Practice

Hugh Cullum Architectural studio specialises in building in sensitive contexts and has a reputation for considered and innovative design.

Successful building always results from a partnership between client, architects, and builder. We believe that our skills as practitioners, thinkers and teachers give us a unique strength to make the most of this collaborative opportunity.

We love designing and making things – whether they are buildings or otherwise – and this enthusiasm has determined the way the practice is set up. A building is, in a sense, ‘made in advance’ through the sketches, models, samples and mock-ups of the designer. These representations allow the reality of the building to be explored and tested. Through them the architect is acting as the builder or maker of the building itself. This is why models and drawings are so fascinating to make and so crucial to the success of the building.

“The work shows a remarkable architectural intelligence that renders materials emotionally communicative … it is quirky, charming, individual, eclectic, kinetic, surprising, picturesque, characterful, subtle, and humanising … demonstrating an enduring concern to treat each place on its own merit.”

 – Charles Rattray, architectural critic and journalist

As a studio we make extensive use of models and hand drawn sketches in the development of a project. This gives us a fluid and swift way of exploring multiple possibilities and encourages the active participation of the whole office working on the problems and opportunities presented by the project.

Equally important is the role that drawings and models play in allowing the client or user to explore and participate in the design. This is not to say that every client needs to roll up their sleeves and get involved in the process, although many do and it is an enjoyable experience. We will always work with a client to develop a strong brief which will allow us to respond imaginatively to their needs and aspirations.

Alongside the client brief and wider cultural context of the project, our response to its physical site is an equally key determinant in the success of the project. 

From the outset, a scheme design is developed through the way the building will be put together – materials, structure, weatherproofing etc.  Once a scheme proposal has been established, we move to the more technical phase of developing these aspects in detail and describing them further, through specification and technical drawing, such that the proposal can be costed and built. We are fully aware of the importance of this part of our work in ensuring that the needs and budget of our clients are met with a robust and successful building.