About the practice

Founded in 1989 by Julia Barfield and David Marks, Marks Barfield Architects is the award winning team behind the creation of the London Eye. The practice received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in April 2003 in recognition of the outstanding innovation in design of the London Eye. Marks Barfield brings a fresh approach, years of building experience and the commitment to sustainability and the innovation that clients need in an effective 21st century building partner. The practice’s portfolio is diverse featuring work in the key areas of arts and culture, sports and leisure, education, infrastructure such as bridges and railway station design and housing. Marks Barfield is committed to designing great projects for our clients. We believe that good design transforms the quality of the environment and aims to provide an architecture that is fresh, sustainable, an imaginative response to context and a pleasure to experience. Our approach is not about style, but about analysing, understanding and responding to the brief and the site in a way that leads to unique, often unexpected solutions. Our focus is on our clients. We define problems with great care. We identify opportunities with boldness of vision. We believe that successful projects come from good intelligence and great teamwork. Our approach is underpinned by a strong commitment to quality - of people and processes - at every stage from concept to delivery and we put integrity at the heart of our practice. Marks Barfield’s approach is based on delivering excellence in everything we do, and creating gentle landmarks. Within the following consistent agenda it: - Safely challenges convention - Explores client expectations - Delivers enjoyment as well as value - Negotiates constraints, to maximise opportunities - Creates cost effective, bespoke solutions - Creates unexpectedly different, yet lasting solutions - Finesses the finer points of design – with acknowledged success - Creates a catalyst for continuing progress - Involves collaboration, to cross-fertilise ideas from different disciplines - Builds on the personal passions of the team. Marks Barfield’s approach is founded on analysis and understanding, where it assumes that sustainability is a given. This approach is embedded within the ethos of the practice. It solves problems through inventive but appropriate design.