Lungfish | A fresh perspective to interior design
Contact
Hannah Scrimshaw interior design Lungfish Architects

News

18/02/2019

Share article

A fresh perspective to interior design

Interior Designer Hannah Scrimshaw joined Lungfish last summer, bringing a new dimension to our clients’ projects. She’s already worked her magic on our brand-new SCAPE Group office – now she’s got her sights set on schools, homes and heritage projects all over the country.

Hi Hannah, what brought you to Lungfish?

I graduated in summer 2017 and was lucky enough to get a two-week internship here. It was great, they threw me straight into some exciting projects, I challenged the ideas on the table and got to know the team. Next thing I knew, they offered me a job. I was about to go travelling, but they said I could start when I got back, so I jumped at the chance.

What does your role involve day to day?

I’m an interior designer – the first at Lungfish. Our architects know a huge amount about internal spaces but having a dedicated interiors specialist is great for our clients’ projects. I advise them on what products suit certain spaces, recommend colour schemes and really think about how people are going to use these spaces. But I think architecturally too, considering design details for stairs, windows and doors and utilising natural light and materials to lead users efficiently around their designed interiors – it’s about a lot more than cushions!

What inspires you about interior design?

It’s the opportunity to create the best environments possible for people – that’s super rewarding. It’s about capturing the little moments that make up their days and making them better through the spaces we design. We work a lot in education and I love having that chance to give something back. It’s great to be helping our clients create more inspiring learning environments that really do make a difference to people’s lives.

You helped design the new-look Lungfish office didn’t you?

Yes, I loved that project! Lungfish is part of SCAPE Group and until recently the Group’s teams and subsidiaries were based on different floors within the same building. When the opportunity came up to move into a bigger space and work alongside each other, it was perfect.

When I came on my internship I was put on the team leading the interiors initiative. An initial layout had been done but I challenged it, mixing things up and changing the team’s perspective on how we can create engaging environments to merge multiple companies onto one floor. I like to challenge. A tutor once told me you should always question everything – and it just stuck

Interior design SCAPE headquarters hero image

Interior design used to build engaging environments for the SCAPE office in Nottingham

SCAPE headquarters reception preview image

SCAPE office featuring a green wall

How do you feel about the finished thing?

It’s amazing. I produced mood boards, finishes palettes, sketches and drawing packs and then I went away travelling. When I came back it was all done and everyone had moved in! It’s quite surreal working in a space I helped design. I love the live wall in reception – it’s my favourite space. I was trying to create a strong impression, as well as social environments where the teams could come together. To be given that trust so early on was a great experience. It made me feel part of the team very quickly.

What inspiring architecture did you see when you were travelling?

I loved the comunas in La Paz in Bolivia. You take the Teleférico – like a cable car – high above this massive city, and you can look down and see all these snatched little moments of people’s lives. You’ll see families on their terraces, mums hanging out washing, kids playing… and the houses are just amazing. I couldn’t understand how they were still standing stacked upon each other, but it was such a fascinating window into what the community was all about.

How does it feel now you’re part of the Lungfish team?

I love these guys, they’re a good bunch of people with a great ethos. Everyone’s willing to step up and help each other and that creates such a positive atmosphere. We’re committed to giving our clients real consistency and confidence, so we put together a dedicated team for each project, staying loyal to the job from start to finish.

I think we’re quite a forward-thinking company too. We’re very aware of the climate in the sectors we design for, particularly education. We have so much data and research behind us, and we’re sensitive to the challenges our clients face, so we can help them look ahead. It’s like we’re putting together an architectural forecast for their future.

What’s coming up next for you?

I’ve recently been working on a feasibility study for turning a lovely dilapidated library into apartments. That’s essentially what my degree was about – refurbishing old buildings and generating a re-use for them. So, it’s literally the perfect job for me!

Longer-term, my ambition is just to be part of this award-winning practice we’ve got and really help it grow, engaging with clients during the design process to develop schemes that will enable the end users to experience inspiring, beautifully designed environments. I’d also love to lead a Lungfish interiors team – getting new talent in, creating a team within a team and offering our clients this whole new layer of design.


GROUP BW FOOTER IMAGE

Bring your ideas to life

Say hello to our experienced team

Talk to us