Designing with Simplicity and Tradition: Andrew Trotter on Creating Architecture That Lasts

Name:
Andrew Trotter
Photography:
Marina Denisova, Salva Lopez

Architect Andrew Trotter is known for creating spaces that feel calm, simple, and deeply connected to their surroundings. From Apulia to Greece, his work draws on local traditions while remaining contemporary and refined, balancing honesty with a quiet sense of beauty. Whether designing houses, hospitality projects, or smaller objects, Andrew’s approach is rooted in clarity, craftsmanship, and the belief that architecture should serve life. In this conversation, he reflects on simplicity, the influence of place, and what it means to create work that lasts.

VISUAL PLEASURE Magazine:
Your projects are often described as calm, simple, and timeless. How do you define simplicity in your own work?

Adrew Trotter: For me, simplicity is about clarity. It’s about removing what isn’t needed, so that what remains feels natural and inevitable. A space should breathe, it should allow light, air, and people to move freely. When things are stripped back, you notice proportions, textures, and small details. That, to me, is where timelessness comes from.

You have worked across different countries and cultures. How does place influence the way you design?

Place is everything. I never arrive with a fixed idea. The local traditions, the climate, the way people live - all of these shape the design. I like to learn from vernacular architecture: why walls are thick, why windows are small, why courtyards exist. These elements are not only beautiful, they are solutions born out of necessity. Respecting them allows the work to belong.

Many of your projects are rooted in Apulia and southern Europe. What makes this region such fertile ground for your work?

Apulia has a strong character. The landscape, the stone, the olive trees - it all has a raw beauty. The traditional architecture is very pure, very honest, and it aligns with my way of seeing things. There’s also a sense of slowness here, of living with the seasons, which naturally influences how spaces are conceived.

“Simplicity is about clarity. It’s about removing what isn’t needed, so that what remains feels natural and inevitable.”

Many of your projects are set within natural landscapes. How do you approach the relationship between architecture and its surroundings?

I think of buildings as guests in the landscape. They should sit gently, without shouting. Colors, materials, and proportions must feel part of the environment. I like when a building feels like it has always been there, even if it’s new. And I always design with the idea that nature will slowly reclaim and soften the work over time.

How do you balance creating spaces that feel both highly contemporary and deeply connected to tradition?

It’s about essence, not imitation. I take cues from traditional forms, but I reinterpret them in a way that feels current - simpler lines, cleaner spaces, but with the same respect for materials and craft. I don’t want to recreate the past, but to extend it into the present.

Craftsmanship and materials seem central to your practice. How do you decide which materials to work with?

I prefer materials that age well - stone, lime plaster, wood, terracotta. They have honesty and warmth. I often start with what is locally available, because that ties the project to its place. I also like working with artisans; their knowledge is invaluable, and their hands bring soul to the work.

“I think of buildings as guests in the landscape. They should sit gently, without shouting.”

Hospitality projects like Masseria Moroseta and others have defined your career. What excites you about designing spaces for guests and community?

Hospitality is about creating experiences. It’s not only about a beautiful room - it’s about how someone feels waking up there, eating together, watching the sunset. These are communal moments, and architecture can enhance them. I love designing places where people can connect with nature, with each other, and with themselves.

Travel has been part of your life and career. Is there a place that has recently inspired you in a meaningful way?

Japan continues to inspire me deeply. The way simplicity, craft, and nature come together in Japanese architecture is very close to my own values. More recently, I’ve been inspired by Mexico, where there’s a strong sense of color, light, and materiality that feels both ancient and fresh.

What advice would you give to young architects and designers who want to create work that lasts?

Be patient. Don’t chase trends. Learn from old buildings, from vernacular traditions, and from craftsmen. Work with your hands when you can. And always remember that architecture is for people - it must serve life, not the other way around.

Looking ahead, are there new territories — geographic or creative — that you’re eager to explore?

I’d like to continue working in different contexts, because each place teaches me something new. I’m curious about working more in Mexico and the Middle East, where traditions are so rich. Creatively, I’m drawn to smaller, more intimate projects - perhaps even objects and furniture - where the same ideas of simplicity and honesty can be explored at a different scale.