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Residential
Residential design incorporates a broad understanding of security, shelter, sociability and community
From single-family homes to multiple dwellings, from student housing to elder care, residential design encompasses a broad understanding of what it means to be “at home.” Security, shelter, sociability and community are fundamental to them all.
It’s a hugely important sector that’s about wellbeing and living for all ages. Our Passivhaus certification puts us at the forefront of environmentally conscious living.
Private
Designing a new home is perhaps the most intimate relationship an architect can have with a client
Each home is a collaborative response to the way our clients want to live, relax, socialise, eat and sleep. No two families are the same, and therefore no two homes are designed the same.
In terms of a brief, we don’t ask for a list of rooms, we have a series of relaxed conversations about lifestyle, aspirations and plans for the future.
Often our clients have been thinking about their ideal home for a long time and have collected scrapbooks of inspirational images. We use these as a basis for discussion to work out priorities and important aspects.
For our clients, the whole process of making their dreams come true can be very engaging and emotional. Our privileged role as architects is to use our creative and technical expertise to exceed already high expectations.
Wye Valley Family Home
An open-plan family home that blurs the lines between inside and outside living
Private Dwelling
A light and spacious family home designed for modern-day family living
Woodcote House
A split-level open plan home conceived as a series of distinct zones arranged about the main circulation axis
Student
Student accommodation is a natural extension of our established understanding of university life and campus place making
We recognise the demand for student accommodation and reject the ‘quick and dirty’ methods of design, procurement and construction of some student accommodation that have characterised this sector in recent years, often with poor build quality and little connexion to the universities they serve.
With our deep understanding of university place making and listening to students and staff, we believe that high quality student accommodation can bring real benefits to residents and the wider university population and help to cement stronger bonds with the surrounding community.
As well as being simple and robust, accommodation needs to be joyful, homely and exciting. Designs for student accommodation carefully consider these different strands and rather than a simple numbers game, we prefer to design the building from the outset and continue this from the choice of materials through to the final building composition.
As with all buildings, it is important that the pursuit of this quality is understood from the outset and that we can demonstrate the added value that this approach brings to all parties.
Student Accommodation, St Hilda’s college
Low carbon living, that will stay true to the informal character of St Hilda’s grounds
Castle Bailey Quad
Eco-friendly development to expand student housing options for undergraduates
Hubert Perrodo Building
Creating a better place to study, teach and live by improving public spaces
Specialist
The increasing demand for residential facilities for existing or potential care homes for over 55s has led to a need to rethink the building typology
Regardless of age or health, a place to call home is a crucial part of being human. Over the past 20 years, Design Engine has designed and built a range of residential projects, from individual private homes to senior housing for people with varying levels of care. A common factor in all of these projects is the desire to create a building that positively reinforces the surrounding context while providing a welcoming and safe environment for residents and visitors.
The experience gained has enabled the practise to understand the many specific requirements of this sector, whether it be the placement of a window in a room to maximise views and natural light, or the important technical understanding of designing compassionate spaces for people with a range of disabilities or health conditions.
Chesil Lodge, Extra Care
52 self-contained Extra Care Units supported by a number of shared facilities
Bradbury Place
A residential development that gives choice to disabled people who want to live independently
Cedar Park
A centre of excellence to support people with acquired brain injuries, complex and extra care needs
