Over the past ten years yoo has become world-renowned for its expertise in delivering cutting-edge interior design to hotel, residential and resort developments around the globe. Due to client demand, it is now extending its services to include the concept architecture of exterior elements, allowing the perfect integration of the design concept and yoo ethos through every stage of construction.
Head of yoo architecture, Mark Davison, comments that, “With over a decade of global design and marketing experience in residential, hotel, leisure and office design, our team has the capability to either enhance an existing building or to start from scratch, regardless of the size or style of the scheme.”
The new offering will include all service aspects of concept design including master-planning and zoning, façade studies, massing and landscape design.
yoo architecture’s flagship development will launch in Istanbul in September this year. Situated in Ortaköy, the artistic district with views over the Bosphorus, yoo Istanbul will comprise 137 apartments with yoo inspired by Starck interiors, as well as a spa, swimming pools, a design garden and a residence club.
Chairman of yoo, John Hitchcox, says, “Our core creative team now offers a personalised, streamlined and consistent execution of the creative concept through all stages of the project: from the architectural designs to the interiors, fixtures, fittings and furnishings. Istanbul will offer a perfect cosmopolitan launch pad for our debut project as designers offering a complete architecture concept, where the exterior and interior designs are seamlessly integrated.”
Here, head of design Mark Davison tells property journalist Bernadette Costello why we are adding architecture to our portfolio – and why our award-winning designs add value to global developments.
Bernadette Costello: How did Yoo Architecture come about and why did you decide to launch a standalone building design service now?
Mark Davison: It was really in response to our clients who have often asked for our help in designing architectural elements of their projects. We have always been able to offer an integrated design service but we’ve just never channelled architecture into a comprehensive package.
Over the past 10 years we’ve worked on façade, landscaping, master-planning and amenities and we’ve got experience in concept building design for Tel Aviv, Miami South Beach, The Lakes by Yoo, Boston D4 and YooBulgaria.
However, we’ve never maximised the potential of a true architecture service and the timing just felt right for us.
BC: What will you offer developers with your new architecture service?
MD: We will provide a cohesive design solution for the exterior look of the building and its interior furnishings, or we can act as a standalone master consultant for the exterior only.
But we wouldn’t just do the exterior without looking at the function of the building and what it’s needed for. Our services range from zoning, master-planning and façade studies down to the materials and finish speculation.
BC: Why do global developers want to use the Yoo design team in particular?
MD: Our clients seem to have respect for what we do. Our design ethos is such that we’ll put forward ideas for their interiors but it often spills over to the exterior, which is why we’ve sometimes spent as much time designing concepts for the outside of the building as we have the interior.
We know how to create beautiful apartments, and we know how an arrangement of a building should be, and therefore we can work from the inside out. Essentially we’re now integrating the interior and exterior. We even look at the integration of each apartment. We don’t just design a building and then start chopping it up – we look at every apartment from within.
BC: How do you like to work with you engineers and local teams on international projects?
MD: We’re a boutique design studio and therefore flexible, so we like to work on a personal level.
Like Philippe Starck, I believe in leaving our egos under the table and to follow a collaborative process. Everybody’s ideas are considered which has proven successful for all our projects.
We are also very passionate about what we do which makes us very collaborative from the start.
We would never just turn up to a developer, for instance, and hand over a final design – we work with the local team as they also have experts and knowledge of the area.
BC: Does Yoo only work on a large-scale?
MD: We’ll work on something that interests us. If it’s intelligent and fun and something we feel we can add value to then we’ll take it on, even if it’s small!
BC: What comes first for Yoo – the building’s functionality or coming up with a dramatic concept design?
MD: Sometimes there’s no need to make a huge architectural ego statement – even on large-scale developments. It’s not an architectural circus of style in the Yoo Architecture team. Some large projects have only required us to make a subtle difference to the façade or cladding – or even to contribute to its sustainability. But what we’ve done gets great results.
BC: Is there a building you’d like to design but haven’t done yet?
MD: I’m not going to say something like the Empire State Building because we respond to what the site requires! We just want to create elegant projects and offer sensible design solutions.
We’re about cohesive design and exteriors that work beautifully with the interior. It’s a narrative if you like, we look and think about the way people should approach a building, and that’s how we get to know the full story.
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