Casswell Bank Architects was founded in 2015 by Alex Bank and Sam Casswell following a commission from the international art gallery Hauser + Wirth. The modest project for an artist workspace close to their gallery in Bruton, Somerset, establishes a tone and culture for the practice. Central to this is making generous architecture that leaves an enduring, positive impression on a place.
The practice is open to working on projects for different uses at a range of scales. Projects completed to date have been commissioned by a variety of clients encompassing cultural organisations such as Arts & Heritage in conjunction with The Dales Countryside Museum; private residences including a beach house for the founders of The Future Laboratory; and reconfigurations of historic institutions such as Lina Stores in Soho and The Institute of Psychoanalysis.
Casswell Bank Architects believe the role architecture plays in the creation of a welcoming home, a successful institution or a vibrant part of the city is only part of the story – and sometimes a small part. With each project emphasis is placed on finding an appropriate architectural character that reflects the client’s ambitions and the qualities of the site’s context.
The process of constructing architecture is not just a technical concern, but a cultural matter that conveys feeling. The way materials are brought together impacts on the character of space and has the potential to surprise and delight. Such themes and processes continue to be explored in both their professional work and teaching practice as Studio 1 design tutors at the Sir John Cass Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design, London Metropolitan University.
