments through to new-build housing. But at the core of every brief there is always a place of belonging, warmth and comfort. For a domestic project there is always a tension between security and engagement, for example between the restfulness granted by a façade’s anonymity, and the desire to make a statement.

An apartment building in Southwark, London, was an exercise in balancing protection with exposure. The original two-storey corner building was the smallest in its surroundings. The site was calling for more height, to anchor the corner, assert itself on the street and create views along the South Bank. And obviously to create commercially compelling space for a developer. At the same time, the building had to be protected from the acoustic and vibration exposure to a train track. In addition to the engineering solutions deployed, the building contours themselves subtly rotate and shift portions of the mass to strike a balance between openness and insulation.

At MOST we embrace residential work at various scales, ranging from developments, private houses and interiors to individual objects. We let the patterns of thought and expertise from different scales inform each other.