Arlington Avenue
Private Client
Islington, London
2015
A remodel of a terraced home that would both serve live and work needs. The initial brief developed from a simple refurbishment to an adaptable home that responds specifically to the clients’ daily routines and needs.
The brief development started with a walk-around their home - the site, which allowed
Deft.Space to see the project through their eyes, paying close attention to aspects of the project that mattered to the clients, whilst also identifying what the value drivers (the design features that will deliver the desired benefits) would be. The brief was further developed through collaborative design workshops held at the clients’ home, where a wide range of ideas could be looked at in granular detail and in context. The brief therefore was not seen as a static document or statement of intent, but as an aspiration and an approach that could evolve and be developed throughout the course of the design process. An implicit part of the brief was the need to collaborate with and understand the clients as individuals with distinct needs and ideas that at times may be aligned and at other times may conflict.
As the core aspect of the brief was to create a home that would also serve as a workplace, adaptability in how the spaces would function became a concept for holding the project together and driving it forward. It also became useful for reaching a consensus whenever there was a conflict of idea or preference between the clients.
