The Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024 has been revealed, highlighting 20 studios from around the world as some of the year's most exciting newcomers.

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition.

Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios, from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024

Here are the 20 practices celebrated in this year's Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024 – spanning 19 countries and five continents.

Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024: Europe

Kasawoo, UK

London-based Kasawoo was founded by Kyriaki (Katie) Kasabalis and Darius Woo in 2020, after they met during their studies at Cornell University in the USA. Their studio was established with an aim to work on bringing great design to everyone. 'Early on in our practice, we discovered that good design was often out of reach for most people, and we made a commitment to change that. For us, good design does not need to come with a big price tag. That is why we set up our practice to bring this ethos to life,' they say.

This desire is combined with an approach that draws on a more ‘gentle’ architecture – minimalism, not through formal reduction, but rather through the efficiency of both design gestures and resources.

Brown Urbanism, UK

Richard Brown's Brown Urbanism was born some ten years ago, as a London-based architecture and urbanism design practice with a mission to 'create better places for people to inhabit that are inclusive, engaging and meaningful'. As part of this philosophy, the studio works on a range of typologies and scales, including commercial, residential, retail and hospitality; always with a focus on sustainable, low-cost, high-impact design.

'Simple, well-thought-through design that works for the client while creating distinctive and meaningful urban environments,' says Brown. 'We are interested in how design can better reflect, support and enable new ways of inhabiting and experiencing space. We are particularly interested in how the home can support the complexities of life’s requirements – from working from home and experiencing nature to treating the home as a performative cultural place.'

Mast, Denmark

Mast, founded in 2021 by Australian architect Marshall Blecher and Danish maritime designer and architect Magnus Maarbjerg, is on a mission to improve the relationship between the city and the sea. 'We are motivated by the amazing potential that comes from reconnecting with water, as we have seen the amazing effect that even small improvements to water access and quality can produce in cities,' Blecher explains.

Specialising in architecture on or near water, the duo have completed several small structures floating around Copenhagen harbour. There is the 20 sq m tiny prototype floating island KBHØ1 (KBH for Copenhagen and Ø for island) with its 6m tall Linden tree; and the portable ‘harbour bath’, or Dyppezone, which can be freely moved around the city’s waterways, creating intimate bathing experience along its way.

Studio Argus, Estonia

Architect Margit Argus brings more than 20 years of experience in interior design, fine arts, and architecture to her young and fast-emerging architecture studio. The practice, based in Tallinn, is rooted in a Nordic aesthetic, bringing together local Estonian vernacular and a fine attention to detail. Current projects include a seaside hotel in Tallinn, a high-rise residential building, and a university campus in Tallinn, alongside a handful of schools and single-family houses.

Studio Collaboratorio, Finland

Young Helsinki practice Studio Collaboratorio was founded in 2016 by Finnish architect Kristiina Kuusiluoma and Italian architect Martino De Rossi. The dynamic, emerging practice aims to 'create beautiful habitats by using natural and ecological materials while at the same time paying close attention to the place and its history: more beauty, communality, affordability and humanity! Interactive cooperation, profound ecology and long life cycle are at the heart of everything.'

Branco del Rio, Portugal

Founded by Paula del Rio and João Branco, the architecture studio Branco del Rio is based in the riverfront city of Coimbra, Portugal’s former capital. Motivated by curiosity and influenced by the ever-changing city around them, the architects view each project as an opportunity to investigate different contexts and topics. Gathering inspiration from their travels, books and colleagues the team say: ‘We are convinced that what we do can improve quality of life. We live and work in spaces we designed, we share spaces we designed with friends. It is a privilege and also a motivation.’

Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024: Asia

Playball Studio, India and Spain

Established in 2017, Playball Studio is an Indo-Spanish architecture firm led by architects Celia Fernández Duque and Ronak Gangdev. Based in Rajkot, India, and Valladolid, Spain, the studio works on a range of uniquely contextual residential and commercial projects, often within urban conditions.

The word ‘Playball’ reflects the studio’s philosophy of always ‘playing ball’ and prioritising the needs of its clients. Fernández Duque and Gangdev are also conscious of the impact of their projects on the physical environment. The studio’s core strength lies in striking a harmonious balance between the organic and the technical, simplicity and refinement, and form and functionality.

