00013 / Q&A with Jonathan Clarke.
We asked co-founder, director and highly experienced Architectural Designer and Technologist Jonathan Clarke a wide range of quick-fire questions.
Do you prefer to start your day with tea or coffee?
Coffee, white, no sugar
Sweet or Savoury?
Both, but if pushed, I'd go savoury
Sunrise or sunset?
Sunset
Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter?
Summer, I love warmth. And coaching a junior football team, the wet, cold weather grinds me down. During the winter, I find myself obsessing over the weather forecast: will the match be on or not? Plus, a 7 am pitch inspection on a Saturday morning is fun for no one.
A film or a box-set?
Box-set. I much prefer something to get my teeth into
Cats or dogs?
Having both, I can't answer this one without upsetting someone.
What are your earliest recollections of being interested in architecture and design?
I always enjoyed drawing as a young child and spent countless hours building crazy structures with Lego. Then, one day, I realised that I could combine both with architecture.
Who are your favourite architects?
Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies Van Der Rohe are cliches, but they are architects whose work will be forever timeless.
What are your top 3 buildings?
Falling Waters (unsurprisingly), The Guggenheim and the Barcelona Pavilion.
What makes a well-designed building/home?
Good architecture should put the end user at the heart of its solution, whether that's a large public building or a family home. If the space doesn't work for who it's been designed for, then it has failed as a building.
When are you most productive?
In the early mornings or evenings.
And so what’s a badly designed building/home?
A building or home which doesn't consider who's living in or using the space is the obvious one, particularly given my previous answer. Beyond this, good architecture should be considered contextually and should respect the surrounding character. In contrast, badly designed homes or buildings can often be at odds with their surroundings.
What’s the best piece of advice you could give someone starting a building project?
Really think about what you want to get out of your project. What spaces do you really need, and what do you really want? Being clear about what is important to you will help us set a design brief that is really tailored to you and gives us great direction.
What is your favourite building material or finish?
It sounds boring, but there is something about a well-selected brick that can elevate a building without significant expense.
What is your favourite room in a house?
The dining room is the one room that is a true family space that we all use at least once daily.
What is your favourite design classic?
A Porsche 911.
What's your favourite place and why?
A football pitch. Not a stadium but a pitch. I've always loved football from a young age, but since my eldest son took up the game himself, it's been great to watch him and his friends playing the sport I love and see how it's helped give them all direction and togetherness. I can watch football at all levels, but grassroots is special. I'd much rather watch the lads play over Man City vs Arsenal any day of the week.
TV: your top three TV shows?
Stranger Things, Silicon Valley, and The Walking Dead
Films: your top three movies?
I struggle with this because the list could change easily depending on my mood. If I'm after a comedy, then the slapstick classic Kingpin would be up there, but if I'm after something more serious, then it has to be Goodfellas. And if I'm looking for something to watch with all the family, then I can't look past The Guardians of the Galaxy as my boys both love those.
Music: your top three albums?
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Californication. Blink 182 - Enema of the State, Kanye West - College Drop Out.
Going-out: best concert, show or performance?
Again, it's hard to pin down any show or performance, but my partner Shell and I went to see The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre in London, which was spectacular.
What was your favourite subject at school?
PE, although I was never the best. Academically, it would probably have been Maths or Graphic Design.
What was your favourite book as a kid?
The Lord of the Rings.
And, as an adult?
Again, The Lord of the Rings, It's a classic; it can’t be topped.
What is your most treasured possession?
My health. I don't really have a penchant for things. As the saying goes, time is a valuable thing.
What's the one thing you can't live without?
Coffee.
What keeps you awake at night?
Not coffee, that’s for sure.
What makes you go to sleep?
Having recently got a puppy, the early mornings and having to stay up late to take him out are certainly helping me sleep the second my head hits the pillow.
Sport & Leisure: what are your top three activities you like to watch or participate in?
Football, Football and Darts! (no, not really) - I bet you can guess.
Pastimes: do you have any hobbies or pastimes?
Coaching my son’s football team, watching Chesterfield FC with my dad and two boys, running (when I get a chance and find the inspiration) and walking out into the local countryside or, better yet, the Peak District National Park
What is your guilty pleasure?
Currently… Mince Pies
What advice would you give your younger self?
How long do we have here? I guess the key thing would be don't hesitate, just do it.