FX Awards 2015: The winners
Interior Design Practice of the Year
Winner: Universal Design Studio
Category sponsored by iGuzzini
Universal Design Studio is an award-winning architecture and interior design practice based in London. It works internationally on commissions including boutique hotels and restaurants, retail spaces, galleries and renowned cultural institutions. Among its clients are Ace Hotel, London; Frieze Art Fair; Fortnum & Mason; H&M; Jimmy Choo; Hoi Polloi; Poltrona Frau; Stella McCartney, and Google.
Universal Design Studio uses a bespoke approach for each client, rich in intellectual rigour and creativity, to create inspiring places with a powerful visual impact. Its team of architects and designers have extensive practical knowledge of the design of commercial, retail and hospitality spaces, museums and exhibitions.
This knowledge provides the practice with the insight to make objects resonate and to create environments with impact. The studio is underpinned by a process of experimentation and refinement, working with physical models and mock-ups to fully explore and understand space and context to find unique, innovative solutions.
Universal Design Studio was founded in 2001 by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, in response to the growing demand for their distinctive design aesthetic and clever use of material details in an architectural and interior design context.
The studio is co-directed by Hannah Carter Owers and Jason Holley.
Outstanding recent projects include Mulberry Paris (2015), following on from designing Mulberry's first Asian flagship store in 2012; the Science Museum's Information Age permanent gallery, (2014); and the design for the new flagship Hardy Amies store, at Number 8 Savile Row, London (2014).