Tsing-Tien Making, China

Suzhou-born Freja Bao's studio, Tsing-Tien Making (TTM), was founded following the architect's education in London's Bartlett School of Architecture and stints in Japan, in the offices of KPF Architects and Kengo Kuma & Associates. Bao set up her independent practice in her home town in 2023 and has been going from strength to strength since.

'As a collective deeply passionate about architecture, we at Tsing-Tien Making thrive on embracing challenges and infusing each project with innovative experimentation,' she says. Beyond her first completed project, featured here, Bao adds that there's more to come: 'Our focus extends to a range of exciting undertakings, including the development of a retirement house, the restoration of a scientist’s former residence, and the conceptualisation of a private collector’s room.'

L Architects, Singapore

Boutique studio L Architects was founded in 2016 by Lim Shing Hui. Based in Singapore, the practice focuses on creating homes that enhance the living experience. ‘Architecture has the power to evoke a wide range of emotions within us. You have to find the soul of the space,’ says Lim. ‘The search [for this] is what keeps me motivated. I believe that a good piece of architecture has the ability to touch the human soul, communicate messages, stir empathy and at the same time quietly delight – and this in itself transcends mere physical realms.’

The studio also believes it is important to stay rooted in its culture, in particular the experiences, cultural background and personal journey of its founder, allowing this to inform the shape and unique style of each residential design, giving it a distinct authorship.

Studio Heech, South Korea

Working across a range of creative fields that encompass architecture, industrial design, furniture, and interactive performance installation, Studio Heech welcomes multi-layered, rich experiences. Meanwhile, ‘the craftsmanship of “making things” is still important in the 21st century,’ says Park. With a keen eye for detail, the studio strives to create its contemporary architectural expression through techniques that bridge technology and traditional manufacturing – ultimately addressing the fundamentals of urban architecture.

Championing both the traditional and the contemporary, the studio often creates intriguing architectural forms. As with many forward-thinking practices, Studio Heech integrates sustainability into its work. From planning through to construction, Park makes sure to collaborate with a wide network of engineers, artists and craftsmen to broaden ideas and spark curiosity within the creative process.

Touch Architect, Thailand

Based in the bustling Thai hub of Bangkok, Touch Architect crafts residences drawing on its cultural ties and environment, while adding sustainable architecture practices. When approaching a project, the duo applies a 'bottom-up approach’, meaning they focus on the functionality of the space before layering on aesthetics. ‘For us, good architecture must be functional, timeless, and sustainable,’ they say. ‘While beauty and aesthetics are also important, it comes as an enhancement which completes the architecture. Great architects like Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis I Kahn inspire this philosophy in our work.’

Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024: Africa

Fleury Atallah Architectes, Tunisia

Fleury Atallah Architectes is one of the exciting emerging architecture practices to be included in the annual Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024. Founded in 2011 by Catherine Fleury and Chacha Atallah, it has offices in Toulon, France and Carthage, Tunisia. The studio focuses mainly on residential projects for private clients who are after a sensitive, sober and context-specific approach as well as inventive and beautiful solutions to architectural and interior challenges; but it has also designed art galleries and wine production facilities.

SI.SA. Nigeria

African culture motivates Lagos-based architecture firm SI.SA. ‘We are influenced by the abstracted forms found in African traditional art and their ability to convey power and meaning,' says founder Seun Oduwole.

Founded in 2015, the ten-person firm aims 'to make beautiful buildings that enhance the built environment’. Dedicated to the betterment of communities, SI.SA focuses on inclusive and socially responsible architectural designs. Boasting a diverse portfolio of residential, educational, and cultural projects, the practice has worked on some impressive projects, such as the colourful John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History in Lagos.

Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024: Americas

AD-WO, USA

Ethiopia-born Emanuel Admassu and Australia-born Jen Wood formed AD-WO in New York in 2015. The young art and architecture studio brings together their 'divergent' backgrounds to create valuable 'friction' within their practice – which, combined with their agility and multi-disciplinary approach, gives them a distinct edge when it comes to crafting works that are 'transnational' and experimental. The portfolio of the research-based studio spans from images and objects to furniture, tapestries, installations, and buildings.

