On site with architect Kevin Carmody, co-founder of Carmody Groarke, at his project in East Sussex
Kevin Carmody is the co-founder of Carmody Groarke, the London-based architecture studio he founded with his business partner, Andy Groarke, in 2006. Over the course of 16 years, the duo have worked on a number of award-winning buildings around the world, spanning the likes of residential and cultural design. And, as we discover on this episode of The Modern House Podcast, recorded at one of his projects in the verdant surroundings of East Sussex, his three favourite spaces are just as diverse and meticulously designed as his archive of work.
Kevin grew up in Canberra, Australia, a city defined by modernist buildings and a striking natural landscape. Growing up, a young Kevin found himself more drawn to the latter. He warmly remembers frequenting the coastline, where he first established a relationship with nature – something that he’s carried through to this work, namely with buildings that have exceptional views beyond. His love of architecture, however, was not far behind that of the environment. What started with Kevin assisting his father building things at home as a child – “I find that physical connection of making something quite rewarding,” he says – led to him pursuing work experience at an architecture firm at the age of 12.
Kevin went on to train in his field at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and Canberra University. It was later when working with the influential architect David Chipperfield that he met and formed a friendship with Andy. Alongside work, the duo started entering competitions together – and they went for gold. Their first win was reimagining Coney Island’s Parachute Pavilion in America. The duo’s sheer spectrum of work since, which has included a number of other pavilions, is a testament to their craftsmanship: from the Members’ Room at the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington to The Design Museum in Gent and the permanent memorial to the 7 July London bombings in Hyde Park, to name a few.
Listen to the episode now to hear Kevin share his top spaces around the world and the reasons why he selected them. The architect also deep dives into the location of the recording, painting a picture of the extraordinary setting in detail, where he and host Matt Gibberd are joined by some rather sweet special guests. Plus, he explains how to design a house so that it doesn’t, in fact, look like one at all. And, if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to the podcast so that you never miss an episode. As always, happy listening.
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