Interiors should not be the product of ephemeral style trends, but of a client’s own personality and preference. Studio Clementine takes a collaborative approach, both between client and studio, and in terms of the many specialist skills and suppliers our designers bring to a project. We pride ourselves on listening to what people want and then surpassing expectations both creatively and in delivering a seamless, personal service.
BEHIND LONDON'S ARCHITECTURE
PDP and Studio Clementine
A Conversation with Andrew Davidson & Georgina Wood.
Georgina Wood meets with Andrew Davidson, partner and Architect at PDP. Together they discuss their work at Cambridge House Hotel and Andrew's architectural work.
FORWARD BY GEORGINA
I have known Andrew Davidson for many years and I've had the pleasure of working together on several different projects, most recently on Cambridge House Hotel.
One of the things I enjoy most about hospitality projects is the collaboration between architects and interior designers. When those disciplines work closely together, the result is a space that feels both considered and seamless. Having recently worked with Andrew Davidson of Studio PDP again on Cambridge House Hotel, it was the perfect opportunity to learn more about his background before PDP and the lens in which he views architecture.
WHICH PART OF THE CAMBRIDGE HOUSE HOTEL PROJECT FEELS MOST LIKE YOU ANDREW?
What I like to focus on is sequences of spaces which take you on a journey and reveal something at the end. So coming in through the entrance courtyard, seeing the entrance to the residences which is very subtly placed, it's not on axis. I'm excited by when you go through that door, you'll see the roof light above you, which is quite special. It's a very tall space, and then it narrows, it goes up to the lift and you've got the amazing original stair on the right-hand side you'll go into the lift, and you'll have that very intimate experience of being in a small space. And then when the lift door opens, you're directly on axis with a fabulous window, you head towards the light and then you notice on your right-hand side a view of the park.
Building those sorts of sequences and experiences is what I really enjoy, and your interior design brings them to life.
WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE BETWEEN RESTORATION AND NEW INNOVATION?
It's a matter of judgement really, how much you keep, how much you restore and how you put new interventions into or alongside a building. Also the degree of contrast that you introduce. Sometimes it's good for new elements to sit comfortably alongside in a way that they maybe don't shout. Other times it's good for new architectural interventions to be bold and forthright and for there to be a lot of contrast between the new and the old.
WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST ARCHITECTURAL PET PEEVE?
What irritates me most is the use of design elements that architects use largely to appeal to other architects rather than to the public or clients. They tend to be fashions or ways of doing things which are sometimes used and are sometimes not the most practical or the most beautiful.
Departing from traditional detailing by finishing a wall at a right angle for example, then it gets wet and then it rains. Sometimes traditional detailing was done that way for a purpose. And you don't need to depart from those age-old, solved solutions for the sake of style. Put the design effort into other areas rather than reinventing things that already work.
WHAT IS SOMETHING A NON ARCHITECT MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT CAMBRIDGE HOUSE HOTEL?
There are so many layers of history spanning from 1765 to today. And there are so many fabulous stories about the architecture, but also about the craftsmen who created it, the people who worked in it. The people who came here when it was a private residence or when it was a private members' club, it really is incredible.
WHAT FIRST DREW YOU TO ARCHITECTURE?
Feeling that buildings could be uplifting, exciting, great places to be and so I started sketching buildings and enjoying it. I haven't sketched buildings very much recently. Back to the age of around ten or eleven, initially I sketched church architecture and civic buildings which was probably what I was most interested in.
WITH THE CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE, HOW DO YOU THINK ARCHITECTURE WILL FARE COMMERCIALLY?
I'm actually quite optimistic at the moment. With the new Prime Minister in place, I'm hoping that will give impetus to the public sector and public projects, which is sorely needed. And I also think that, with the current economic situation, there's sort of been a lid on development for a long time, determined by high interest rates, and I'm hoping that will ease up a bit. A number of surveys of sentiment amongst architects and developers I've seen recently have been quite optimistic.
ARE YOU USING AI?
We're using AI for all sorts of things, particularly research, data crunching and getting answers quicker. It has to be approached with caution, it's important that you understand what you're reading or looking at. We have been using it for graphic representation to speed up the process of presenting our ideas. So I would say we generate the ideas and then we ask AI to come up with a representation of them, not the other way around.
HOW HAS THE PROFESSION OF ARCHITECTURE CHANGED OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR CAREER?
I think it's changed significantly, partly because of the scale of projects. I am certainly working on projects that are vastly larger than projects I thought I would work on when I was a student. There's an increased level of specialisation and so there are a lot more people involved, there are an awful lot of experts and there's a lot more regulation. Things seem to have gotten more complicated.
Thank you very much for your time Andrew, it's been wonderful to hear more about the behind the scenes of Cambridge House Hotel.
Georgina xx
