2021 was a challenging year for us all, especially those within the construction and architectural design industries, amid the lockdown restrictions, delays on processes and materials and cost increases; added to this we at Unagru have welcomed several new members to the design team (check out the teams bios here).
For me the best parts of the last year were sharing our successes and struggled with our clients. Among the small successes, The Sponge (our extension and renovation in Queens Park – read more about the project here- link to website) was shortlisted in the prestigious Don’t Move Improve Award and shortlisted in the national Build-It Awards, the project was also selected for inclusion in the London Open House Festival (during which Tony Fretton turned up and made my year!). It was also a delight to see the project included in many design magazines, including Grand Design Magazine. So much goes into our designs, it is always rewarding to share these ideas with others. The Open House event runs annually, designed to make London and it’s architecture more open and accessible to all citizens. It was an honour to have two of our projects included in last years event, others venues of note (that anyone was able to visit during the event) included Number 10 Downing Street, Dennis Lasun’s Royal College of Physicians and Chiswhick House and Café, such a wonderful mix of venues. Both The Sponge and the House for a Cellist (which we will describe to you in our next newsletter) open events were a great success, with hundreds of people visiting and enjoying the space, we really feel that we made a lot of new friends over the event.
With several new exciting projects on the drawing board, a new commitment to teaching, and a world to conquer, we are now looking for architects and architectural assistants to join the team. So please spread the word!
