Richard Parr: Modern traditionalist

Living and working in Stroud has brought Richard closer to the creative scene there too, “Stroud is the birth of the arts and crafts movement and there are so many arts and crafts designers. You can take Coventry cathedral as a 20th-century example of this design era, but the church that’s three miles from my house has been designed by William Morris. We’ve got works by Rossetti, Burne-Jones and Leighton nearby so there’s a strong tradition of creativity,” Richard smiles proudly.

The practice’s ongoing presence in London led them to open a new studio in Notting Hill. The new space takes over the first floor of the People’s Hall building, which once served as the cultural centre for the Republic of Frestonia – a commune of local artists and activists.

“When I walked into the space, I thought this is it. This is us. It was a little run-down but sometimes you have to go with your gut. I think its history is part of what drew me to it,” Richard recalls, “it’s a building that was used as a public or at least a semi-public space and we intend to honour that by hosting events and inviting people into it. We’ve always been keen to support community life”.

Colours are muted but are thoughtfully applied. The studio mixed their own paints and tones to refer to the surrounding architectural vernacular, like ‘People’s Red’ which hints at the external brickwork of the building. There are hints of Richard’s Cotswold studio in the People’s Space too – an industrial twist to its aesthetic. Pitched beams that have been lime-washed cut the soaring ceilings, windows encased with a dark metal frame and minimalist Danish mid-century furnishings. “We’ve brought elements of the country to this studio to put our mark on the space. For example, our craftsmen have carved the coffee tables from naturally fallen trees, reusing materials that have organically reached their end of life. We’re going to do a show on their work here, which I’m looking forward to – it’s important to showcase this kind of sustainable practice,” Richard notes, “the roof above us is made from shredded wood and is coated in CO2 -absorbing paint by Graphenstone.”

While the space might enhance creativity, wellbeing is another central aspect; the high-spec kitchen and bar encourage gatherings and team members take it in turns to cook lunch for the office – its diversity makes these occasions particularly exciting. One week might be risotto, another could be stir-fry. Equally, for those looking for privacy, there’s no need to stay glued to your desk. “People can use the space how they wish. They could get up and walk around, have meetings in the mezzanine and make use of the library,” Richard lists.

Although his Cotswolds and London studios might have some similarities, Richard points out they each have very different energies. People’s Space is centred around the richness of London architecture and urban materials. Meanwhile, Easter Park Farm makes use of floor-to-ceiling glass walls and scenic views. “It’s got a strong connection with nature and the acoustics change as you go between the different office spaces”.

Both are connected by history and Richard’s passion for adaptive reuse. “Preserving the essence of the place is important to us because we don’t like to sanitise. Our work isn’t shiny, we distil something that was always there into something new. It’s rethought, reengineered and projected forward. As a practice, we are keen to connect with identities and localities”. The concept need not be limited to older buildings either. Richard points to the numerous high-rise office spaces that have been recently vacated as attitudes towards working patterns have changed. “There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with those office floors. They’ve been designed for quantity rather than quality. They’re rational rather than emotive spaces. Design should be concerned more with emotions than pure need but to do that we’ve got to analyse how we want to live,” Richard says.

With established offices in London and the Cotswolds, Richard and his team have well-connected bases that make working across England much more fluid. Given the breadth of their portfolio, Richard’s long-standing relationship with Notting Hill made it the obvious choice for his new studio. As their presence and work expands, there are several exciting projects in the pipeline.