At Coffey Architects we appreciate that inspiration can come from almost anywhere. For example, you can take ideas from nature, science fiction, or various periods of history. They can all inspire new buildings, it just takes the right designs. This philosophy is at the heart of our company and makes us one of the leading architects London has.

Waterlily inspiration

When you look at huge modern buildings like airports, shopping centres, or concert venues, you probably won’t think about the humble waterlily. However, it is likely that they wouldn’t exist if not for the plant.

In Victorian England, people fell in love with the Victoria boliviana or giant waterlily. They were common in South America, found along the upper tributaries of the Amazon River in the rainforest. The giant green leaves can reach more than 3m in width if conditions allow. They can also support a surprising amount of weight even though the leaf itself is quite delicate.

There was a big race among the British aristocracy at the time to grow the giant waterlilies here. Seeds were brought back and people set to trying to get them to grow. They built large greenhouses and pools with heating for this. However, the lilies simply kept growing, demanding even large properties. But, the technology at the time did not allow the creation of large pillarless expanses. Columns and pillars were necessary to support the weight of the roofs.

Amazingly, the waterlily had the solution to the issue. Giant waterlilies have a network of ribbed veins. These create strong arches that can effectively distribute the weight. It provides the right level of support so the leaves don’t collapse as they grow larger.

Crystal Palace

Horticulturist Joseph Paxton saw that this was the case and had the ingenious thought that it could work for architecture. He used the philosophy to design the Crystal Palace in 1851. The giant modular iron, glass and wood structure became the home of the Great Exhibition. It was the largest glass structure in the world at the time. More incredibly, he built it in less than a year and was on budget, coming in at much less than rival designs.

These same ideas are the foundation for many large buildings in the world today. They have the same kind of network structure to spread the load and provide large roof spans without the need for columns or pillars.

Talk to architects in London

Whatever you have in mind for a property, from a tiny house to a huge public building, we would love to help. Coffey Architects can work with you to explore any kind of inspiration, including plants. As part of this we can do feasibility studies and model different designs for you. It can be a fantastic way to be creative and see what is possible.

So, if you want help from the best architects London can offer, speak to us. You can also learn more about us and some of our work on our main website.