Design or art hero: “I’ve always loved Alvar Aalto, and in particular the Villa Maiera. The way he works on three distinct scales at once there, and the way each scale feeds into the next, is a real inspiration. First, he situated the house elegantly and confidently in the landscape; there’s a meaningful dialogue with the trees and the driveway, which telegraphs the spaces to come. Then he created this relaxed and organic, yet totally specific spatial flow that is elegant, surprising, and intimate.”