Dicle Guntas of HGG London answers some questions from David Taylor.

HGG London is a design driven development company. I know it’s en vogue to use phrases like ‘design driven’ - but we really mean it!  It permeates all of our projects, and the way we interact with stakeholders. Part of this is ensuring we respond to the contemporary issues of the built environment – quality, sustainability and wellbeing to name a few.  

We’re London focused - which is exciting, stimulating and challenging in equal measure. A number of our projects have sat on complicated sites with many constraints, not just spatial. As tricky as this can be, it’s exciting to see these very challenges transforming into the unique design elements that give the completed project additional layers.

I think this experience, the design approach and our interest in understanding and using different materials positions ourselves in an out of ordinary place, if anything.

Sure. The Old Rectory is an amazing Grade II Listed building with a bell tower and a clock mechanism. It is a sensitive restoration project to create modern offices, which is also special to us because we moved our offices there last year as well. Sector-wide, it’s not very often that we end up becoming the end user of the projects we work on. This is something that I was always curious about - perspective wise, it’s very important. 

Our Old street project is a mixed use commercial building with a CLT-steel hybrid structure which will be completed this year. The project team has come up with this well-thought out design that minimises the on-site components and responds to the climate emergency with embodied carbon well within RIBA 2030 target.

I suppose while the Old Rectory is a project that focuses more on the past of the building, working with the existing and the interior details, Old Street focuses more on the site constraints, contemporary construction techniques and structural and practical elements. It is nice to have such variety in our portfolio.

Choosing the design team is, of course, a very important part of any development process. I always start by choosing the architect first. It’s what we’ve always done, mostly because of the nature of the projects in our back catalogue. 

Once we go through the brief with the architect, the decision for the rest of the team is more like a collaboration between us. I have been very fortunate to meet a number of good consultants over the years. One of the best parts of the job is meeting new people, learning about new companies, and keeping up to date with innovation in the sector. I believe the key to any successful project is a synchronised, interested and ambitious team.

 

Hmm, I think what I like most about Mary’s approach is impressive attention to detail.

As a business person who is coming from a company rooted in Türkiye, it has been a fascinating journey to start from the beginning and having an understanding of the UK property agenda and London built environment. Having the experience and support on my side combined with a new and agile structure has been great.

My passion for art and architecture is the reason I do what I do the way I do it. I love working with architects that have a strong sense and appreciation of design, and I believe each project we deliver is a creative investment. The developer-architect relationship is much like the relationship between an art commissioner and artist - any brief I set is bound to be more compelling through this approach.

We are launching a new public art initiative soon. I believe that public art can be installed in projects of different sizes as part of the building design with the introduction of an artist to the project in early stages and collaboration with the design team. This way, we can have a permanent installation as an integral part of a building fabric, saving materials and ensuring the maintenance of the artwork. I am very excited about this idea and looking forward to realising it.

We recently got planning permission for a residential refurbishment project in Euston with Bureau de Change architects.  This is our first fully residential development and there has been quite a bit of discussion about the use of spaces and creating more modern and useful layouts, which was interesting. One of the other things that I find very exciting on this project is the façade design. We will be using the existing brick façade of the building as an aggregate for the new GRC façade which I think will be a good example of material re-use.

 

Hopefully we’ll continue setting precedents in the industry for thoughtful, high-quality development. There is an interesting conversation about offices shifting more towards hospitality.  As someone with a hospitality postgraduate degree, I’m keeping an eye on this trend and looking out for the right opportunity to experiment with new ideas.

 

Beyond that, we’ll keep challenging ourselves to avoid repetition and deliver interesting, unique buildings that enhance London’s one-of-a-kind cityscape.