Oren Karev. Design to Reconnect

A project of reuse at its core, the original home of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade from 1878. Gail’s Southwark Fire Station explored how circular design principles can redefine the future of commercial interiors.

Following an in-depth study of material research and exploration, the project investigated how reclaimed, recycled and bio-based materials could inform a more responsible approach to design. Working with a client committed to exploring alternatives in not only design but logistics and operations, the project developed a material palette focused on origin, experimentation and lifecycle value.

Materials include solid surfaces for the counters from Smile Plastics manufactured from recycled plastic waste, Margent Farm hemp panels created from agricultural waste streams, locally sourced cork acoustic panels and reclaimed gym floorboards from a Yorkshire children’s school.

Furniture and finishes followed the same principles, incorporating British Pasture Leather sourced as a by-product from cattle supply lines, alongside solid timber elements including locally felled London Black Poplar and FSC plywood over MDF for its value in post-consumer recovery.

The project embedded Design For Disassembly throughout the interior of the 19c Firestation. Countertops and fronts, partitions, furniture and finishes were conceived as independent, recoverable assemblies, allowing elements to be repaired, replaced, adapted or reused rather than discarded. Solid materials with reclaimable value were prioritised wherever possible, while existing components, including glass screen displays, timber partitions and excess tiles from previous bakeries fitouts were considered to reduce waste and preserve embodied energy.

Through collaboration between client, designers, suppliers and makers, Gail’s Southwark Fire Station demonstrates how circular thinking can extend beyond individual material choices into the wider processes of design, construction and operation. This thinking creates an architecture designed not only for immediate use, but for the future.

Awarded:

BIID Anna Whitehead Prize for Sustainability 2026
FEJ Awards 2026 – Innovation of the Year
QSR Awards 2026 – Renovation of the Year
Shortlisted - BIID Interior Design Awards 2026 – Commercial

The Project:

A series of neighbourhood bakeries, Gail’s is a craft-focused company which is known for good quality baked goods, coffee and beautiful sustainable interiors. 

- London, Melcombe Street: An Art Deco mixed-use building, we preserved the history of the plaster walls and introduced bespoke chrome metalwork with a layered ornamental steel tubing in addition to Rojo Alicante red marble tiling.

I was the project architect on No. 5 locations throughout London and northern England in addition to a sustainability-showcase location. Each site has a concept drawn from the local community and context, with all furniture and joinery designed bespoke. All projects involved coordination with the property teams, operational logistics coordinators, maintenance suppliers and bakers.

This charming and recently refurbished two-bedroom apartment is situated on the second floor of this 1895 Victorian property.

Last renovated over 30 years ago, the clients are a young professional couple who sought to better utilise the space while imbuing a playful and timeless aesthetic through modernisation and detailed joinery.

The apartment features an open-plan living space that has been designed to draw the direct sunlight through the plan while playfully referencing the heritage oak trees and green space in this historic neighbourhood.

The exposed floorboards and brickwork bring a sense of warmth and authenticity to the room, evoking the charm of its period setting. 

The large windows on the south-western side of the apartment flood the space with natural light, creating a bright and welcoming ambience throughout the day.

The kitchen and living area flow seamlessly together, making it an ideal space for both relaxation and entertaining. 

The bathroom is a testament to inner sanctuary, a private and personal spa with warm earth tones and indirect light thoughtfully highlight by bespoke english oak joinery and solid brass details with an emphasis on maximising space. 

Located on the corner of Bell Street and Lisson Street, the apartment is at the crossroads of rich history and contemporary convenience.

Marylebone itself is known for its eclectic mix of high-end shops, chic cafes, and traditional pubs, offering a perfect blend of modern city living with a touch of old-world charm.

Status: Construction

RIBA Stages worked: 1-4

The Project:

A rehabilitated amenity centre within Milton Park Industrial innovation park located within the “Golden Triangle “(between London, Oxford and Cambridge). 

Signal Yard is a series of four buildings built in the late 1990’s that will gain new life through a cohesive renovation which adds floor space, redirects the focus of the buildings to main road- Park Drive from the parking lot and includes the introduction of a landmark known as the “Cascading Gardens” Glulam timber trusses and a large Glulam timber extension.

