Amos Goldreich talks empathy, creativity and social media

practice piece

4 Nov

A House For A Gardener - Photo by *Ollie Hammick*

Architect Amos Goldreich wants you to know that he understands who you are, and that’s why his practice can help deliver the home you want. We Design Homes catches up with Amos to talk empathy, creativity and social media.

When Amos Goldreich talks about his practice’s approach to their work, he lands time and again on the theme of empathy. ‘Improving your home is one of the biggest investments our clients can make and we understand that,’ he enthuses. ‘Our mantra is to act as if we are in their shoes.’ There’s even a section on the practice’s website titled ‘Here are a few things we know about you’. It’s well worth a read. ‘We want the process to be enjoyable and relaxed,’ Amos notes. It’s an approach that has seen their reputation grow over that last ten years (it’s their tenth anniversary this month).

Based in north London, Amos Goldreich Architecture is a five-person practice focused predominantly on extensions and remodelling, as well as designing entire new homes. Amos notes that there is no ‘house style’.

“We design with our clients, not for them. And so we don’t impose a style on any project. Every client is different. Every site. All with their opportunities and restrictions.”

Their project portfolio speaks to a midcentury Scandinavian vibe – clean lines, ample daylight, minimal material palette – but with idiosyncrasies unique to each home. It’s an approach that has resonated with people and made the practice something of a social media phenomenon. ‘We got about 40,000 followers on our Instagram account and it’s been a great way for people to get to know us and familiarlise themselves with our work,’ Amos remarks. The practice’s followers are not just wallflowers either.

‘The last 12 months has been crazy for us. It’s been our biggest year by far with a huge number of enquiries and a number of great new projects.’

They’ve had genuine enquiries from as far afield as Canada, and secured a recent commission from a Cambridge-based Instagram follower. ‘The success for us is being able to demonstrate our process via social media. We’ve been able to give people insight into how we work and how we could work with them. It’s been powerful.’

When Amos talks about their process, it’s clear that the client is not seen as someone who simply creates the brief and signs the cheques. ‘In some ways, we see ourselves as facilitators,’ he points out.

‘Our practice is about people. Our ‘why’ is to design beautiful spaces and buildings that change people’s lives for the better. We see our clients as key ingredients, as part of the team.’

Elfort Road House - Photo by *Rory Gardiner*

*Framework House - Photo by* *Ollie Hammick*

He even provides homework for new clients. ‘They get a questionnaire at the start to help us get to know them and to build the chemistry between us. You’ve got to have chemistry!’

It's clear from the work the practice produces that they develop chemistry in spades with the clients they take on. These beautifully resolved spaces are reflections of the personalities, priorities, loves and desires of their clients. ‘We like to work with people who are as engaged and excited by the process and the final result as we are.’ Amos enthuses. ‘But each client has different needs and different abilities. Some people don’t have much time in their busy lives, so we make every moment count. Some want to micro-manage their project, and that’s fine with us. It’s about them, and we understand who they are.’

The conversation with Amos continually circles back to talking about people, and his empathy shines through. Equally apparent is the fact that his respectful approach is reflected in the people his practice works with. ‘One of our recent clients settled his invoice within 12 hours of receiving it,’ Amos recounts. ‘I called him to thank him and he said “I’d rather you spend time designing than having to worry about chasing me for the bill”. It was very gratifying.’

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