A new name built on years of experience. Gresham Marshall is the studio founded by Steve Gresham and Mark Marshall, two designers whose different professional backgrounds are brought together by a direct understanding of yacht design, construction and the development of complex projects.
The new company represents the evolution of Gresham Yacht Design, founded by Steve Gresham in 2011, where Marshall had already worked before the new partnership was established. Today, the two are founding partners of a studio with offices in Hampshire and London, which deliberately chooses to work on a limited number of projects at any one time. This approach allows the two designers to maintain a direct relationship with owners, shipyards and the professionals involved, following each yacht from the initial concept through to construction.
Two different paths come together
The backgrounds of the two founders help explain the identity of the new studio. Steve Gresham trained in Transport Design and began his career in product and industrial design. His experience within the engineering division of Williams Grand Prix introduced him to the relationship between form, engineering and performance, before he moved fully into the yachting industry. Over the course of his career, he worked with Don Shead, Tony Castro Design and H2 Yacht Design, contributing to projects including the 123-metre Al Lusail and the 125-metre Maryah. In 2011, he founded Gresham Yacht Design.
Mark Marshall‘s career, meanwhile, also began on the construction side. After moving to New Zealand, he studied yacht design and worked directly in shipyards as a boatbuilder. He later joined LOMOcean Design in Auckland, contributing to projects including the 39-metre explorer catamaran The Beast and the 46-metre Charley. After returning to the UK, he joined Gresham’s team and worked on projects including the 87-metre OceanXplorer and the interior refit of the 91-metre Moonlight II.
Their careers therefore bring complementary skills into the same studio: design and the development of form on one side, and experience gained through direct involvement in construction on the other.
From the first sketch to construction
Gresham Marshall’s work covers exterior and interior design, layout development, 3D modelling, technical drawings and project management. More interesting than the list of services, however, is the way these different skills are connected. The studio aims to follow a yacht throughout its development, avoiding a separation between the creative and technical stages of the project.
3D modelling, for example, makes it possible to assess proportions, volumes and spaces while the design is still being developed. The general arrangement, meanwhile, is shaped around how the yacht will actually be used, taking into account the owner’s requirements and the organisation of the different functions on board. Technical drawings then take these decisions into the construction phase, where the studio continues to follow the project.
This approach is particularly important in the world of superyachts, where several years can pass between the first sketch and delivery, and where design, engineering and construction need to move in the same direction.
The experience of OceanXplorer
The portfolio provides a clearer picture of the experience that now comes together under Gresham Marshall. Among its most significant projects is OceanXplorer, an 87-metre explorer yacht created through the conversion of an existing vessel. The project involved the development of the exterior design, interior layout and several technical areas, including spaces dedicated to submarines and helicopters. The yacht also accommodates marine research laboratories, audiovisual production equipment, drones and systems for ocean exploration.
In this case, the design first had to respond to the vessel’s functions. The presence of very different equipment and operational requirements influenced the organisation of the spaces and, as a result, the yacht’s final appearance. OceanXplorer therefore illustrates one of the most interesting aspects of the studio’s work: form is also shaped by what the yacht needs to do.
Romeo 60 and spaces open to the sea
Among the studio’s more recent projects is Romeo 60, developed with Romeo Marine and currently under construction in Dubai. Gresham Marshall is responsible for the exterior design, deck layouts and project visualisations. Here, the focus shifts towards the relationship between interior and exterior spaces.
On the main deck, the saloon extends into a winter garden, a glazed space that can be fully enclosed and climate-controlled, allowing it to be used throughout the year. Further aft, opening bulwarks increase the outdoor area and lead towards the pool and swim platform. The decks are also organised around different functions. The upper deck is more closely associated with the owner’s private areas, while the sky deck returns to a more social character. The organisation of the spaces therefore becomes part of the exterior design: what happens on board directly contributes to defining the yacht’s proportions and volumes.
Proportion as a starting point
Among the principles identified by Gresham Marshall, one carries particular weight: proportion. For the studio, it is the starting point for exterior design, regardless of the yacht’s size. Before focusing on individual details, attention is therefore given to the overall balance of forms, masses and volumes. Inside, the emphasis shifts towards the relationship between aesthetics, function and the owner’s way of living on board. Layouts, materials, lighting, finishes and bespoke furniture are developed as parts of the same environment.
The launch of Gresham Marshall therefore brings together, under one name, skills and experience developed across a wide range of projects. Steve Gresham and Mark Marshall come from different professional backgrounds, but share the idea that design should remain closely connected to the way a yacht is ultimately built. The first yachts to carry their joint signature will now reveal the identity that emerges from this collaboration.
