Bespoke Garden Office

Charles Leon originally trained as a theatre designer and worked for the National Theatre and the English National Opera. This led naturally into designing for film. In 1988, he was invited to join the UK’s foremost International Hotel Design Company. In 1994, Charles established his own design practice, CLA specializing in hospitality and residential design. Charles is currently an independent designer and internationally renowned creative thinking speaker, For more information visit www.charlesleon.uk Charles is also Past President of the BIID (British Institute of Interior Design).

Gavin Challand completed his architectural training at the Manchester School of Architecture and became a member of RIBA in 2000. He has worked at several architectural and interior design firms, including twelve years at CLA working alongside Charles on numerous hotel and residential projects. With particular focus on construction detailing, and working with contractors and tradespeople to realise clients' design aspirations in the most elegant and practical way, Gavin is also experienced in contract administration and site inspection. Gavin is also a lecturer on the Interior Design and Interior Architecture courses at Middlesex University.

We have always known that our environments affect how we feel and that when we feel good our ability to focus and think creatively is increased. Colour, light, views, sound, and atmosphere all have a profound effect on how we feel. Healthy environments have a direct effect on our physical wellbeing and, as a result, our attitude becomes more positive, and our productivity increases.

We were lucky, we established our Garden office pre-Covid19 and the benefits of a carefully considered and designed Garden Office have been enormous. Environmental psychology, which studies how the built or natural environment affects how we think, feel and act, back up what we, as designers, knew intuitively. “We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us” Winston Churchill.