Kristine Sulca-Rust
Hello, I’m an Architect and designer who after working in London for 13 years has settled in Folkestone, where I now live with my husband and our two daughters.
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Over my career, I’ve had the privilege of working within some of the world’s most renowned and award-winning practices, including Herzog & de Meuron, Metropolitan Workshop and with Sir Terry Farrell.
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My experience spans a diverse range of scales and typologies - from bespoke furniture, extensions to private homes, landmark residential towers and workspaces.
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Despite having delivered projects at many different scales, my true passion lies in the intimacy of smaller scale projects - particularly the home. I’m drawn to spaces that hold personal meaning - where design reflects a refined balance of form, function, and connecting with its users.
I OFFER HIGHLY TAILORED, DETAIL-DRIVEN APPROACH WORKING CLOSELY WITH CLIENTS TO CREATE SPACES THAT FEEL COMPOSED, REFINED AND DEEPLY ATTUNED TO HOW THEY LIVE.
integrity
honest use of materials and construction.
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elements are chosen for their true character and expressed without imitation.
tactility
durable, textured materials that bring physical presence to a space.
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surfaces that stand up to use and gain depth over time.
wellbeing
design decisions that support comfort, breathability, and long-term use.
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robust, repairable materials help the building and its occupants thrive over time.
Design Philosophy
I’m drawn to the quiet integrity of raw materials - those that are honest in their composition, purposeful in their presence, and timeless in their appeal. I believe in materials that are true to themselves, that age with grace, and that bring a sense of warmth and tactility to everyday life.
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Subtle textures, ambient warmth, and understated tonal shifts shape our experience of a space long before we consciously register them. For me, design is not simply visual - it’s atmospheric, emotional, and deeply sensory, creating environments that feel breathable, human, and attuned to wellbeing.​
This nevertheless needs to be built upon functionality as the quiet framework beneath it all - without it, aesthetic choices lose their depth and purpose. Honest design, to me, avoids disguise or imitation; it supports life as it naturally unfolds.​​
No matter the scale - whether it’s a single cloak room to a full house remodel and extension - I approach every project with the same devotion: to listen with care, to collaborate with openness, and to design with intention.
I attune to the nuances: how a layout guides the eye, how a material invites touch, how a colour evokes memory. These cues become the foundation for spaces that feel intentional and personal - places that mature over time and remain connected to the people who inhabit them.
Projects
The following section outlines my most recent projects, each defined by its own context, scale, and scope. A further selection of earlier work completed prior to establishing my practice is listed further below.
The Woodlands / Crystal Palace
- Full Interior Design scope
- Design and Installation of a new Kitchen and Bathroom
- Bespoke furniture Design
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An interior refurbishment and design for a 1930s Art Deco flat for a professional couple.
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The project included design and installment of a new kitchen and bathroom with bespoke built‑in lacquered birch faced plywood furniture, alongside a cohesive interior design scheme for the entire flat including master bedroom, guest room, living space and an artist’s studio.
The Valley / Reedham
- Large rear Extension for a family home in south London
- Internal Reconfiguration
- Planning Application
- Comprehensive Interior Design (incl. detailed Bathroom design)
- Garden & Landscape Design
- Detailed Design package
The brief required a large, carefully detailed addition on a steep hillside, maximising long views across the valley while satisfying local authority sensitivities.
The design introduced a sleek, black yakisugi‑clad volume with roof lights, Crittall openings, built‑in furniture and stepped garden zoning, accommodating new kitchen, living and dining spaces alongside a bathroom, mudroom and utility.
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The clients also commissioned a detailed technical package to support accurate contractor quotations.
House no. 10 / Kent
- Internal Reconfiguration (rearranging walls, doors, windows, etc.)
- Full Interior Design scope (including detailed Kitchen design)
- Garden & Landscape Design
- Bespoke furniture design
- Tailored window dressing design
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A spatial reconfiguration and interior design project for a three‑storey family home in Kent. The brief focused on improving circulation and creating better connections to the garden, achieved through new openings, relocated doors, and carefully integrated storage.
