We were recently interviewed by Jonathan Jacobs on the Behind the Build podcast and prompted to reflect on our approach to architecture. The conversation touched on familiar themes in our work: pared-back forms, warm natural tones, texture, and a restrained execution. While summarising, I found myself saying, almost instinctively, “we prefer a cave to a computer.”

In many ways, that phrase captures much of what drives us. Architecture, at its best, is a place of refuge and escape. It is an antidote to the pace and pressure of contemporary life. Increasingly, we see our role as creating environments that stand apart from the digital world - not in opposition to technology, but as an intentional counterbalance to it.

The metaphor of the cave is not about darkness or retreat, but about depth, protection, and calm. It is a reminder that spaces should shelter, soften, and restore. In contrast, the “computer” suggests efficiency, speed, and constant connectivity - qualities that are necessary in many areas of life, but not the ones we believe should define the home.

Our mission, in an era of AI integration and ever-present screens, is to design spaces that allow for disconnection. We conceal technology where possible, integrate it discreetly where necessary, and give primacy to the tactile and the timeless. Render, stone, timber, and light form the architecture, not the devices that inhabit it.

Call me a hermit, but I will always retreat to the cave. For us, the enduring value of architecture lies in creating environments that nourish, restore, and endure - places where life can unfold freely, away from the glow of the screen.