43 Design and Build 2020 BUILD Oct20503 15 Q4 2020 BUILD Oct20503 Award-Winning Company Eyes Up Residential Market Award-winning STAC Architecture has made a name for itself creating compelling and unique designs for leading companies in the hospitality industry. We speak to company Director Paul Thrush as the business prepares to advance its expertise into the residential sector. n a world where brands strive harder and harder to stand out from the crowd, “unique” and “one-off” are buzz words that alert their interest like bees to honey. That’s been particularly true for STAC Architecture, a Londonbased award-winning design practice with a culturally diverse collective of designers. In just over seven years, it has already built up an impressive client base boasting household brands from Nando’s to KV Hotels, Virgin Atlantic Airways and British Land on the back of its one-off designs. Dismissing the idea of a house style has worked in the company’s favour with its tailored, fresh hospitality ideas winning numerous Restaurant and Bar Design Awards, before it ventured into the Aviation Industry. Now the company is setting its sights on commercially-led and eco-friendly solutions for the residential sector. “We have been very fortunate to work with exciting and bold companies,” explains Paul Thrush, STAC Architecture Director. “We focus on the big picture and the core questions, challenging every assumption we have about a client and their brief in order to develop new, never before considered design solutions. “Over the next year, we will be working hard to bring several new ideas and concepts to the residential market that hopefully will be the start of a new, more eco-friendly way of approaching residential design and architecture. “We are hoping that our commercial experience can shed light on new ways of building environmentally sound structures in less time, for less cost and most importantly with less waste. We don’t have a house style, simply because each project and client is unique, resulting in tailored solutions that will be only ever be delivered once.” Nando’s is the company’s longest standing client with which it started gaining recognition on the awards circuit. On the back of those awards, STAC was spotted by Virgin Atlantic and invited to pitch against several other design companies for the opportunity to design and build its latest upper class lounge. “We presented something fresh, innovative and needless to say secured the commission,” adds South African-born Paul, who worked I alongside Francesco Draisci to design the DECODE exhibition for London’s renowned Victoria and Albert Museum in 2008. “At STAC Architecture, we are concept driven and through curious and playful experiment with material, form and fabrication, we push boundaries in the pursuit of truly unique designs. “We believe design is a powerful tool that can not only improve our daily lives but also has the power to get people thinking, invite debate and ultimately effect change. Simply put, our designs compel people to stop, look and engage with their surroundings.” In the STAC Architecture studio, you find a team from a range of design-related backgrounds and countries, which Paul says makes the company’s work “all the richer”. There’s in-house architect and interior specialists alongside those with an expertise in latest 3D technologies, artificial intelligence, virtual reality plus product and set design. “At STAC, we believe that all employees have an equal say in all things design related,” adds Paul. “It is through this flat design structure that we are able to encourage new ideas and allow innovation to bubble up through and become a reality.” Company: STAC Architecture Contact: Paul Thrush Website: www.stac-architecture.com
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