Explore Craft

Commissioning Craft for the Built Environment

'Water's Murmur' an Architectural Sculpture project for 1-9a & 17 Kinnerton Street, Mayfair, London. Project commissioned by Grosvenor estates. Project completed by Julian Stocks Ltd in colaboration with KSS Architects, 2009.

‘Water’s Murmur’ a celebration of the River Westbourne that flows beneath Kinnerton Street, in Mayfair, London. Made from water-jet cut metalwork, the project celebrates this hidden river and aims to re-establish the link between the city and nature and celebrate the waters that flow beneath our feet. By Julian Stocks Ltd in collaboration with KSS Architects, commissioned by Grosvenor estates, 2009.

Specialist crafts practitioners can add inspiring and innovative design elements to development projects, and this is currently encouraging collaboration on a large scale in the public, private and domestic setting.

Such elements as hand-made glass for windows, iron or wood-carved gates or staircases, or bespoke stone carving can make a project highly individual and eye-catching. A maker’s grasp of colour, texture, scale and space can add a whole new dimension to a project when developed in collaboration with commissioners, architects, planners and landscape designers. Makers can use materials in new ways and develop new working processes with challenging and unexpected results, offering a finish that represents some of the best in cutting-edge design.

  • 'Water's Murmor' detail, (showing Regents Park), water-jet cut metal and plexi-glass, Julian Stocks Ltd, 2009.

    'Water's Murmor' (detail), showing Regents Park, London. Julian Stocks Ltd, photography Julian Stocks, 2009.

Below, commissioners and craft practitioners share experiences and tips

• Architect Paul Monaghan of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris advises architects who commission craft for the first time to trust the practitioner to come up with the ideas, hard as it can be to let go. He says the best results happen when the practitioner is given the brief and trusted to fly with it:
‘When a project works, the end result is richer than the sum of its parts: transformed by the collaboration, it looks seamless, as if it was always meant to be.’

• Architect Eric Parry frequently uses craft in his projects and says that craft practitioners give him a better understanding of materials:
‘However sophisticated manufacturing processes are these days, a craftsperson always gets more out of the material.’

• Director of Art and Heritage at Guy’s and St Thomas’s Karen Sarkosian commissions architects and creative practitioners:
’If practitioners get involved with the architects early on, their work becomes integral to the architecture.’

• Kate Maestri, architectural glass artist:
‘Good communication is key: present designs in a way which can be understood and interpreted within the context of the building. Undertake detailed research and be open to ideas and work as a team member.’

• Ptolemy Mann, textile artist and colour consultant:
‘Learn to read architects drawings and how to work with their plans on a computer.’
‘Get onto the main materials budget rather than the art budget – the latter frequently gets cut when projects overrun!’

For more information on commissioning craft for the home or personal use please see commissioning craft