Five Insights: Bennetts Associates

Bennetts associates, Five Insights is the second book to be published on the practice by Artifice books on architecture, looking at their work over the past decades. Authored by Rab and Denise Bennetts, as well as other members of the practice, the book provides a bespoke insight into one of the UK’s leading architecture firms. Projects considered extend from the soon to be completed Midland Goods Shed at King’s Cross in London to award-winning projects such as the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Jaguar Land Rover’s new facility at Gaydon.Unusual to many commercial practices, Bennetts Associates provide both their clients and staff with unique working environments where those involved with the project are encouraged to take an active role in the multiple aspects of a project coming into fruition. The practice encourages crossovers from senior members of staff through to new joiners such that the whole gamut of experiences of working on a project might be experienced by all. This is extended to Bennetts Associates’ clients, who are equally encouraged to become active members in the realisation of a scheme. The practice pays particular attention to the historic role of environmental conditions as these inform a building, as well as being at the forefront of concerns as varied as climatic variation, the relationship between the regional and the global, the expression of structure and composition in their architecture.The insights of “integrity”, “identity”, “the way we work”, “continuity and change” and “experience” are looked at here through the rubrics of facade evolution, placemaking, the role of the architect, detail, the permanent and the ephemeral, and the workplace.