PART OF THE NETWORK

Softroom (London)

Oliver Salway, Chris Bagot, Daniel Evans

Softroom is an architecture studio based in Soho, London. In addition to a growing portfolio of original built projects, Softroom are at the leading edge of developments to increase the relevance of architecture in other cultural spheres.

Their public arts project, Kielder Belvedere, winner of an RIBA Award for Architecture, Stephen Lawrence prize and a Royal Fine Arts Commission Trust Building of the Year 2000 award, is helping to generate sustainable tourism in a remote National Park in Northumbria.

Softroom do not see architecture as restricted in its scope to the built environment alone, but also relevant to other media and disciplines, both current and developing. Their design philosophy is perhaps best described as 'contemporary', being a blend of analysis of precedent, with speculation about the future. The work is continually evolving, but consistently draws upon original thinking and an undogmatic, uninhibited approach.

Virtual architecture and built architecture have always gone on in parallel and Softroom have never tried to differentiate between the two - it's all just an exploration of one kind or another. Compared with traditional model making, the computer allows a greater degree of freedom and the opportunity to experiment with materiality in a more sophisticated way.

A series of concept projects that utilise the freedoms of virtual space, first published in Wallpaper magazine, continue to be featured in a diverse range of publications around the world

Current building commissions include retail projects in London for Selfridges and residential projects in London and Barbados. Softroom continue to look for the opportunity to be involved with public urban interventions and larger scale new building projects.

www.softroom.com