Finding passion and internal motivation 

We started working together in 2015. We met years earlier (probably in 2012), when we were both working in a large multidisciplinary practice based in London. In 2015, we decided to start developing architectural concepts, taking part in architectural competitions, and manufacturing self-initiated structures & prototypes. We both had a strong passion for design and manufacturing and we wanted to feel free to investigate more creative projects, as well as personally grow our expertise and feel motivated.

A very close call

In 2017, after having built “Quiubox” at Milan Design Week, we decided to try to take part in the Dubai Design Week as well. We developed a concept sketch and showed it to the organisers. Despite the scale and the lack of time, they asked us to build it. In less than 2 months we had to design, manufacture, and set up an art installation, which radically transformed the main public space of the Dubai design district. The installation we designed was also meant to be floating as it was made of 39 large black helium-filled balloons. At some point, a member of the public tried to release one of the balloons to the sky! Thankfully the balloon was secured in 3 points, otherwise, that could have led to the shutdown of Dubai airspace. This project taught us a lot about public engagement, design effectiveness, and ephemeral structures.

Doing what has to be done

Our job swallows up a huge part of our life as it demands passion, dedication, time, and an entrepreneurial attitude. We very much feel defined by what we do, and I would say this is one of the reasons why we chose to start our practice: to feel a sense of purpose and a daily motivation to overcome challenges, share our ideas, and make them a reality. Sometimes we totally lose the healthy split between day/night, workdays/weekend. We work in a flexible and efficient way where we simply do what needs to be done!

Maintaining a healthy workshop-computer hierarchy

When we first started we were comfortably working from home, as we always believed that renting an office space in London was not essential. Space here is overpriced and you don’t gain much more than just having a desk and a chair. What we really needed was a workshop. A space where we could be free to experiment, manufacture and prototype our projects. We are lucky enough to have one now and I would say our space hierarchy is split into 80% workshop & tools and 20% desks & computers.

Taking control of the details

We expected it to be hard, but we started our practice when we felt there was a certain amount and confidence. That meant working very hard for 1-2 years while managing full-time employment with a part-time design work that was squeezed in every available night and weekend. We have never seen ourselves doing just typical architectural jobs, and from the start, we tried to combine design with manufacturing and crafting. Our work led us towards developing many pop-up projects, as it kind of fit our interest as a practice and also matched the type of clientele we had. We develop projects at all scales, but we really like being able to make things and control 1:1 details ourselves.

Time will tell

We are enjoying the ride so far, and we are conscious it is not easy to aspire to work only on creative and exciting projects. We feel very open towards the future, knowing we will always do the best we can and we have no preconceptions about fitting into a certain category of architectural studios. We feel comfortable in shifting our focus sometimes on manufacturing processes or entrepreneurial schemes. Therefore, we shall see!