studio octopi have just finished a new sustainable house in Wiltshire, UK. The house was carefully designed for a wheelchair user to Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. The new timber framed house forms a series of enclosures, reminiscent of secret gardens, behind a reinstated historical ‘boundary’ wall intersecting the house. The stone wall, the lime rendered lower storey, and the Sweet Chestnut cladding form a material palette with references to local agricultural buildings.
Chris Romer-Lee
Chris Romer-Lee is director and co-founder of London based architectural practice, studio octopi. The practice was founded by Chris and James Lowe in 2004. In 2010 the practice won an RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Award for the Park Avenue South house extension in North London.
Over the last 6 years studio octopi has established a reputation for an architecture determined by context and craft. The practice immerses itself in each project's context which then goes forward to inform the concept, materials and bespoke detailing of the architecture.
The practice is currently involved in a broad spectrum of projects. These include; a new house in a small English town due for completion in 2011, the refurbishment of 1000 seat amphitheatre, a bookshop and the fit out of an advertising agency in London's Covent Garden.
Chris trained at the University of Plymouth and The Bartlett, University College London. Before starting studio octopi Chris worked in a series of small award winning London practices.
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22/08/2011
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10/06/2011
studio octopi have been chosen by Wallpaper* magazine for its Architects Directory 2011. Selected as one of twenty international young emerging practices, the practice's design for a holiday retreat is featured in the July edition of Wallpaper* and in a special exhibition at The Architecture Foundation, London until 14th July 2011. More info & images: www.octopi.co.uk/wallpaper.html
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18/05/2011
The practice has just won a new advertising agency refurbishment in Central London for Archibald Ingall Stretton. This follows on the back of work at Saatchi & Saatchi and Beattie McGuinness Bungay both also in London.
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18/04/2011
"All the worlds's a stage..." studio octopi has just finished putting together these proposals (www.octopi.co.uk/bradfield.html) for the refurbishment of a amphitheatre just outside London. The theatre was formed in 1900 but has recently fallen into disrepair. New walkways meander through the trees gracefully descending into the arena...
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14/03/2011
Its been a busy few months. A rally of new job enquiries in late December have now materialised into live projects. Plus an invitation to appear in Wallpaper* as 1 of 20 international emerging architectural practices means all leave is cancelled. I can't tell you what we're doing for Wallpaper* but I can show you the attached extension that is adorned with plants found within its south of England context.
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14/12/2010
The UK is currently gripped by a particularly merciless blast of Arctic weather. Snow has become a permanent part of the landscape as temperatures persist well below freezing. The white blanket and crisp air has disrupted transport systems and re-ignited the age-old debate on why the UK can't cope with extremes in weather. Yawn. Under the cover of this malaise the UK coalition government is attempting to triple university fees. Undeterred by the weather, students have been marching in cities across the country. When not on the street they've occupied rooms within many UK universities. Support for their plight has come from all quarters and rightly so. A right to an education without tuition fees is fundamental. Tripling the fees will catapult students into increasing debt and deter the less well off from even attending further education.
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03/11/2010
Earlier in the year The Architecture Foundation launched an international competition for a collection of kiosks outside London’s Stratford International station. Identified as the gateway to the London 2012 Olympic Games, the site couldn’t be more prominent. 90 entries were received from across the world with studio octopi emerging triumphant. This is a massive win at a pivotal point for the practice. 2010 has been an incredible year for us; with awards and an expanding work base but this project will be our first new public building. Amidst severe national spending cuts the hard work is still to come to ensure the building is complete in May 2011.
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13/09/2010
The influence of English agricultural architecture has been titillating us recently. Super-size galvanised metal barns used for storage of hay and rustic timber apple storage boxes have influenced recent projects at studio octopi. We love the raw nature of the materials, the locks and fixings which are highly functional and extremely durable. We’re currently building a new house in Wiltshire located in an old kitchen garden with fruit trees and remnants of a stone boundary wall. The timber frame is now being enclosed and the feel is distinctly... agricultural.
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27/08/2010
The hand crafted zinc folds on our Park Avenue South project are currently informing a studio octopi competition entry for a site near London's Olympic Park. All the zinc on the project was formed by two metalworkers over a period of 2 weeks, we were on site every other day to assist with the tucks and turns.