Studio Porto, Brazil

The emerging practice of Camila Porto stands out through its contemporary fusion of Brazilian culture with a cosmopolitan attitude. Studio Porto's projects are intended to be timeless, balanced, and hospitable, Porto explains – but functionality is equally paramount. Attention to detail, empathy, and integration with nature are also strengths.

'Our greatest influence is Brazilian modernism, which brings with it a legacy of architectural solutions guided by simplicity and elegance. We combine this foundation with a contemporary and global perspective, integrating elements of nature and prioritising people's wellbeing. This combination of values shapes our approach uniquely and innovatively in architecture and design,' Porto explains.

TigerQi Architecture, British Virgin Islands and Saint Kitts and Nevis

Lavina Liburd started TigerQi Architecture in 2013, having previously worked at different firms and gained experience on a wealth of projects, from transportation and civic briefs to luxury residences and commercial buildings. With this under her belt, Liburd set up shop on her own, with a focus on a contemporary design approach that embraces simplicity and minimalism.

Due to the climate and topography of its secluded Caribbean home, the practice centres on three key principles; creating healthy buildings that support the social health and wellbeing of its clients; embracing hillside living to maximise views and light; and creating architecture that is designed to serve its community as a whole. These underlying principles are threaded into the studio's design process, wrapped up in a tropical modernism aesthetic.

Svima, Canada

Starting Svima five years ago, Anamarija Korolj and Leon Lai, looked towards nature and ecology. During our era of mass construction, the studio fine-tunes its mission by focusing on three key pillars: air, light and greenery. With this in mind, their designs draw on the blossoming biomes of Canada, while balancing a human-centric approach, ensuring that the client receives a design that provides ample access to nature. The studio's portfolio brings together a series of schemes that nod towards creating a more equitable and sustainable future.

Seeing themselves as ‘not only as designers of buildings but as stewards of human experience’, Korolj and Lai seek to unite art and architecture to ‘continuously leverage the two mediums as vehicles with a reciprocal relationship in pushing the boundaries of the visual and spatial expressions.’ The creative duo strives to implement projects with a sense of place, resilience and inclusivity, ‘reflecting the essence of what it means to be Canadian.’

Büro Koray Duman, USA

This agile New York and Istanbul architecture practice – Büro Koray Duman – was founded by architect Koray Duman in 2014. The studio is a proudly immigrant- and LGBTQ-led business, comprising a team of architects that represent a diverse mix of nationalities and experiences. As a result, its output is equally varied and captivating - from projects for MoMA PS1 Museum, to the Finnish Cultural Institute NY, the Noguchi Museum, IKSV, artist Richard Prince, the American Society for Muslim Advancement, Council for Fashion Designers of America, and Design Within Reach.

Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024: Oceania

Alexander Symes, Australia

Architect Alexander Symes founded his namesake practice in 2014 with a vision to challenge the current status quo in sustainability in architecture, pushing and challenging the field's boundaries. With a ‘hands-on’ approach and a speciality in delivering passive homes that don't impact their context negatively, the practice aims to create residential design with a purpose.

‘On a macro level, this ensures we contribute to protecting biodiversity and providing a future-proofed housing stock,’ says Symes, ‘while on a micro level providing a healthy and resilient home for our clients in the changing climate.’ With this in mind, it is arguably only natural that the environment would be the studio’s biggest influence. Keeping context and nature at the forefront of its decisions, the practice enjoys working with bio-based construction and existing materials and suppliers. The result is buildings with a natural feel and a reduced carbon footprint.

Spacecraft Architects, New Zealand

Spacecraft Architects founders Roberston and Gittos often tackle limited budgets and the smaller scale in their work – a challenge they enjoy taking on to make architecture more accessible. Their own headquarters is nestled off the back of a self-built house in Whanganui, and is a clear representation of the studio's ethos.‘ The constraints offered by tight budgets and difficult (affordable) sites breed creativity and drive our design work,’ the creative duo told Wallpaper*.

With an interest in buildings that do not rely on luxurious materials or highly detailed construction, the pair hope to create powerful architecture even within the simplest structures. Working on infill housing across New Zealand opened up a niche for a wealth of recent work focused on the rising appeal of co-housing, in various forms of multi-residential projects and apartment builds.

The Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2024 includes Büro Koray Duman, a young practice joining our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios.

Who: Büro Koray Duman

This agile New York and Istanbul architecture practice was founded by architect Koray Duman in 2014. The studio is a proudly immigrant- and LGBTQ-led business, comprising a team of architects that represent a diverse mix of nationalities and experiences. As a result, its output is equally varied and captivating – from projects for MoMA PS1 Museum to the Finnish Cultural Institute NY, the Noguchi Museum, IKSV, artist Richard Prince, the American Society for Muslim Advancement, Council for Fashion Designers of America, and Design Within Reach.

Duman spoke about what motivates him: 'In a time of great ecological and social challenges, I believe in architecture’s power as a social infrastructure to bring positive and permanent changes, create spaces for belonging, and create new types of communities. My motivation stems from a conviction that the built environment can and should play a pivotal role in addressing these pressing issues.

'Architecture is not just about constructing buildings; it's about shaping environments that enhance human experiences and foster a sense of community. I am driven by the potential to design spaces that are environmentally responsible and socially inclusive. Well-designed spaces can encourage interaction, inclusivity, and a sense of belonging among diverse groups of people.'

What: Artist Studio and House, Germantown

The studio enjoys pushing the boundaries of traditional architecture, and one of its latest projects, the Artist Studio and House in Germantown, is a good example of that approach. Freshly completed, the home, set at the edge of a forested hill and flat farmland, is a playful take on the typical farmhouse vernacular.

The complex's volume was defined by bending, carving, and tilting its form. Within it, a ceramic studio is located on the northern end, a mezzanine bedroom is nestled towards the west, and a blended weaving studio/living room on the ground floor effortlessly opens up towards the natural surroundings. Clerestory windows provide plenty of light inside. The home's poured-in-place concrete volume is clad in black stained cedar shingles on the exterior walls facing east and west, as well as its roof.

Why: Architects Directory 2024

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

b-kd.com

Portuguese architecture studio Branco del Rio is an expert at crafting homes with high spatial quality and comfort but infused with sustainable architecture strategies for energy efficiency. Now, the Coimbra-based studio forms part of the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024, our annual listing of exciting emerging practices from around the world. Projects like House AA8, one of their first residential completions, showcase the practice's bright and airy concepts, which make the most of a minimalist and utilitarian material palette for maximum impact.

Who: Branco del Rio Arquitectos

Founded by Paula del Rio and João Branco, the architecture studio Branco del Rio is based in the riverfront city of Coimbra, Portugal’s former capital. Motivated by curiosity and influenced by the ever-changing city around them, the architects view each project as an opportunity to investigate different contexts and topics. Gathering inspiration from their travels, books and colleagues the team say: ‘We are convinced that what we do can improve quality of life. We live and work in spaces we designed, we share spaces we designed with friends. It is a privilege and also a motivation.’

The studio may be young but already has a FORMA 2023 National Architecture Award for Public Space under its belt. Still, the design practice stays humble when reflecting upon what makes their award-winning work stand out from the crowd. ‘Perhaps this answer should not come from us,’ they say. ‘We have been fortunate to see our work recognised and have had the opportunity to win competitions for public housing. One thing we believe in and strive for is achieving a maximum spatial impact, comfort, and energy efficiency [design] with the minimum amount of material and energy used.’

What: House AA8

Nestled in Portugal's Norton de Matos, House AA8 adds playful charm to its streetside plot. Taking its cues from the neighbouring homes' volumetric composition, House AA8's design subtly stands out through its yellow and white palette that injects vibrancy and a pop of colour.

The typical Norton de Matos house has been expanded into its backyard with a concrete extension, replacing original wooden frames and ventilated roofs. Branco del Rio wanted to break away from this trend and maintain the existing home's original characteristics. Carefully choosing materials which provide an element of indoor/outdoor living, the studio introduced light and natural ventilation inside. Wood features heavily, adding an element of raw authenticity to the design, while carving out small, shady 'nooks' for living. This, matched with custard yellow detailing and smooth cream walls, gently nods to the country’s delicious pastel de nata, the architects explain. What's not to like?

