Thaliana Bridge for RHS Garden, Harlow Carr
Gagarin Studio and DP Squared Engineers, working with The Landscape Agency have completed a new bridge at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, North Yorkshire. The Thaliana Bridge spans over the Queen Mother Lake at the south end of the gardens creating improved access, new routes and new views to and from the bridge across the water. New lakeside gardens are proposed by The Landscape Agency and an existing bank of trees will be strengthened to provide a more effective buffer to the adjacent road noise. The bridge design is inspired by the pioneering research of Dr Rachel Leech and her genome […]
Old Smoky
Our design for a modern replacement dwelling in the Lake District National Park received full support from the Local Planning Authority. Whilst undeniably a modern house, we wanted to ensure that this was a sensitive piece of contextual design, and one that reflected the vernacular form and materials of the Lake District, balanced with a modern approach to living. The design sets the house into the hillside topography, elevating the living spaces with glorious views out over Ullswater and up to Helvellyn. The scheme makes the most of the landscape, framing the fells and maximising light within the interior and […]
01 We’re a double act
At the heart of Gagarin are Steve Gittner and Gayle Appleyard but we’d be nowhere without a fantastic supporting cast of designers, architects and other professionals that we work alongside. The best projects are collaborations and the most successful outcomes are made through bringing people onboard through the process – clients, specialists, building users, statutory bodies and contractors. You can find out a bit more about Steve and Gayle’s experience and skills here Gayle CV / Steve CV Thanks to ©Sarah Mason Photography ©Panda Film Productions
02 What’s in a name…
We hope we have a bit of the pioneering optimism of our namesake. We conceived of the venture on (or around) the 50th anniversary of Yuri’s first flight in space – a slightly shoed-horned acronym was an added bonus…(Gittner, Appleyard-Gittner, ARchitecture and Interiors) ‘Yuri’ Andy Banks Woodcut Screenprint on Newsprint
03 Designing within Constraints
We like something to bounce off and to spark a good idea. That’s why we relish working with interesting buildings; sometimes Listed, sometimes a little less precious, and then breathing new life into them.
04 As little as possible/as much as necessary
Not a comment on our work ethic but a summary of a ‘light touch’ approach to building conservation.
05 Authenticity & Integrity
We like our designs to be of our time – full of modern aspiration and supported by the latest technology and building standards. Our designs are definitely contemporary, whilst complimenting the setting through careful consideration of the context. We don’t do pastiche – mimicry of past styles isn’t flattering. We like our buildings to appear new and gradually settle in like a good pair of denim jeans. We say no to stonewashed architecture!
06 Wonderful Normality
We love the notion of lifting the ‘everyday’ to the ‘something wonderful’. It doesn’t take much, just a bit of thought and ambition – probably wouldn’t cost much more than the ‘good enough’
07 ‘Learn everything, forget everything, play’
A quote attributed to Jimi Hendrix, which we like to relate to the design process. It’s great to do the surveys and research, read the case studies and best practice but it’s also fine to have a hunch and design instinctively then sit down and work out why it works. As the late great Tony Wilson punned, ‘Praxis makes perfect’ which greets us every morning when we arrive at the studio.
08 Regional Creatives
We know there is vibrant, creative life outside the M25 – working regionally doesn’t mean a loss of ambition or lower horizons, even if London-centric media and businesses prefer that perception. Being a regional practice gives us the opportunity to respond to context, invest in our regional economies and engage local communities.
09 ‘View of a Town’
‘He stopped the car and we gazed down into its blackened labyrinth. I could see he was proud of it. “It’s like Hell, isn’t it?” he said enthusiastically’. This is Wyndham Lewis describing a trip to Halifax with fellow Vorticist, Edward Wadsworth in 1915. We’re equally proud of our town and area, (part urban/part rural) and enjoy making a mark in its continuing regeneration. ‘View of a Town’ Edward Wadsworth. Woodcut Screenprint
10 Hapless fans of music
We often use music as a reference point or analogy to our design process. Our favourite music embodies a bit of who we are and mirrors how we work. Whether its being creative within constraints – ‘Voodoo Ray’ was a great tune built around a sample clipped to a few seconds due to the limited memory of the early sampler – Morrissey and Marr set their own stylistic constraints by eliminating what they didn’t want to be and then worked in the space remaining to create a sound which was wholly new. Or how music can capture the essence and […]
