Architect Simon Astridge

Stretching out in front of him to the right, an intimate living room area merges seamlessly with the refined collection of ceramics and Japanese utensils that define the food lovers’ kitchen space. Photo by Dunja Opalko

“The clean white box in the perfect world, it isn’t relevant anymore.” Photo by Dunja Opalko

This focus on the role of space in relation to experience means that his practice only entertains briefs that accept form will follow function. Photo by Dunja Opalko

As the hours of the working day melt away into a brisk early evening jaunt along the side of a canal towpath, the final destination on the Simon Astridge tour comes into view: the no frills King’s Cross office in which all his ideas become manifest. Photo by Dunja Opalko

The home that he shares with his wife was originally a single storey flat taking up the top floor of a converted Victorian terraced house. Photo by Dunja Opalko

“The sky is ultimately the most important material in this entire project,” he says. “How the light changes, how it feels when it’s raining. It’s all about how you experience the space and I think that’s quite a beautiful idea.” Photo by Dunja Opalko

It is in Simon’s own recently renovated North London home that one sees Simon’s ideas carried through to their logical, refined conclusion. Photo by Dunja Opalko

Beautiful ideas are at the heart of Simon’s work: the elegant and considered aesthetic pleasures of his finished projects belie the philosophical musings and conceptual frameworks from which they sprung. Photo by Dunja Opalko

Soaring up into the original rafters and beyond is a new loft constructed entirely from sheets of plywood, playing host to the master suite. Photo by Dunja Opalko

Taken merely as a tangible structure, a collection of curated objects and installations, the bathroom is a beautified space. Photo by Dunja Opalko

To his left is a glass wall with a view that encompasses the great variety and majesty of London’s skyline—the view is, says Simon, his favourite thing about the home, beyond any interior element. Photo by Dunja Opalko