Approach
Our name is a challenge to ourselves: in philosophy and psychology, an ‘affect’ is a moment of emotion triggered by perception or experience. When designed carefully, architecture can bring clarity to the world around us. Whether that’s exposing the history of a building that has been part of a place for hundreds of years, or allowing the light from the setting sun to remind us of the time, we aspire to integrate these distinctive moments into each of our projects.
Collaboration
As a small team, we rely upon close collaboration with our clients and individuals across the industry to drive our designs. Unique and differing perspectives generate distinctive and comprehensive solutions.
We believe collaboration should generate an iterative design process. We institute open and frequent communication between the client, design team and contractors to refine ideas and ensure the outcome lives up to the vision.
Design Methodology
Our buildings are for the people who inhabit them. Many elements go into arriving at the ideal design solution, beginning with getting to know the client and the project ambitions. We listen carefully and set intentions together
We get to know the site. Taking the time to research the context and understand the constraints is central to producing a design that responds positively to the setting and meets the needs of the client.
We’re not afraid to get our hands dirty. From metalworking and woodwork to plastering and painting we’ve tried it all. We actively pursue our own hands-on projects and believe that a first-hand understanding of the qualities and characteristics of materials leads to better spaces for our clients.
Sustainability
Sustainability is baked into everything we do. We believe in a holistic approach; making use of existing structures, specifying materials with low embodied carbon, and employing passive design principles and renewable technologies from the outset.