Mark Camillin and Liam Denny founded Camillin Denny Design in 1997 with offices in Brighton, London, and Hampshire.
They have worked in across the UK as well as in Germany, China, Japan, Malta, Greece, North Africa, and The Middle East. Having built the practice to a strength of over 50 Architects and interior designers in London and Brighton, they became leading architects in North Africa and The Middle East designing the Tripoli Museum, Tripoli University, Riyadh Digital City masterplan in Saudi Arabia, and Al Mafraq Industrial City in Amman, Jordan.
Awards
They have won awards for a number of recent projects:
Sussex Heritage Awards:
RIBA Downlands Award :
LABC Building Excellence Awards:
The Dovecote, Edburton
16 Hove Park Villas, Hove
Suntings Farm, Ashburton
First Base Day Centre, Brighton
Westbourne Villas, Hove
River House, Richmond
Powers House, Northleigh, Devon
Driftways, Drift, Cornwall
East Cornworthy Cottage, South Hams, Devon
Projects
There is a wide portfolio of work that includes working in Conservation architecture, luxury residential, residential masterplanning, hotels, resorts, education and museum projects.
Conservation Architecture
Camillin Denny Design are constantly surprised by the misguided assumption that work within listed properties is very limiting and that ‘the planners’ will be very reluctant to allow anything to be done. Both Mark and Liam have also been surprised that clients and commentators alike find it extraordinary that their modern style can be so successfully integrated and permitted as part of the works to a listed property.
Liam Denny believes that ‘People often think that a listed property has to remain frozen in the period in which it was built.’ He goes on to say that he feels that ‘that’s unrealistic, as from the point it was first occupied it started to be changed, adapted and amended to suit the use of the occupants at that time. Over 200 years, for example, a lot of changes will have occurred, making it near on impossible to ever know exactly what the property was like when it was first constructed.
What is important with a listed building is to understand the layering, knowing what is important to the historical sense of the property and respecting and where possible protecting and restoring those elements. By working with historical experts and local conservation officers, Camillin Denny’s approach is to understand and document the current condition of the building and to fully comprehend its history so that we can add further new layers to the rich tapestry that has been created over time. These new interventions can and should be a more contemporary layering of fabric that is more suited and more commensurate to the way the building will be used today.’
Camillin Denny have worked on a multitude of Grade I, II and II* Listed projects including the Grade II* Listed; Old Irish Club at 82 Eaton Square in Belgravia, London, a Grade I Listed Robert Adams house in Hertford Street, Mayfair and Grade II Listed—The Grove in Highgate, and a number of Listed Regency projects in Brighton and Hove. Of particular significance is their conversion of the Grade II Listed St Stephens Church in central Brighton to a homeless day Centre for Brighton Housing Trust.
Sustainability Specialty
They have in more recent years moved their focus to their own individual design and developments; Concentrating on developing their own brand of eco-houses with innovative sustainability design credentials.
In the news
Camillin Denny Design have been widely featured in the press including The Observer, The Financial Times, The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Mail, Building Design, Architects Journal, Listed Property Magazine, Grand Designs Magazine, 25 Beautiful Homes, Self Build and Renovations Magazine, Good Homes Magazine, Cornwall Life, and Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire Life Magazines.
Mark Camillin
Mark has been a director of Camillin Denny Design since 1997 and has worked on projects ranging from residential extensions, remodelling and new builds, through to museums, yoga studios, homeless day centres, university faculties, commercial buildings and city masterplanning.
Having worked for some of the leading international architectural practices in his early career including Foster + Partners, Allies and Morrison and BDP, Mark was a founding Director of Camillin Denny Design and has led the practice to become one of most innovative design practices in the UK.
Mark has a strong design emphasis in his approach to projects, and a good knowledge and understanding of renewable energy in design. He has specialised in Listed Buildings and Conservation design and has established experience in working with planners and local authorities to achieve the best solutions for clients through extensive historical site research and feasibility studies.
He has worked on award winning high-end residential projects across the south and south-west of England including Fir View in Devon, Driftways in Cornwall, and Powers House in Devon. These projects have been widely published and influenced the company’s approach to residential design.
Mark has also led major masterplanning projects in North Africa and the Middle East – Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait, and residential and hotel projects in Malta, Greece, China and Germany.
Liam Denny
Liam is one of the founding directors of Camillin Denny Design, he studied at the University of Bath and at the University of East London. In addition to his architectural qualifications he has a Masters Degree in History and Theory and a Higher Education teaching qualification, having lectured at the University of the West of England in Bristol.
Liam has designed and administered a number of high specification hotel and residential developments and refurbishments for private clients and developers. He was responsible for the complete refurbishment of the old Irish Club in Eaton Square which reinstated the building as a single family dwelling and included substantial repairs following several years unoccupied.
Liam was responsible for the fit-out and interior design of a number of hotels for the Hilton Group including the prestigious Waldorf Astoria hotel at Syon Park in London.
He has led a team developing an Industrial Masterplan for the Mafraq area in Jordan and has also worked across the UK developing projects such as the refurbishment of Todmorden’s Grade I Listed town hall and as the project Architect for Rocco Forte’s 5 star Lowry hotel in Manchester.