Our Story
Co - Curate Architects was set up to design buildings without the constraints and bureaucracy larger business become burdened with. Quick, efficient and nibble without carrying large overheads or shareholder obligations. Not relentlessly focused on the bottom line, reporting and monitoring efficiency but on creative expression and delivery as part of a curated, collective team all working towards a common goal with a shared passion.
A return to unincumbered free thought, design freedom with the benefit and hindsight of years in practice and out on building sites. A chance to work closely with clients and really take the time to listen and understand what they want. To take them on an explorative journey to find designs and solutions that work for them aesthetically, functionally, technically and financially.
An environment where collaborative, non hierarchal, creativity is given the space and time to express itself before being gathered together and wrapped in a technical, deliverable, budget conscious, commercially minded blanket to deliver efficient and considered building.
Co - Together and Jointly - Collaborative
Curate - Selecting, organising and managing information for display - A Building
Co - Curate Architects Refers to the act of collaboratively selecting and organising designs, materials and information to enable a building to be conceived and delivered.
I'm David Crosthwait, the founding director of Co-Curate Architects. I have over 25 years experience designing and delivering award winning private residential homes, residential developments, commercial and leisure building, hospitality, workplaces, healthcare and mixed use projects across scales around the UK.
I began my career at Farrells working on signature large scale projects before moving to the opposite end of scale to follow a passion for the reuse of heritage buildings and historic listed homes. This led on to 10 years at Lipton Plant Architects, a design focused award winning studio working on prime residential one off homes, developer residential led projects, flagship office buildings, private healthcare and early years education. The last 2 years were spent as a director at Corstorphine & Wright an AJ top 15 national practice working with commercial developers and PLC's to deliver projects at scale.
Lets start a conversation - get in contact to discuss your project and see how we can curate it together.
Services
We provide Architectural Design Services across all the RIBA Stages 0-6 and anything inbetween alongside the Principal Designer role for Building Regulations.
All projects are unique and require a tailored approach which we set out and agree as part of our appointment, some will have a much lighter touch than others with fewer stages, particularly complex projects and projects of scale will go through a much more involved multi staged approach.
Below is an overview of the RIBA stages and what they could mean for your project.
Stage 0 - Strategic Brief and Objectives
Defining a brief to enable funding to be sort or sites to be sourced. Useful at all scales to set out the project agenda and agree key objectives, focusing both the client and wider consultant team. Typically pre appointment.
Stage 1 - Feasibility
This is often pre purchase to give you an understanding of what's achievable, it can be a quick and simple discussion or a series of capacity sketches alongside some planning consultancy to a much more involved brief looking at optioneering, development envelope, massing, alternative uses, design strategy, initial concepts, look and feel along with planning strategy, heritage and even structural, environmental, daylight and transport impacts.
Stage 2 - Concept Design
With a defined brief we work with you to explore options and prepare initial concept designs and early visuals. Depending on the planning strategy this is often the first chance to engage with the planners through pre application and outline applications for larger schemes or more informal planning consultation for smaller private residential projects.
Stage 3 - Developed Design
Finalising the design and preparing any supporting technical documentation alongside a design and access statement when required. Typically includes submission of the full planning application if required and if not already submitted at Stage 2 or a certificate of lawful development for permitted development schemes. For outline consents it includes the reserved matters applications. Any listed building applications required are submitted in tandem.
Stage 4 - Technical Design
Preparation of detailed drawings and specification alongside the wider consultant team in preparation for Tender.
Stage 5 - Construction
Construction issue drawings to capture any changes and any statutory requirements from Stage 4. Overseeing the construction process and ensuring compliance with the design. Could involve administering the building contract for smaller projects without a Quantity Surveyor and or Project Manager.
Stage 6 - Handover
Completing the project, sign off and handover.
Stage 7 - In use
Managing the buildings operation and maintenance.