The design enlarged the family bathroom, improved the original bespoke solid oak kitchen cabinetry to strengthen zoning, and introduced bespoke elements such as a built‑in children’s library seat. The Victorian exterior was preserved while upgrading insulation, and the project extended to a new garden layout to support the needs of a growing family.
The Terrace / Nunhead
- Side Extension
- Internal Reconfiguration (incl. wall layout, openings & main stairs)
- Interior Design (incl. detailed Bathroom & Kitchen design)
- Full Garden & Landscape Design
- Detailed Design package
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A ground‑floor remodelling and side extension paired with a refined interior design scheme for a Victorian terraced house in SE London.
The brief sought to replace a series of small, disconnected rooms with one generous family space, achieved by removing internal walls, relocating the staircase, and introducing a glazed‑roof extension.
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The new layout created a defined entrance corridor, improved circulation, and a bright, open plan finished in a minimalist Swedish style.
Marupe / Riga
- Feasibility study for a Private Residential Plot
- Concept Design for the New Build
- Assessing foundation reuse to achieve cost‑efficient Design
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A feasibility study for a family downsizing on a mature rural plot in Riga, Latvia. The brief centred on a single‑storey home defined by a clear spatial journey, leading to a large triple‑aspect living space.
The study proposed modular, site‑sensitive layouts with full‑height glazing, intimate clusters, well‑resolved circulation, and two supporting outbuildings; one a self‑contained guesthouse and the other a combined home‑office, workshop and sauna. The potential to reuse an existing structure's foundations was also examined.
Selected Projects from Previous Practice
Projects I contributed to during my employment at other architecture and design studios; all design credit remains with the originating firms.
/ All Saints - 5 new homes for Diocese of London adjacent to Grade II Listed Rectory, Tower Hamlets, London
- while working at Metropolitan Worksop;
- part of a small team, as architect, during Planning Application stage and Building Design stage
All Saints Rectory - Housing Design Awards
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/ Somerleyton Road, Lambeth Council, London
- while working at Metropolitan Worksop;
- part of a small team, as architect, during consultation period and Building Design stage
Somerleyton Road - Housing Design Awards
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/ Westbury Estate, Lambeth Council, London​
- while working at Metropolitan Worksop;
- part of a small team, as architect, during feasibility studies, existing resident consultation period, establishing Resident's Brief and Design Code, Masterplan stage and Building Design stage
Westbury Estate - Housing Design Awards
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/ Blackwall Reach, Tower Hamlets, London
- while working at Metropolitan Worksop;
- part of a small team, as architect, during Planning Application stage and Building Design stage
Met Works and Haworth Tompkins replace Robin Hood Gardens with 268 homes​
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/ One Park Drive, Canary Wharf, London​
- while working at Herzog & de Meuron;
- part of a wider team, as Part III Architectural Assistant, during Building Design stage.
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/ Earls Court Masterplan, Hammersmith and Fulham Council, London
- part of a wider team, as Part II Architectural Assistant, during feasibility stage and Masterplan Design
Earls Court Masterplan - Farrells
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/ 466-490 Edgware Road, City of Westminster, London
- while working at Farrells
- part of a wider team, as Part II Architectural Assistant, during feasibility stage and Building Design stage
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/ St. Ermin's Hotel, City of Westminster, London
- part of a wider team, as Part II Architectural Assistant, during Building Design stage
"Kristine really listened - not just to what we wanted the house to look like, but to how we wanted it to feel for our family. She guided us through a complicated brief with patience, clarity, and genuine care. Every idea was explored, every concern explained, and the final design completely transformed how we’ll use our home. Her attention to detail, her kindness, and her ability to balance creativity with practicality made the whole process feel effortless."
- Homeowner, London
Studio Lead:
Address:
Tel:
email:
ARB reg. no.:
(Architects Registration Board)
Kristine Sulca-Rust
Boscombe Road, CT19 5BD
07824 888 123
info@xbyxdesign.com
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