Meet the team: Charlotte

Tell us a little bit about you, your background and your role at spacelab_? I am a fully qualified architect with experience in both new build and retrofit but have always had more of a passion for refurbishment and interiors. I previously worked in the education sector which helped me to appreciate the value added through design. For me natural daylight, flow and how you feel in a space is far more valuable than filling a space with luxurious finishes. Hence the importance of working across the boundary between architecture and interiors. My role at spacelab_ is to work alongside the team to ensure we're thinking big and working closely with our clients to create the best projects possible! What inspires you? I love the ocean and tend to feel much more inspired when I'm near (or in) water, but there's nothing more inspiring than working with people who get really excited about ideas that others wouldn't think possible. When starting a new project I always look to find a specific problem that needs solving and then intertwine that with the context of the building and the client to create the design concept. What do you like the most about your work? My favourite bit of any project is the really early stage thinking, when you can gather around a table and discuss any idea that comes into your head, I've always thought it was really important not to lose that big thinking. Someone once told me that we should never propose anything that we know will work and that really stuck with me. What would your ideal project be? Big ideas, a modest budget and plenty of time up front to really get into the design narrative. What made you want to join the lab_? The lab_'s willingness to question the norm and the openness of the team, there can't be anything worse than working within a team where you're too scared to throw around some crazy thoughts. If you could change one thing within the industry, what would it be? Schmoozing...there's nothing more intimidating than a room full of suits.