The project breathes new life into the 20 year old buildings which had lost purpose and aimed to increase the life within the innovation park.  

Status: On hold 

RIBA Stages worked: 3+(4 Advance Team)

The Project:

HS2 London Euston Station will become the UK’s new high-speed railway terminus station connecting London and the midlands of England, culminating as the largest station concourse in the United Kingdom. 

HS2 London Euston Station design is led by Grimshaw, Arup, WSP, Haptic and LDA Design under the construction partner, Mace Dragados.

I was the Lead Architect on the Euston Main station flooring package of over 150,000m2 of flooring including the (1)Upper Concourse, (2)Concourse connecting Eversholt and Coburg, (3)Main Station Level, (4)Track Level and (Back of House) (5)Lower Levels.

As part of the advanced team we developed Technical Design Stage build-ups ahead of the main design teams Concept Development  Stage packages.

This included coordination with ARUP structural engineers, Mace for build-ability, and numerous suppliers, subcontractors and stakeholders.

In addition I served as the Interface Coordination Document Lead which sought to highlight and manage clashes, contract scope and interfaces between the National Rail, Transport For London, HS2 and the National Highways-Traffic Authority. 

Status: Completed - (Under HUT Architecture)

RIBA Stages worked: 3-6 Delivered

The Project:

A prominent building on the corner of the leafy Cavendish Square in Marylebone, the project grew from a minor ground floor renovation to include six floors of office refurbishment, bespoke reception joinery fabrication and cycle facilities including male and female showers and changing rooms. 

The design was coupled with the adaptation to a health conscious social climate and driven by a shift in the demographic of tenants through colour and materiality.

My Roles

I joined the project right before starting on site and worked with the associate architect in a tight knit team, taking over the project during the lead architects sabbatical. I took a lead role in developing the design into construction in a 4-phase sectional completion, running the design team meetings, workshops and coordinating with the clients, consultants and contractors. 

Alongside the architectural aspects, I developed and delivered the complete branding package, wayfinding signage and interior reception package as well as the art direction for the final photography.

The Project:

A series of neighbourhood bakeries, Gail’s is a craft-focused company which is known for good quality baked goods, coffee and beautiful sustainable interiors. 

- Stratford-Upon Avon: Home of Shakespeare, the building was a 19th century Tudor revival building with reintroduced Jacobean plaster strapwork ceiling, close-studded oak joinery and contrasting dark red toned stainless steel

I was the project architect on No. 5 locations throughout London and northern England in addition to a sustainability-showcase location. Each site has a concept drawn from the local community and context, with all furniture and joinery designed bespoke. All projects involved coordination with the property teams, operational logistics coordinators, maintenance suppliers and bakers.

The Project:

A series of neighbourhood bakeries, Gail’s is a craft-focused company which is known for good quality baked goods, coffee and beautiful sustainable interiors. 

- Chester: A Tudor Revival building within the historic “Chester Rows”, with the oldest shopfront in England. Terracotta flooring, solid timber joinery and warm tones.

I was the project architect on No. 5 locations throughout London and northern England in addition to a sustainability-showcase location. Each site has a concept drawn from the local community and context, with all furniture and joinery designed bespoke. All projects involved coordination with the property teams, operational logistics coordinators, maintenance suppliers and bakers.

The Project:

A series of neighbourhood bakeries, Gail’s is a craft-focused company which is known for good quality baked goods, coffee and beautiful sustainable interiors. 

- Teddington: Located on the River Thames, the site highlighted the ebb and flow of the rivers tides with combed plasterwork and pineapple leather seating.

I was the project architect on No. 5 locations throughout London and northern England in addition to a sustainability-showcase location. Each site has a concept drawn from the local community and context, with all furniture and joinery designed bespoke. All projects involved coordination with the property teams, operational logistics coordinators, maintenance suppliers and bakers.

Status: Construction ( Under Open Volume Studio )

RIBA Stages worked: 5

The Project:

A guest house designed to match timelessly with the Arts and Crafts style main house of an English Country Estate in historic Godalming, Surrey. 

