It’s not about being weird and wonderful, or going all out to try to win awards, but concentrating on people.
If we’re being minimalist, there are two parts to a building, yes? The inside and the outside. And as a design-hungry journalist I tend to gobble up every morsel the house/hotel/restaurant is fed – the William Morris wallpapers, the Chesterfield sofas, the taxidermist cats in Little Bo Peep dresses twirling pink sun umbrellas… But surely all the preparation that goes into serving up such a dish deserves a lot of kudos too? This is why my latest One to Watch has made a reservation with Granit’s architect director Robert Wilson:
‘I have worked in architectural practice for over 20 years, designing several hundred homes, from luxury one-off houses to basement conversions, side returns and lofts. In 1988 I set up Granit Architects largely because the clients I was working for in my spare time needed more of my attention. Now our homes are located all over the world, from France to Argentina, Jamaica to Spain, but the vast majority are here in London.’
Why buy now?
‘We are often asked what Granit is all about and our answer is invariably people, space and light. It’s not about being weird and wonderful, or going all out to try to win awards, but concentrating on people – understanding their requirements – and using space and natural light in creative and often surprising ways to satisfy them.’
Granit Chartered Architects, 112 Battersea Business Centre, London, SW11; www.granit.co.uk; 0207 924 4555
