Studio Method

How a Project Moves Through the Studio

Every commission runs through the same four stages, whatever its scale. The stages exist so decisions happen in the right order — structure before finishes, light before furniture.

01. Survey and Brief

We measure the existing space ourselves rather than working from supplied drawings, because reveal depths and floor levels are where retrofits go wrong. The brief that comes out of this stage records how the rooms are actually used, not how the floor plan labels them.

  • Laser survey and existing-condition drawings
  • Daylight study across morning and evening
  • Written brief agreed before any concept work

02. Concept and Spatial Planning

Plans, sections and a material direction are developed together. Working the three in parallel keeps the joinery honest: a detail that cannot be built at the proposed ceiling height gets caught here rather than on site.

  • Plan and section options with circulation tested
  • Initial material and finish direction
  • One consolidated round of revisions

03. Technical Documentation

Construction drawings, joinery working drawings and a lighting schedule are issued as one package. Every specified item carries a supplier, a lead time and a fallback, so procurement is not improvising when something is discontinued.

  • Millwork and joinery working drawings
  • Finish schedule with named suppliers
  • Lighting layout and circuit schedule

04. Site Supervision and Handover

A studio lead attends site through the build and signs off each trade before the next begins. Handover includes the finish schedule as built, so a repair in five years matches the original specification rather than approximating it.

  • Scheduled site visits with written reports
  • Trade-by-trade sign-off
  • As-built finish schedule at handover