Grenfell Tower Inquiry to resume with architects’ evidence

A timetable published today reveals that on Monday, Andrzej Kuszell, director and founder of Studio E, will appear. The inquiry has heard that he was involved in the early stages of the design and review process.

He will be followed on Monday afternoon by Bruce Sounes, an architect associate at Studio E, who was said to be the most senior professional architect involved in the day-to-day running of the Grenfell Tower project up to July 2014.

Mr Sounes is scheduled to be questioned throughout Monday afternoon and the entirety of Tuesday and Wednesday.

He will be followed by Neil Crawford, who was supervised by Mr Sounes and had day-to-day involvement in the project from July 2014.

Studio E was subject to serious criticism from lawyers representing the residents in their opening statement before the inquiry was paused.

Stephanie Barwise QC, representing one group of bereaved and survivors, accused the firm of having an “obsession” with aesthetics that caused them to overlook fire safety. She said they had believed that the tower would make a “poor frontage” to a school being built nearby – also designed by the firm.

“What appears to have happened is that Studio E was so intent on getting what it considered to be the right aesthetic outcome – agonising as between the brushed aluminium and the battleship grey – that instead of focusing on or even considering the performance criteria which [building regulations] dictated, it instead defined the products in the specification and subsequently purely by reference to aesthetic criteria,” Ms Barwise said.

She also accused the firm of failing to notice that combustible insulation was being used – despite a requirement for limited combustibility given the height of the building.

Studio E has argued it was not aware that the products were dangerous and has branded the system of regulations as “not fit for purpose”.