6 October 2025 | By Dave Hall
Every great building design begins not with bricks or glass, but an initial idea – a vision of what might be, believes CPL Chartered Architects’ Phil Winch.
‘For a growing church this might be the thought of sunlight spilling across a spacious worship space, the soft echo of voices in the café, or the warm glow of a glazed entrance foyer in autumn, welcoming passers by,’ he told CRE News. ‘These are not yet structures, but visions – needs and ideas waiting to be realised.’
At CPL Architects the journey begins at the delicate intersection of vision, need and imagination.
‘We see architectural design as translation – turning the ideas and language of our client’s vision into the tangible poetry of space and fabric,’ said Phil.
Their first role is that of listener.
‘We wish to understand not only what a building must do, but also how it should feel,’ he explained. ‘Should it capture the numinous through light and space, or should it be warm and comforting? Should it inspire and excite, or should it be calming and restful? Perhaps it should be all of these, in different areas of the design.’
Through collaboration and refinement, CPL craft that vision into living space and form. Each sketch, 3D model and walkthrough are a rehearsal for the final performance. Walls become dividers of space and light, windows become frames for the world beyond.
‘Materials are chosen not only for their performance, but also for the stories they tell – the reassuring warmth of oak, stone that holds within it the memory of the earth,’ he explained. ‘Materials that will help to sustain and nurture our world. Leonardo da Vinci once said: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Distilling the vision until every element feels inevitable, as though it has always belonged. We believe that true elegance lies not in excess, but in clarity of purpose.’
For CPL, the art of architecture is to weave an intangible vision into a physical reality. To create spaces that elevate and inspire, that provide experience, memory and meaning.
And Phil Winch and team will be available at CRE 25 to help you harness your vision.
- CPL Architects are on stand R5 at CRE 25
CRE 2025
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