Why: Wallpaper* Architects Directory

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

branco-delrio.com

Touch Architect was founded in Thailand by architects Setthakarn Yangderm and Parpis Leelaniramol - and the studio has now joined the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024, our annual listing of emerging practices across the world.

Touch unites simple materials and ‘ordinary’ structures to create residences that are aesthetically striking, yet highly functional. Villa Backyard is a perfect example of its work, featuring an eye-catching triangular structural exterior which visually defines the home. It opens up into a crisp, minimal and pragmatic interior setting.

Who: Touch Architect

Based in the bustling Thai hub of Bangkok, Touch Architect crafts residences drawing on its cultural ties and environment, while adding sustainable architecture practices. When approaching a project, the duo applies a 'bottom-up approach’, meaning they focus on the functionality of the space before layering on aesthetics. ‘For us, good architecture must be functional, timeless, and sustainable,’ they say. ‘While beauty and aesthetics are also important, it comes as an enhancement which completes the architecture. Great architects like Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis I. Kahn inspire this philosophy in our work.’

Implementing this strategy across their projects, commercial or private, the architects aim to design for ‘real users’ thinking about efficient interiors and ergonomic design, while taking on client preferences and programmatic functions so that each project becomes unique in its own way. Collaboration also influences the practice, yet it's something that can present challenges, the team admits - as well as opportunities. Navigating the complexities of human relationships across all stages of a project requires constant communication, negotiation, and collaboration. Yet amidst this, new ideas that make projects richer often emerge.

What: Villa Backyard

Nestled in an eastern Bangkok suburb, Villa Backyard lays on flat terrain overlooking an artificial pond. Its façade was conceived with this context in mind, as the home's triangular shape was designed to help rainwater run off it and merge with the pond water, encouraging biodiversity to flourish. The solution developed from an initial simple cube structure which was then cross-sectioned to provide the largest slanted surface that would act as both roof and vehicle for draining water.

Inside, an open-plan interior comprises dining and socialising areas, as well as sleeping quarters with the option for the last to extend if needed. One bedroom faces the water, taking in a sweeping panoramic view of the green context. The main entry into the home is set under the roof's highest point, creating an open and welcoming entrance sequence. The living room and bedrooms are located under the slope, offering shade and cosiness, while guiding the eye towards the views.

The steel-framed structure is topped by an asphalt shingle roof. This lightweight material made for easy installation while also being durable and providing lots of thick shade. A terrace with steel grating also allows rainwater to trickle into the pond. Matching the exterior, the interior feels pared down, in an elegant, utilitarian and contemporary way.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects Directory

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

toucharchitect.com

Tunisia's Fleury Atallah Architectes is a young practice that makes it into the Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2024, our latest annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios.

Who: Fleury Atallah Architects

Fleury Atallah Architectes is one of the exciting emerging architecture practices to be included in the annual Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024. Founded in 2011 by Catherine Fleury and Chacha Atallah, it has offices in Toulon, France and Carthage, Tunisia. The studio focuses mainly on residential projects for private clients who are after a sensitive, sober and context-specific approach as well as inventive and beautiful solutions to architectural and interior challenges; but it has also designed art galleries and wine production facilities.

Fleury and Atallah share an affinity for projects that embrace Mediterranean culture and heritage and dialogue with its specific geography, context, landscape and climate. 'What motivates us is the construction of living spaces as a source of joy and happiness,' they say. 'A home must be useful, functional and simple, but most of all it must inspire emotions and feelings.' When they start a project they begin by thinking about proportions, lines, rhythms and patterns, and the way spaces frame the landscape and filter light. Internally, they favour natural and simple materials such as stone, terracotta, timber and raw concrete.

What: Villa Voûtes

Villa Voûtes (Vaulted Villa), completed in 2020 and located on the picturesque Marsa Corniche in northeastern Tunis, is an excellent example of Fleury Atallah’s architectural yet human-focused approach. The home centres on two brick-vaulted spaces, made entirely by hand and without formwork by a master craftsman, around which the rest of the programme is designed. Skilled artisans are a common sight on construction sites in Tunisia, the pair explain, and offer rich expertise and skills. To create the villa’s striking interiors, Fleury and Atallah also worked with local carpenters, stone masons and lime plasterers.

