's ethos is to test & push the capacity
of new buildings & places to be ‘soulful’
Otterlo
Otterlo's ethos is to test and push the capacity of new buildings and places to be ‘soulful’. We draw inspiration from Aldo van Eyck's 'Otterlo Circles,' presented, alongside a staged death of Modernism, at the last International Congress of Modern Architecture in 1959.
This ideogram symbolises the integration of diverse cultural influences and social values in design, aiming to create buildings and spaces that are relatable, human, and soulful.
The name Otterlo serves as a reminder of van Eyck's approach to making buildings and places. We engage deeply with the neighbourhoods we work in, understanding their community and morphology through community events, listening, observing, and extensive context research.
Collaborating with experienced urban and landscape architects, we transform this knowledge into buildings and places that enhance community life. This approach often leads to innovative solutions driven by methodology rather than fashion.
A notable example is Otterlo's partnership with a forward-thinking charity in East London, creating St Katharine’s Precinct in Limehouse. This temporary community facility, featuring 12 shipping containers, 2 Mongolian yurts, a log burner, and a community garden, was designed to bring together the community to identify what long-term facilities could serve to reduce loneliness and foster social connections.
The engagement process at St Katharine’s Precinct involved listening and empowering participants, resulting in strong community support for the planning application. Over a hundred letters and emails backed the proposal, which includes permanent community facilities, 115 new homes, and a retreat facility.
Building on this success in Limehouse, Otterlo ensures ethical standards across all projects, adhering to the Quality of Life Foundation’s ‘Code of Practice for effective community consultation and engagement in development'. Our commitment to listening, observing, and understanding communities ensures our buildings are relatable, human, and soulful.
Rediscovering the City
Aldo van Eyck spoke about reimagining cities through the eyes of their future and present users, particularly children:
“To consider the city is to find ourselves. To find the city is to rediscover the child. If the child rediscovers the city, the city will rediscover the child – it will rediscover us.”
His articulate opposition to the total remodelling of Amsterdam into a modernist city showed his resilience and foresight. Van Eyck was commissioned by the municipality to create over 734 playgrounds on bomb sites across Amsterdam between 1947 and 1978. These small but impactful interventions catalysed human-scale renewal, embodying a ‘Play, Work, Life’ approach to making new pieces of the city.
By transforming bomb sites into playgrounds, van Eyck introduced a sense of place and occasion that fostered dialogue in a war-ravaged city. His work reknitted the broken fabric of neighbourhoods, creating new buildings and spaces that resonated with the past while establishing a confident present.
specialises in knitting new buildings
& places into sensitive heritage contexts
Otterlo
We believe a place's essence is shaped by a balance of values:
O safe, diverse & proportionate street patterns;
O connectivity, permeability, & vibrant activity;
O street planting, gardens, parks & public realm;
O diverse land uses, services & economic
OOopportunities;
O quality of architectural design;
O rich tapestry of people, and;
O identity, cohesion, and opportunities
OOfor social encounter.
1824-1832, Trinity Church Square, Borough - an example of speculative building growth designed by Francis Bedford a distinguished South London church architect - Grade II Listed
These elements are prominent in conservation areas and locales rich in cultural heritage, which we view as invaluable social assets fostering a deep sense of belonging and well-being.
Our mission is to enrich well-being and restitch London's historic fabric. This requires architectural excellence, thoughtful green spaces, and public realms that harmonize with sensitive environments.
Harrison's 1642 Plan, showing the city wall and a large fort on the approach to London Bridge
John Rogue's 1746 Plan of Southwark
Stanford, 1872
Bombs Damage Map, 1945
We invest heavily in understanding each neighbourhood's dynamics—its community, history, and morphology. Collaborating with architects and urban specialists, we strive to develop places that are human, soulful, and inviting.
DETAIL
CRAFT
RIGOUR
is founded upon decades of
creating new places
Otterlo
My journey started as a teenager labouring on buildings sites in King's Cross. Reading Modern History in Edinburgh, I discovered an appreciation of living in a dense compact city. One that is vibrantly populated with people, food, culture, entertainment, heritage & modernity. The bug of needing to be part of making new pieces of city was unleashed.
Back in London I worked for urban developers renowned for high quality buildings and importantly creating new spaces around the buildings – together creating energised new places.
Amidst the grey months following the Financial Crisis, one October morning to the bafflement of many, I swopped 6am suited meetings for joining a line of students matriculating to study architecture.
Momentum from leading a development team in a FTSE 100 company, combined with the joy of feeling like 'a pig in muck', propelled me to secure a first-class honours, a retrospective scholarship, and a RIBA President's Bronze Medal nomination. This passion endures as an informed client and guest critic at Central St Martins and the University of Westminster.
I founded Otterlo in 2013 to carefully and sensitively join the dots from unseen development sites to soulful & lower carbon new places.
Lucian Grant
I live in a Camden neighbourhood, akin to the communities Otterlo works in, with my wife and my two sons. London is my canvas; for family, work, play, for life.
