MEET THE EXPERT - ARCHITECTS
Interview with ELLEN SACKS-JONES & PAUL O’NEILL
M 07939 722 440 | WWW.SJONARCHITECTS.COM
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE BACKGROUND OF SACKS JONES O’NEILL ARCHITECTS. We are a husband and wife team based in Sydenham. We started working together in 2023, bringing together two different professional backgrounds. Ellen spent fifteen years working for education and high-end residential practices in London, while Paul has run his own multi-disciplinary practice across London and Ireland since 2010. Because we’re a small team, we work closely with our clients throughout the design process. We like finding practical solutions that improve the way a home functions while creating spaces that feel comfortable and well considered. Our work ranges from listed buildings and sensitive refurbishments to substantial extensions and one-off new-build houses. WHO OR WHAT INSPIRED YOUR PASSION FOR HOME DESIGN? We’ve both always been interested in the way buildings influence how people live. That’s one of the reasons we continue to enjoy residential architecture - every client, every house and every site is different. What we find most rewarding is understanding how people want to live and designing spaces around that. Some projects involve careful alterations to an existing building, while others are much more ambitious, but the process is always about
storey side extension built on a strip of land that had previously been used to store broken pots and bags of soil. At its narrowest, the extension is just 1.2 metres wide, widening to 2.4 metres. Despite its size, it accommodates a playroom and utility room on the ground floor, with a home office above. The playroom has low-level windows so children can look out while sitting on the floor. The naturally raised position of the site and mature planting provide privacy from the road. Upstairs, a vaulted ceiling brings plenty of light and makes the office feel much bigger than it is. What we’re most pleased with isn’t the size of the extension, but how well it has become part of the family’s everyday life. It’s a good example of how an overlooked part of a site can become one of the most useful parts of a home. HOW DO YOU WANT A CLIENT TO FEEL WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED WORK ON THEIR PROJECT? We want our clients to feel that the project was worthwhile and that their home is a better place to live because of it. It’s always nice when someone sees the finished result and says “wow”, but the real test is how the house feels to live in six months or a year later. If our clients feel we’ve helped them make the most of their home, and they’ve enjoyed the process along the way, then we’d consider it a success.
understanding the brief and finding the right response. The best part comes once the project is finished and the house has been lived in for a while. It’s rewarding to see clients settle in and use the spaces in ways that feel completely natural, often in ways they hadn’t imagined at the start of the project. WHAT’S A COMMON MISCONCEPTION ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE ARCHITECT? A common misconception is that architects simply draw plans. In reality, a lot of our job is understanding what’s important to our clients, spotting opportunities they may not have considered, and guiding projects through planning, design and construction. We spend a great deal of time solving problems, coordinating consultants and contractors, and helping clients make informed decisions. Having an objective perspective and plenty of experience means we can often help clients get more from their budget, their property and their project. The drawings and designs are just one part of the job. Understanding the brief, asking the right questions and helping clients navigate the process are just as important. TELL US ABOUT A PROJECT YOU ARE PARTICULARLY PROUD OF. One of the smaller projects we’re particularly fond of is a modest two-
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