PRACTICE

“Our Practice headquarters are based in the historic centre of Canterbury and we are regularly entrusted with working in special places of varied character across the UK”

Our Ethos

Based in studios in Canterbury & Harpenden, Clague Architects were formed over 90 years ago and we understand the value of lasting relationships within our own team, with collaborators, clients and communities. We value trust and strive to be a successful practice with which to be associated.

Place and context are paramount to us – We aspire to understand, safeguard and improve the places where we work so that as well as helping them to grow and meet changing needs, we also leave them better than before.

We listen – we have no house-style and our design response varies according to place, context, collaboration and programme.

We communicate – we do what we say we will do and produce drawings and imagery that communicate clearly and evocatively, whether it’s a masterplan concept or a joinery detail.

We believe in the power of great design and great places to improve people’s lives directly and indirectly.  Our current team strength is over fifty people based in offices in Canterbury & Harpenden, serving a variety of projects throughout the UK. Underlying our Practice at all levels is respect for those with whom we associate. We value the power of ideas.

Our process

1.Understanding

Each project begins by listening carefully to the client, developing the brief and engaging in a thoughtful and sensitive analysis of the site and context incorporating the relevant regulatory framework. We are happy to have an initial appraisal meeting free of charge and we always provide a clear quotation in advance of carrying out work so our customers know exactly where they stand.

2.Design

Having first established and agreed a clear brief and terms of engagement, we maintain an open mind to possibilities, exploring a range of different approaches to ensure we seize the opportunities lying within each project. We value clear concepts and ideas which resonate and are easily understood and communicated. Our designs aim to bring together space, light, context and materiality in a way which brings delight.

3.Delivery

We understand the responsibility that comes with being entrusted with the delivery of a project and are committed to care and accuracy so as to deliver robust and successful buildings. We believe in the power of team working and deploy a range of 2D & 3D design, drafting & data-sharing technologies including the huge benefits that BIM now allows in cross-discipline collaborative working. We assist our clients in delivering great buildings which will serve a long useful life for their occupants, users & communities.

Clague Architects are passionate about using data to drive efficiency in the construction industry. We utilise Building Information Modelling (BIM) to ensure that our designs are accurate, coordinated & sustainable.

BIM

This approach enables our clients to gain a comprehensive understanding of the spaces and materiality of our designs, facilitating effective communication and visualisation. Moreover, it ensures valuable spatial and cross-discipline coordination during technical design stages, reducing costly errors and waste during the construction phase.

The implementation of a BIM workflow into our projects has shown to:

Enhance Collaboration – BIM promotes collaboration between project stakeholders by structuring the sharing of information. This means we can seamlessly work with consultants to minimise errors and ensure everyone is aligned with the project goals.

Increase Efficiency in Project Management – BIM helps to assist streamlining the management of projects and allows stakeholders to track progress, manage resources effectively and make data driven decisions that lead to efficient project delivery.

Make Cost & Time Savings – the BIM process has been shown to reduce errors before projects head to site, this clarity of design information ensures that projects are constructed quicker and completed within budget.

Optimise Sustainability & Embodied Carbon outcomes – through the data produced by our designs we can better predict the energy efficiency and sustainability of our design and optimise our layouts. The data also helps us to better quantify the volume of materials and embodied carbon of our design to better contribute to the UK’s climate targets.

Provide additional post-construction benefits – the benefits of BIM extend beyond that of the design and construction phase. Building owners can access accurate, organised information about their structures, this helps assist with the maintenance, renovations, and future expansions of the building.

Collaboration between the design and reality is at the heart of what we do, and we can offer a range of BIM services to help our clients achieve this. We can deliver projects to different BIM maturities including to BS EN ISO 19650.

If you would like to find out more about how BIM can be implemented on your project, how to structure greater collaboration or simply gain an understanding of the process then please get in contact with us at; stuartbonnage@clague.co.uk

We know that the quality of our work is directly linked to the culture of our practice.

Our culture

We therefore strive to make our Practice a vibrant and exciting place for our team to work, develop and enjoy themselves, our clients to engage with and other consultants to partner with.

We do this via regular design reviews with the aim that each project within the practice benefits from the talents and accumulated experience of the whole team.  We also hold a series of informal design sessions, where the team gather to discuss current project or emerging thinking and trends in the profession and in the wider construction industry.

We understand our professional obligations to engage in regular CPD (Continuing Professional Development) As part of this we frequently host presentations and training sessions highlighting best practices across a range of architectural situations including new and emerging approaches, solutions and products and ensure we always maintain competency with regards to the ever changing regulatory framework in which we work. 

We also pride ourselves that we maintain a calendar of regular social activities including a Summer BBQ, Christmas Party, Table Quiz, photo competition and research study trips to varied destinations in London, Cambridge, Poundbury, Liverpool & Ghent amongst other place. We host and are involved in regular events in our community such as bat & trap, cricket, 5-side-football and cycling and enjoy sponsoring and involving our team in local cultural and charitable endeavours which are a meaningful way for us to connect with and give back to society.

Sustainability

Clague recognises that the design, construction, occupation  and management of buildings has a significant effect on local and global environmental issues including pollution and resource depletion and climate change through associated lifecycle carbon emissions.  These issues are considered at each stage of the design process, at both the macro and micro scale.

Our sustainable philosophy extends to the social sustainability of our proposals, which always aim to create a strong sense of place for the benefit of the end user, occupiers and the wider community.

The most sustainable building is the one that already exists. For over 90 years our practice have been involved in the repair and conservation of existing building stock, including high-status designated heritage assets as well as the humble buildings that make up much of our existing settlements. We believe that the embodied energy in these buildings and their cultural legacy mean that intelligent repair, re-use and re-purposing of existing buildings, with an understanding of their particular context & pathology should always be investigated before demolition or replacement buildings are considered.

Our Sustainability Values

Nature first

Many of our proposed schemes are on sites, or adjacent to sites that have existing ecology. Our approach is to protect and enhance the existing habitat, incorporating habitat enhancements within the open space that is often central to our schemes.

Reduce emissions

As a practice we adopt an architecturally led holistic approach. One that initially looks at improving the performance of the buildings fabric before looking at the introduction of sustainable technologies. As well as safeguarding embodied energy & carbon, this approach provides the most cost-effective long term CO2 emission reductions throughout the buildings life cycle.

Conserve resources

We strive to conserve natural resources by ensuring that our architecture is adaptable to the changing needs of its occupiers / end users to ensure longevity. Where possible we aim to specify natural materials and tried and tested construction and wethering details that are durable and have longevity throughout the project’s life cycle.

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