5 minutes with… Catherine Morel
Our ‘5 minutes with…’ feature takes a glimpse into the views and opinions of our colleagues with a series of probing interview questions we’ve always wanted to ask. Read on!
Most awe-inspiring building in the world, and why?
Barcelona Pavilion by Mies Van der Rohe. Simple, elegant and theoretically complex. I think it is an ideal primer for architecture students where theory and materials connect.
Most memorable day in the studio since joining DCA?
I am the new kid on the block at DCA. It is the happiest I have ever been professionally. A lot of practices describe their working ethos as collaborative but in practice this is rarely achieved. DCA is very different and is truly a collaborative practice with a talented team of Architects who want to create beautiful spaces.
What’s your all-time favourite city, and why?
Durham. Mostly for nostalgic reasons. It reminds me of childhood day trips out in the Austin Allegro. Some of my earliest memories were in Durham eating ice cream walking by the river.
Describe your perfect Saturday.
Taking the dog for a walk without any intent of where we are going to end up. Stopping for a brew on-route and the opportunity for the dog to bark at someone wearing a cagoule.
Any hidden talents you want to share?
I used to be able to identify a car by just seeing the headlights. Only cars from the 1970s – 1980s that usually only came in beige and a lighter beige. I can list most of the US Presidents in order of their Presidency. It is a skill I have yet to exploit to its fullest potential.
What’s your design passion?
The subtle intricacies and technical finesse that goes hand in hand with creating a lasting form and an individual way of thinking about the design process.
Quick-fire round…
Five words (or a phrase) to describe the DCA team.
Eclectic. Passionate. Funny. Engaging. Welcoming
Fish and chips or Sunday roast.
Sunday roast. It a meal with a lot of constituent parts that put together live happily alongside each other. Yorkshire puddings are compulsory.
Favourite film, book and album.
Film – North by North West.
Book – Sombrero Fallout by Richard Brautigan.
Album – Hatful of Hollow by The Smiths.
The reason for all these choices can be reduced to one word – intensity.
Three items you’d take to a desert island.
A hovercraft – so I could get to the shops and back. I am not camping on the island nor I am going to be self-sufficient.
Ground coffee and a cafetiere – a life without caffeine would be unacceptable.
Book – I think I would have to choose one of those novels that everyone says they have read but, in reality, they have got a synopsis of Wikipedia. So, anything by Virginia Woolfe would fit this category.
Marmite – love or hate.
Hate. Marmite and liquorice give food a bad name.
Who would play you in a film about your life.
Alison Steadman. I think I am flattering myself here. I think I would appear far funnier through her eyes.
