The word intense crops up a lot in conversation with Demian Erbar, 41, and Holger Mattes, 48, founders of London-based Erbar Mattes. It captures something about the work of the seven-year-old practice, whose robust, solid-seeming buildings are rich in sensation and ideas, yet retain an elemental simplicity. The architects describe design as a process of distillation, much as in the reduction of a sauce to enhance flavor. “We begin with the identity of a place,” says Mattes, “and condense that into a strong image that is both strange and familiar.”

Most projects to date are modest in size—houses and residential renovations—but have a powerful physical presence. Massive walls of exposed masonry appear monolithic, lending a palpable sense of density and weight; clever detailing disguises the complexity of modern construction. Natural, self-finished materials add texture and warmth. “Architecture is an experience for all the senses,” says Erbar. “Surfaces you touch and sounds you hear are as important as appearance.”