CONTACT - Guernsey Chamber of Commerce

coMpaNY proFile | ABM Architects
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with access to modern technologies
and materials. We believe we have
a moral obligation to be designing
sustainable buildings that are less
demanding in respect of energy and
resources as we feel this will be ever
more important in the future’.
BaS Mooarc’s latest commercial
achievement to date is the elegant
Glategny court, a project that combines
traditional overtones and state of
the art design to create a striking
office development along Guernsey’s
prestigious seafront. However the
creation of bespoke homes on some
of Guernsey’s most sought after
sites are some of the practices more
challenging but rewarding work.
Jamie explains, ‘client expectations
are higher than ever before as people
have access to far more information
through the internet and programmes
such as Grand Designs. i also believe
as a community we are searching for a
new vernacular - a modern response to
how live today – the kitchen as a ‘hub’,
taking advantage of natural light and
stunning views, the idea of blurring the
boundaries between inside and outside.
all this makes for an exciting mix of
56 | CONTACT | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 | www.guernseychamber.com
demands from our living spaces and
we really enjoy the process of sitting
down with clients at the beginning of
a project to work out how we create
those ‘Honeymoon moments’!
two of BaS Mooarc’s recent projects
- les Bardeaux in Guernsey and le Foin
Bas in Jersey have been shortlisted for
the riBa Downland prize, the results
of which are due to be announced in
a few weeks. they have also won two
prestigious awards in the UK property
awards 2010, in the category of Best
architecture (Single residence) in the
UK, again for le Foin Bas, Jersey and
another for the lodge, Guernsey a
stunning home next to the reservoir.
Both houses now go forward to the
best house in the world category.
it certainly appears that this talented
group of directors is spearheading a
company with exacting principles
and beliefs. ‘Whatever the project, the
BaS Mooarc philosophy is to fuse the
aspects of space, light and material.
these are the central elements of
our work, which we balance with
respect for the heritage of our island,
the impact on our local environment
and the sustainability of the work we
Top: The Lodge at the reservoir, St
Saviours. Far left: Le Foin Bas Jersey.
Left: Collingwood in Guernsey. Above:
The new Glategny Chambers is
Guernsey’s most energy efficient
public building.
produce,’ explains Jamie. ‘Maximising
the potential and opportunity of
each property and most importantly
adding value through design for our
clients is central to what we do’.
although riBa and other industry
awards adorn the office, as do countless
national and international magazine
articles on the properties they’ve
created, they remain clear about what
makes a successful building. as Jamie
emphasised ‘it all comes down to
the people who are ultimately going
to use the building. Whether it is a
home or a workspace we aim to create
spaces that enhance the lives of the
occupants. if we achieve this, then
in our eyes, we have succeeded.’
BaS Mooarc is a close-knit
team of creative individuals who
thrive on pushing the boundaries
of restrictions and constraints from
planning to construction. this
simple ethos has contributed to
the innovation of Guernsey’s built
environment and although at times
this has split opinion, there is no
doubt it has given Guernsey a legacy
of exciting design which this practice
believe will stand the test of time.