John Gunstone

Buildings are agents of interaction. People interact with a building, which then interacts with the environment.

As a designer, I consider the interplay between all the design parameters of a building to help create something that works and operates coherently.  

It all starts with the brief - a straight forward brief doesn’t have to imply a straightforward solution. It simply identifies all the aspirations of the project that need fulfilling; it defines the boundaries. I investigate the brief until I understand exactly what and where those boundaries are. That allows me to work with creativity and freedom within them. 

I like to design the building as if there are no electrical and mechanical systems - how can the architecture be optimised to make a naturally comfortable internal environment? When passive design is doing as much of the work as possible, only then do I add tech to maximise building performance. The result is lean, well-developed engineering that supports the architecture.