DAK Core Values

1. Beautiful Design

We don’t want to have to fight for beautiful architectural design. Or feel the need to champion quality and cheer-on the unique. We believe it should be a fundamental consideration for any project; but sadly it is not.

Architecture must, of course, be functional: for without function beautiful design is either art – or narcissism. Buildings need soul and beauty, yes. They should be interesting and inspiring: undoubtedly. But they must also be used. Visited. Worked-in. Lived-in. Appreciated. Valued. For a building must not just look right, it must feel right. It must be right.

This is what we want to create with you. We are not bean-counters who minimise living space to maximise profit. Your profit will come from appeal, not cramming: buildings that create attention, interest, desire. In our mass-produced word where houses are templates and offices are blocks it is the unique that catches the eye. The talented who push the boundaries. The passionate who create the future.

2. Respect

Architecture is about respect. We respect our client’s needs, wishes and desires. Respect the community – the people and the buildings – that live with and influence our work. Respect the environment on a small and a grand scale, aesthetically and materially. Respect history and the vernacular. Respect styles and opinions we may not yet have embraced – and respect those we choose not to.

3. Honesty & Integrity

Is there such a thing as a dishonest building? We think so. In fact, we know so. We design and build with honesty and integrity: buildings to be loved, not despised. Buildings that complement – even improve – their surroundings. Buildings that create conversation, not controversy. Buildings for people. Honest buildings with integrity.

4. A Demand For Quality

We don’t settle for second-best. We don’t shave a few pennies off a price at the expense of the attention to detail something as permanent, as prominent, as a building deserves. Quality design starts at the beginning and must continue unhindered throughout: we think, we talk, we brainstorm, we plan, we design, we model, we build. We demand quality.