Hopkins has always designed and delivered integrated interiors which create a holistic relationship with the architecture that surrounds them.

We partner with ambitious clients to realise beautifully crafted environments for commercial, residential, health, education and hospitality projects, continuously championing the design vision from original concept through to day-to-day use.

Interiors have a significant role to play in the overall success of a building, whether helping to express brand and purpose, delineating space use through zoning and intuitive wayfinding, or creating inclusive, accessible environments which engender a sense of belonging and help support organisational goals.

Underpinned by the design rigour we are renowned for, our collaborative approach results in bespoke, contextual interiors which create lasting value and joy for those who live, work or stay in them. 

Our work ranges from brief development and space planning, right through to designing furniture and fittings and creating interior brand guidelines for internal teams. We work seamlessly with technical consultants as well as specialist designers, artists and brand consultants to deliver projects which enhance and convey our clients’ vision and identity. 

Interiors play an increasingly important role in sustainability and well-being, and we work hand-in-hand with our clients to help them develop and implement their own strategies at every level within the interior design of a project.

The Peninsula, London

The Peninsula, London sets a new benchmark in luxury hospitality. Rooted in the highest standards of craftsmanship, every element of this project has a bespoke design to meet the levels of quality and luxury expected by hotel guests and residents. In designing and delivering this project, we worked closely with the Peninsula Team, consultants, specialist trades, signature restaurant designers and international craftspeople, to co-ordinate a complex programme and ensure that the completed building demonstrates exceptional quality from concept right to finishes and details.

The hospitality concept of luxury has as much to do with service as with the quality of the environment. Our initial spatial strategy sets out the right balance between generous ‘front of house’ spaces and the support spaces required to seamlessly run a hotel which includes 190 guest rooms and suites and 25 apartments, with associated restaurants, cafes, ballroom, spa and swimming pool. 

Working with interiors specialist Peter Marino, we defined interior concepts for both hotel and residencies, subsequently taking on the role to coordinate and deliver across the project. Throughout, materials have been chosen to express craft, care and quality, with oak, mahogany and iroko wall panelling, onyx and copper cladding, bespoke joinery and furniture crafted from a range of fine veneers, stone, and fabrics. A high level of individual environment management allows guests to tailor the temperature and lighting to their own preference and is supported backed up by a complex building services strategy which has been carefully integrated into the interior architecture typically via discrete accessible panels in the walls and ceiling. Ballroom and conference facilities also feature state of the art audio visual provision, discretely housed within the interiors.

For the feature pool, our challenge was to deliver on Peter Marino’s ‘ice cave’ concept whilst also achieving the required levels of technical performance for a pool environment. The ‘ice cave’ is formed of white dolomite marble and a ridged ceiling of backlit fabric. We used the simple mathematical principle of a SIN double curve to design the curved fin geometry and created the structure using marble and backlit fabric stretched over a series of complex frame shapes.

Colby College Athletics & Recreation Center, Maine, USA

Our interiors concept for the new Colby sports building underlines the College’s strong campus-wide identity and ethos, and helps create a visible, accessible and inclusive centre of sporting excellence, health and well-being.

In a complex building, the interiors strategy makes the most of opportunities to provide intuitive wayfinding and a sense of connectivity. One of the key architectural concepts of Hopkins’ design created a central courtyard to link five separate venues. All furniture has been orientated towards the courtyard to provide a welcoming visitor experience and strong visual connections between and across the venues.

We developed a cohesive interiors language to help tie together a wide range of spaces. A strong colour palette and dynamic super-graphics are applied across the building with accent colours used in locker areas, corridors and stairwells and to differentiate public and private areas. Large 3D maps create information points at key corners of the building and a high level of transparency throughout creates an open and welcoming atmosphere, showcasing the performative nature of sport for spectators, athletes, and casual observers alike.

We consulted widely with academics and students to understand their requirements and specified a variety of furniture and seating types to meet all needs. Modular furniture is used to create flexible, multifunctional spaces and allow the building to be used as an events space for big events. Quality, durability and maintenance was a key factor in the selection of furniture, given both the heavy anticipated use of the facility, and exposure to extreme temperatures in both summer and winter. Colby’s status as a carbon neutral campus, influenced interiors choices from the outset, and we collaborated closely with Architect of Record Sasaki to research and identify locally sourced materials, fabrics and suppliers.

This highly successful project has seen applications to the College double since its opening, and has established itself as the main meeting point for the entire campus and the preferred venue for welcoming prospective parents and students.

Smith Campus Center, Harvard

The interiors concept for the Smith Campus Centre responds to the Common Spaces project, Harvard University’s initiative to create and enhance a set of common spaces across the campus which would encourage and support the students’ intellectual, cultural and social experience. The interiors visibly signal the centre’s accessibility for Harvard and its wider communities, with flexible spaces for both individuals and groups which support activities from quiet private study to group working to public speaking, debating, screenings, performance and parties.

We set out design principles for the building addressing character, colour, and furniture, and worked closely with Harvard to determine use requirements of each individual space, with adaptable furniture facilitating a variety of functions. The Harvard Commons, for example, needed to work in default mode as a study/social space, but also converts into a cinema, event or conference space as required with appropriate storage for unused furniture. We consulted widely with staff, students, and faculty to ascertain needs. A variety of seating types provides for both formal and informal spaces, allowing for choice and different user experiences, and ensuring that spaces would be appealing and well-used.

A clean, modern and welcoming aesthetic combines neutral backgrounds with furniture in block colours and echoes Sert’s use of colours on the original building facades. Rich red and crimson accents in the Harvard Commons reference the University’s historic and iconic identity.

The Smith Campus Centre was the first pilot project for Harvard’s innovative Healthier Building Materials Academy which was launched in 2016 and relies on the latest science to address chemicals of concern in the building products and materials used in Harvard’s construction and renovation projects.
• All 3,000 pieces of furniture meet the HH-Healthy Interiors Standard, at no additional cost.
• 75% of the 22 furniture manufacturers had never met the HH-Healthy Interiors Standard.
• 100% of the carpet produced without targeted classes of chemicals of concern.

The Smith Campus Centre has brought vibrant new spaces to the heart of Harvard’s campus, transforming a site that had become unloved and neglected. In its opening semester, Harvard monitored its space use, showing heavy and often 24-hour demand for these new spaces.

Brent Civic Centre, London, UK

Brent Civic Centre locates the council’s civic and administrative activities under one roof. It also provides a significant new community space in which the Borough’s diverse and multi-cultural residents can come together. 

Detailed consultation with a variety of stakeholders and user-groups informed our interiors strategy which emphasised accessibility, flexibility and inclusivity and which seamlessly integrates public, democratic, and administrative functions. The civic chamber, balancing formality and flexibility, is designed as a key ceremonial space but one with movable seating and furniture adaptable to suit a variety of other functions. The library provides quiet areas alongside vibrant event spaces for children and adults.

We created a new flexible workplace strategy for the Council’s administrative departments, including private, open-plan and collaborative working, hot-desking and break-out areas. All spaces have been designed for future adaptation and allow for commercial opportunities. 

Colour has been used throughout to emphasise intuitive wayfinding and delineate different sorts of spaces within a strong, coherent aesthetic. Robust and natural materials, including timber, bespoke finishes and plenty of natural daylight contribute to an environment which promotes wellbeing and sustainability. Comfort for building users has been enhanced with extensive internal planting, winter gardens, and views out to nature alongside openable windows and softened acoustics. A ground floor gallery has been designed to house art exhibitions and encourage wider community use of the building.