Reflections on our 5th Birthday

This week, Loader Monteith turns five years old; it’s hard to believe only five years have passed since we launched the practice. As we reflect on the projects, people, and experiences we’ve enjoyed in this time, the memories point to a much longer, richer history in collaboration with a vast array of wonderful clients, contractors, team members, and friends.

We set up Loader Monteith with the aim to create meaningful architecture. We wanted to enjoy spending our time designing buildings which really do make a difference to people’s lives, and which are functional, sensitive and beautiful. To this end, we’ve approached our work with the philosophy that any project is as good as you make it.

We feel lucky to have won and been selected for projects that in and of themselves are formative opportunities for young practices. One such project to mention here is High Sunderland, Peter Womersley’s modernist icon in the Scottish Borders we had the good fortune to restore after fire damage. Undertaking such challenging work has become our studio’s modus operandi. We are adept at and enjoy working on difficult sites, within heritage restrictions – happily, as we have Conservation Specialist, Iain King, on our team – and look back on our portfolio so far, grateful that it reflects experience of a much more established practice.

There’s a reason that you establish an architecture ‘practice’; the process of trial and of exploration leads to the progression of output, which evolves as you expose yourself to other interests and attitudes. We always like working with new collaborators and people who question our own preconceptions; it improves us and makes sure we remain curious and interested in the world around us.

Having an incredibly talented staff has definitely shaped us. We listen to everyone we work with to expose ourselves to diverse ideas and understand that there’s no one or right way to do things. This is echoed in our superb list of collaborators, from engineers to graphic designers, environmental consultants and joiners. The consequence of this is that we’re a much better studio now than we were five years ago, and we hope to continue to develop, learn, and enjoy the work and meeting new people over the years to come. We hope you’ll join us.

Matt & Iain