A closing statement delivered 7 November 2022 to the 300-day long inquiry into the 2017 tragedy at Grenfell Tower ranked the practice in the top three of those most accountable for the disaster that killed 72 people.
Barrister Stephanie Barwise, who was representing one of three community groups, accused Studio E together with cladding manufacturer Arconic and fire engineer Exova, as the main parties to blame for the fire.
Barwise also condemned Studio E for not carrying out a routine design review “in line with RIBA recommended practice” which would have identified the decision to “fundamentally change the cladding system” from zinc to ACM cladding and pick up on the differing fire performance of PE and fire resistant cores.
She concluded: “The full extent of the disaster was caused by a complex combination of corporate greed with complete disregard for safety, professional incompetence, oversight and organisational failings, and facilitated by an insufficiently robust regime.”
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