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Interior of the DDS headquarters |
Olympic accolade as architect proves that small is prizewinning
Tate Modern-inspired design by firm with five staff beats international conglomerates
CAMPAIGNING Archway architect Chris Roche has won a series of prestigious national design awards for a development overlooking Tate Modern.
Mr Roche is former chairman of Junction Road Residents and Traders Association, campaigning for redevelopment of the area, and former chairman of Camden Architects’ Forum and advisor to Labour MP Frank Dobson.
As a result of the awards Mr Roche, who lives in Archway, has been invited to be a design delegate to the forthcoming Olympic Games in China. He beat 10 major rivals in a design competition for the new European headquarters of international advertising and software house, DDS, whose plush new offices overlook Tate Modern in Southwark.
The finished project, opened by Tory leader David Cameron in December last year, then won a gold award in the Interior Fitter of the Year competition, again against some of Britain’s biggest designers.
More recently, Mr Roche was awarded an international green medal for the project. He fitted out the office with sustainable and recycled materials and encouraged the client to use electric cars. “Some of the firms we were up against had 1,000 staff,” he said. “We’re a little company of five based in Shoreditch. It’s Roy of the Rovers stuff.”
Asked what his firm had that the big conglomerate design houses could not match, Chris replied: “Passion!” His team “sweated blood”, working 10 hours or more a day as part of a determined effort to win the competition.
The judges praised the firm’s designs for complementing the backdrop of Tate Modern. “We visited Tate Modern many times to gain inspiration,” he added.
Mr Roche was also inspired by the Daily Express building in Manchester, where he grew up.
“I always loved the way the Express building featured its printing works on display behind glass walls so that they could be seen,” he said. “We put the computer centre behind glass walls, which is unusual but with a similar effect.
“It’s fantastic that all our hard work is recognised. You don’t have to be an international conglomerate to deliver award-winning designs.” |
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