Another representative project by Fleury Atallah Architectes is the Villa Squelette (Skeleton Villa), which takes its name from the fact that when the duo first saw it, it was an abandoned skeleton of a raw concrete building sitting amid lush vegetation. Located in Gammarth, a steep residential suburb in the north of Tunis by the sea, the project is about ‘creating a relationship between the concrete structure and the 20m-high pine forest that runs along its entire south-eastern façade’, say the architects.

Externally, they reduced the building’s footprint to create more outdoor space and two generous terraces. Inside, they created a 5m-high ‘living area’ that includes the kitchen, living room, dining and a cosy mezzanine library. The façade is composed of reinforced concrete panels that are cut out in different shapes and sizes to create glazing and geometries that blur the hierarchy of the different levels inside and embed the structure in this very particular landscape.

Why: Architects Directory 2024

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

fa-architectes.com

Studio Heech joins the Wallpaper Architects’ Directory 2024, our annual curated listing of emerging practices from around the world. The Korean practice was founded in 2018 by Heechan Park, a qualified architect who'd spent his time between London and Seoul. His Mews House, a transformed brick structure originally built 30 years ago in the heart of Seoul, showcases the studio's contemporary architecture approach through the simple insertion of glass bricks at its heart, creating a new bright and airy space.

Who: Studio Heech

Working across a range of creative fields that encompass architecture, industrial design, furniture, and interactive performance installation, Studio Heech welcomes multi-layered, rich experiences. Meanwhile, ‘the craftsmanship of “making things” is still important in the 21st century,’ says Park. With a keen eye for detail, the studio strives to create its contemporary architectural expression through techniques that bridge technology and traditional manufacturing – ultimately addressing the fundamentals of urban architecture.

Championing both the traditional and the contemporary, the studio often creates intriguing architectural forms. As with many forward-thinking practices, Studio Heech integrates sustainability into its work. From planning through to construction, Park makes sure to collaborate with a wide network of engineers, artists and craftsmen to broaden ideas and spark curiosity within the creative process.

What: Mews House

Originally built in 1990, Mews House was a classic brick home tucked away in the quiet mews in the residential neighbourhood of Seocho-dong, Seoul. The same client built the original structure 30 years ago and asked Park to give the building a refresh, creating a new multi-generational home to accommodate their family, while containing privacy and personal space for all.

Making the most of the existing build, Studio Heech inserted translucent glass bricks to fill in the U-shaped façade and provide a new living room. The ceiling was raised to create an atrium with a roof-light. The design was inspired by Pierre Chareau’s 1932 Maison De Verre, a celebrated example of modernist architecture that effortlessly merges indoors and outdoors. Mews House’s new glass wall flirts with the same concept while respecting its own condition, retaining the family’s history and memories of the old building on site. A touch of colour is integrated through the entrance hall tiles, adding a sense of playfulness.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects Directory

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

studioheech.com

Spacecraft Architects joins the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024, our annual series of exciting emerging practices in the world of architecture. This New Zealand studio was founded in 2012 by Caro Robertson and Tim Gittos, and is based in Whanganui, a small provincial town. Since its conception, the practice has striven to create bespoke homes from limited budgets by harnessing each client’s creativity. The studio’s Block Party boutique residential complex is a prime example of this, offering a sharp design vision that unites the environment, affordability and aesthetics.

Who: Spacecraft Architects

Founders Roberston and Gittos often tackle limited budgets and the smaller scale in their work – a challenge they enjoy taking on to make architecture more accessible. Their own headquarters is nestled off the back of a self-built house in Whanganui, and is a clear representation of the studio's ethos.‘ The constraints offered by tight budgets and difficult (affordable) sites breed creativity and drive our design work,’ the creative duo told Wallpaper*.

With an interest in buildings that do not rely on luxurious materials or highly detailed construction, the pair hope to create powerful architecture even within the simplest structures. Working on infill housing across New Zealand opened up a niche for a wealth of recent work focused on the rising appeal of co-housing, in various forms of multi-residential projects and apartment builds.

What: Block Party

Set in New Zealand's capital of Wellington, Block Party is a co-housing scheme that responds to the state of the country's housing market. The client, a group of six friends, disappointed at the housing options available, decided to come together and chip in on an existing house to reside in while developing four new terraced houses built along the site's contour. With this design, which displays a timely architectural response as well as ingenuity on a modest budget, the architects won the NZIA Multi-Unit Housing Award in 2023.