The exterior employed a similar language of an oak timber frame with  herringbone brick infill. While the interior applied all modern luxury and state of the art systems from underfloor heating to lutron lighting systems. 

Materials and craftsmanship merged to form a dialogue between the distinguished and the sophisticated. As such, a great care was given to the cabinetry and washroom facilities to elevate the project towards its own identity apart from the mainhouse while demonstrating the subtle refinement of its patrons.

My Role:

Delivery of drawing packages through to joinery detail, material sourcing and on-site project management, my role was primarily to attend site meetings once a week, respond to requests for information and site queries in addition to managing the client expectations.

Other collaborators:

Olivier Jauniaux

Think about a point forward in time, where Petroplastic production has ceased. Where we are left with an abundant resource in mass that largely ends up in dumped in pits of waste collection. This untapped resource sits and seeps into the oceans and the land while we continuously squeeze the earth for every last drop of an end material that we let go to waste. We should learn from the cultures that did not waste, the ones who are now most effected by the pollution and who are the least guilty of it. 

We should learn from their knowledge of material reuse and it’s our job as architects to apply this material and entice a wider awareness while collectively fuelling an economic and progressive incentive for a circular building economy. 

A city wide event embodies a plastic narrative through 9 pavilions around London. Utilising “recycled” pure forms in a plurality of symbolism and heritage to generate interest, inform the public and ignite a rebirth of plastic as a material through expanded interest and a collective awareness.

Think about a point forward in time, where Petroplastic production has ceased. Where we are left with an abundant resource in mass that largely ends up in dumped in pits of waste collection. This untapped resource sits and seeps into the oceans and the land while we continuously squeeze the earth for every last drop of an end material that we let go to waste. We should learn from the cultures that did not waste, the ones who are now most effected by the pollution and who are the least guilty of it. 

We should learn from their knowledge of material reuse and it’s our job as architects to apply this material and entice a wider awareness while collectively fuelling an economic and progressive incentive for a circular building economy. 

A city wide event embodies a plastic narrative through 9 pavilions around London. Utilising “recycled” pure forms in a plurality of symbolism and heritage to generate interest, inform the public and ignite a rebirth of plastic as a material through expanded interest and a collective awareness.

In May of 2003, the Coimbra Urban Rehabilitation Society  spoke in regards to development of an empty lot known as Terreiro De Erva at the International Conference on Recovery, Urban Renewal and Social Lower Town. (Portugese Translation)

“Any settlement of the yard or enlargement of the alleys which connect between Directa and Sofia Street is against the nature of this space. It is a residential space between two pillars [Medieval and Industrial] of the urban history of Coimbra.”

Terreiro De Erva or “The Herb Yard” is an urban void in Coimbra, Portugal which developed from the removal of the original Santa Justa Church in the 19th century. The current state of the site reflects the piecemeal development of the city, illustrating the urban conflict of Historicism versus Modernisation. The project equally embodies this dichotomy as the resonance between two extremes, preservation of the site and a Utopian modernisation of urban living. The brief which was designed as an interpretation of a 21 unit housing complex, illustrates this perspective by raising the residential space above the square. This leaves the archaeologically sensitive site and the public square largely intact, while facilitating a unique ground condition for the residents and weekend markets, as well as granting views and light for the residences above.

A competition to redesign a beauty salon in North Tel Aviv, with site survey through to concept, visualisation and presentation in under one week.

Based on a palette of warm materials and pastel colours, the project began with precedent research and a thorough mapping of the site. A 3D model was then built to allow for a number of spatial activation ideas to be tested before the final concept was developed.

A reflective box was inserted in the rear of the salon to facilitate a massage | treatment room, a kitchenette with lunch space for staff and partition the space into the ideal programme, in addition to carrying refracted light towards the rear of the project.

In 2016, The Tel Aviv municipality in conjunction with Atarim Tel Aviv Site Management and 10 architecture practices through Israel began a competition to reshape this historic structure in hopes of a brighter future.

Financially unsuccessful and ridden with negative connotations including embezzlement, negligence resulting in dolphin deaths, a double agent murder and a terrorist attack, the Tel Aviv Dolphinarium was the site of a much needed redesign.