Discussing Design with Simone de Gale Architects

Meet Simone de Gale

ceo and director, Simone de Gale Architects

Not only has Belgravia, London – based Simone de Gale, ceo and director of Simone de Gale Architects, been named Architect of the Year in the 2017 Women in Construction Awards; the International Entrepreneur of the Year in 2018; and a Westminster Lion in 2018, she is also the inventor of a patented materials defence technology developed in partnership with the Ministry of Defence. SGA is currently working on a £200m masterplan in Tbilisi, Georgia as well commercial and residential projects in Croatia, Abu Dhabi, the Caribbean, the USA, and a feasibility study for the London Hammersmith Flyunder.

What social trends are driving change and how do your designs respond to them?

Automation and technology. Our clients expect their homes to have the same kinds of tech found in commercial spaces. For example, we’re designing residential bathrooms with sensors to automatically turn on the lights and taps. This kind of demand will continue to intensify.

How will your pioneering work with the Ministry of Defence influence the way products and buildings are created in the future?

We invented a process that can make any material stronger, whether a metal or composites like S2 glass and carbon fibre. It makes materials more resistant to blasts and can be used to protect soldiers in armoured vehicles from IEDs. The patent has been granted for BASL (Blast Absorption Systems Ltd.) technology, and I’m the main inventor. We’re working with companies to make their items blast-proof. Products made using this technique are stronger and lighter than those without it, so for example, the ground floor of a skyscraper could be reinforced with ,high-performance materials for the flooring, wall panels, and hybrid composites that look like stone but perform better while being heat-resistant, more durable and low maintenance. Prestressed bending causes the material to react in a mechanical way that makes it stronger on one side. The prototype has been monitored at the MOD’s blast testing ranges, and the calculations done so it’s ready to be used in industry.

How do your designs anticipate your clients’ future needs?

It’s all about spatial planning. We try to give clients a unique design but with a robust shell and core that gives them flexibility without needing to make major changes in the building structure. For example, we’ve designed commercial co-working spaces that have a stage so they can also be used as a wedding venue or for Christmas parties. Workstations intended for hot-desking can be packed up at night to make room for a DJ and compere. We always use pure geometry like a circle or square or natural forms like a butterfly. Squares are particularly good because they have 100% useable space.

What needs to change in the design industry?

Architecture and interior design are quite far behind compared to other industries. The principles of product design need to be applied to buildings and infrastructure. For example, the iPhone is initially designed at a very high-level, but then specs are sent to manufacturers who roll it out on a mass scale. We’re getting there with modular prefab construction, but the ambition is to deliver precision manufacturing in building systems. Once a design is completed, it is fed into computers for robots to build. BIM is helping achieve that. In order to reach higher standards and cost efficiency in shorter periods of time, our mindset should be to design according to manufacturers’ standards, using new materials and advanced technologies to model spaces and coordinate work with other teams.

What wisdom can you pass on to interior designers and architects who are new in their careers?

It’s the same advice given to me – only work on a design if you’re passionate about it. There will be a range of options and materials in the design process, and it’s important to follow your heart and go with something you can develop. If you’re the lead designer, you have to push a concept forward, and believing in it will reassure your clients’ questions, doubts and ambiguities.

Simone is one of the prestigious experts invited to join the extraordinary jury for the SBID Product Design Awards, alongside other renowned professionals across industrial and interior design, brand development, architecture, educational research and forward-thinking enterprise.

Click here to view the full judging panel.