Assael Architecture launches new division, Assael Interiors
Assael Architecture has launched Assael Interiors, a new division that will complement its architectural services and support its growing portfolio of work in the residential and commercial sectors.
The division will be headed by Anya Sokolskaya, who formerly worked at Conran & Partners, to provide a comprehensive interior design service across the UK and internationally.
Through its experience of mixed-use placemaking and working with commercial developers, operators, institutions and funds, Assael has recognised a growing need for interior designers to respond to and design for society’s new ways of living, working and socialising in locations where mobility and flexibility is in demand.
The launch of the division has been influenced by Assael’s experience of working in the residential sector, particularly in Build to Rent where clients retain schemes for investment rather than selling on. This has resulted in clients taking more of an active interest in not only the interior design, but also the ongoing lifecycle management of these spaces.
Assael Architecture is renowned for its work in the emerging Build to Rent PRS asset class, where it has designed schemes including Creekside Wharf for Essential Living, Young Street and Hortensia Road for Grainger plc, and Pontoon Dock, the Mayor of London’s gateway site to Barrier Park in Newham.
Russell Pedley, Director and co-founder of Assael, said:
“Our aim is to deliver a creative interior design service that complements our award-winning architectural services for discerning, quality-conscious clients. It reflects our ethos of designing from the ‘inside-out’ and builds on our approach to architecture and urban design, and also means we can deliver a comprehensive service by working closely with architects from the outset.”
To celebrate the launch, Assael hosted a series of breakfast seminars over the course of two days to discuss the new drivers in the design of our changing environments. Based on the theme ‘Nomad City’, the topics explored the way we want to work and the way we want to live, with guest speakers including Camilla James, Marketing and Communications Manager at Impact Hub Westminster; Anna Leigh, Senior Architect at Assael; Craig Fisher, Director of CF Commercial; James Layfield, Founder of Central Working; Mark Davy, Founder of Future City; Rory O’Hagan, Director at Assael, Debra Yudolph, Partner at Say Property Consulting; and Gerard Greene, Founder of Society.
Anya Sokolskaya, Associate at Assael, added:
“How we design for the workplace and the home is changing, which is why timing of the launch of Assael Interiors couldn’t be better. We’re at such an exciting juncture right now; not only are we welcoming new players to the industry who are committed to doing things differently, but we are also witnessing a shift from traditional home ownership to Build to Rent PRS that will affect how we approach the design of these spaces in the future. We want to position ourselves alongside the best in the industry, while continuing to have an open conversation about how we should design for our new ways of living and working.”
