May Round-Up
Mental Health Awareness Week
Last week at Scurr Architects, we marked Mental Health Awareness Week with a series of activities aimed at encouraging conversation, connection, and looking after our wellbeing, both in and out of the workplace. This year’s theme, ‘Action’, felt like an important reminder that while awareness matters, positive change also comes from the actions we take to support ourselves and those around us.
Throughout the week, our team came together for a coffee morning catch up, competitive rounds of bingo, some questionable dart skills, and a hilarious sip & paint finale, all while raising money for the fantastic charity, Mind. Together, we have raised £152.5 in support of the incredible work they do!
As part of the week we also launched My Happy Place where team members were invited to share details of a place or space that makes them feel calm, joyful, or at ease. As Architects and designers, we’re constantly reminded of the impact our surroundings can have on how we feel, so we hope you enjoy reading these reflections as much as we enjoyed sharing them.
Seat F83
By David Duckworth
My happy place has provided some great moments, many mundane moments, and even some grim moments, but it is most definitely still my happy place.
Seat F83 in the Elton John Stand is my current space, so that might give you a clue where I am. It is true though that I have had several happy places in the ground over the years. Well, maybe not the northwest terrace in the mid 1970’s on a wet and windy Tuesday night.
There have been so many great memories, maybe enough for a lifetime. Won’t ever forget the FA cup quarter final where we saved a penalty, stormed up the other end and Deeney won the game as the final whistle blew. It’s a famous one – and I was there!
In case you haven’t sorted it out I am at Vicarage Road in Watford, the home of Watford Football Club. You will find me there most home games, in my normal seat, and yes, I am mostly happy there!
A Window in Llandudno
By Abhishika Misra
Imagine a sunny morning by the coast: birds flying overhead, the smell of freshly popped corn and sweet ice cream in the air. You have walked along the beach, listening to children laughing, music drifting from the arcade, and the sound of coins calling you in. The sun is on your face, the wind is in your hair, and the world is passing you by. All you can think about is the half-read book sitting in your backpack.
On the coast of Llandudno, I spent the morning walking on the sand with my friend. We talked, ate and laughed, finding ourselves in a far corner of Wales in search of an escape from our busy London lives. It was a whole day to avoid responsibility, to be slow and intentional, to speak only when we truly had something to say, and to simply be.
Eventually, we walked into a local café and found a seat by the window, each with a book to settle into. The plush armchairs became our little cocoons, the warm-toned timber wrapped around us like a blanket, and the large full-height window in front of us became our screen to the world. Timber surfaces, soft upholstery, warm lighting and the low hum of conversation made the space feel layered and calm.
From where I sat, the window became both a frame and a threshold. Inside, the café was warm, textured and contained. Outside, the street continued in movement. People passed by, buses paused, coats brushed against the glass, and the town carried on without demanding my participation. The architecture allowed me to be present and slightly removed at the same time. I was enclosed enough to feel protected, but connected enough to still feel part of the world.
The armchair became a place of solitude, and the café became our shield until we were ready to step back outside. In the years since, I have walked into cafés and libraries searching for a piece of that day again. Each time, I have walked out hours later with a quiet strength to carry on.
Smetanovo Nabrezi
By Kat Pikhart
For me, my happy place is the one place on earth where I could stand, time and time again, in total silence and feel at peace. Where my brain switches off and I forget how long I’ve stood there. That place for me is along Smetanovo Nabrezi (translates to Smetana’s Embankment), adjacent to the Karlovy Lazne tram stop, in Prague. When I stand here and look out over the historic architectural landscape, I feel a sense of ease.
The composition of what’s before me might be a reason for this, with a perfect build up of towers and red roofs climbing up the hill, towards Prague castle and ultimately St. Vitus Cathedral. Charles Bridge sits at the front of this composition, allowing its location, in this field of view, to give it the weight it deserves. It might also be that whilst you are looking at a multitude of architectural styles, erected over centuries of design, everything seems to understand its neighbour, and work in unison, something I ultimately believe very few major cities achieve.
At night this is an even more magnificent site where the lights, illuminating these monuments, reflect in the Moldau below, and frame your direct line of vision perfectly from top to bottom, side to side.
In the foreground you are met with the leaves, from the trees that surround you on the embankment, and you can lean against the beautifully moulded railings that form the only barrier between you and the river. You feel like this vision of beauty is naturally framed by the features of the embankment and you’re just hanging onto the edge of a painting, very few would have the skill to capture in its full exquisiteness. In many ways the embankment taking its name from the legendary composer Bedrich Smetana feels extremely accurate, as Smetana’s masterpiece ‘The Moldau’ may not be a painting, but the emotional landscape of the score, is precisely how I feel stood there.
Valletta
By Tracey Allen
Traveling and exploring historic architecture gives me a sense of wonder and appreciation for the skill and creativity of people from the past. I enjoy imagining how these remarkable structures were designed and built without AutoCAD! Discovering these places inspires me, helps me relax, and gives me unforgettable memories.
A recent trip to Valletta with its unique atmosphere, historic streets, and beautiful architecture made every walk feel special. The city is full of history, with impressive buildings, narrow streets, and stunning views of the sea. Discovering new places is my happy place.