The site, a humble 600 sq m, provides access to a private outdoor space on the north and south of the homes, while the inclusion of porches and decking opens up the living space further. This unique living environment enables a level of connectivity and support among the residents and opens up possibilities for first-time buyers.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects Directory

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

spacecraftarchitects.co.nz

There is a quote that resonates deeply with L Architects' founder Lim Shing Hui. The late American architect Louis Kahn once said: ‘Every building must have its own soul.’ It is a sentiment the Singapore-based practice, part of the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024 line-up, our annual listing of emerging studios, lives by.

Led by curiosity and offering a fresh perspective on seemingly mundane elements of architecture, the studio’s House of Trees is a testament to its mission to deliver soothing organic spaces, even in a dense, urban plot.

Who: L Architects

The boutique architecture studio was founded in 2016 by Lim Shing Hui. Based in Singapore, the practice focuses on creating homes that enhance the living experience. ‘Architecture has the power to evoke a wide range of emotions within us. You have to find the soul of the space,’ says Lim . ‘The search [for this] is what keeps me motivated. I believe that a good piece of architecture has the ability to touch the human soul, communicate messages, stir empathy and at the same time quietly delight – and this in itself transcends mere physical realms.’

The studio also believes it is important to stay rooted in its culture, in particular the experiences, cultural background and personal journey of its founder, allowing this to inform the shape and unique style of each residential design, giving it a distinct authorship.

What: House of Trees

L Architects took on a commission to create a tranquil residence for its clients on a site located inland, in the heart of the Kovan neighbourhood. The project's challenge lay in its context. Set facing a busy six-lane highway that accommodates anything from double-decker buses to lorries and cars, the lot did not immediately evoke the serene sanctuary the clients envisioned, and the practice had to think smart. The answer came in forming a design strategy around bringing in the greenery of the outdoors.

The residence, which was once the clients’ childhood home, underwent an entire rebuild, transforming it into two semi-detached houses. Turning to the environment to inform its material selection, the studio implemented a porous living façade with planter boxes for trees and other flora to thrive in the tropical climate. The rich planting offers a framed view and contributes to the streetscape.

The interior is contemporary and minimal, with hints of wood underscoring an organic feel. A shared inner courtyard provides an even quieter escape. More vegetation is brought into the bathroom. The sunlit house is bright and airy, with its effortlessly indoor-outdoor environment.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects Directory

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

larchitects.com

Alexander Symes Architect, fuelled by a strong sustainable architecture mission, is included in the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024 line-up – our listing designed to highlight exciting emerging practices in the architecture world. This is an Australian studio rooted in an environmentally friendly approach, from the founding principles of each project to its final finishing touches. Designs such as Pepper Tree Passive House and Upside Down Akubra House were conceived to protect biodiversity while offering striking aesthetics and an intriguing residential experience.

Who: Alexander Symes Architect

Architect Alexander Symes founded his namesake practice in 2014 with a vision to challenge the current status quo in sustainability in architecture, pushing and challenging the field's boundaries. With a ‘hands-on’ approach and a speciality in delivering passive homes that don't impact their context negatively, the practice aims to create residential design with a purpose.

‘On a macro level, this ensures we contribute to protecting biodiversity and providing a future-proofed housing stock,’ says Symes, ‘while on a micro level providing a healthy and resilient home for our clients in the changing climate.’ With this in mind, it is arguably only natural that the environment would be the studio’s biggest influence. Keeping context and nature at the forefront of its decisions, the practice enjoys working with bio-based construction and existing materials and suppliers. The result is buildings with a natural feel and a reduced carbon footprint.

What: Upside Down Akubra House

Set firmly off the beaten track in rural Australia, Alexander Symes Architect’s Upside Down Akubra House lays low in the heart of New South Wales. This off-grid home settles into its surrounding, remote landscape blending seamlessly into the horizon. Its defining factor is its sweeping skillion roof, which took its shape from the broad rim of an Akubra hat and its perfect dimensions for providing shade and shelter from the region's extreme temperatures. Making use of the local climate's near-year-round sunshine, the building is fully sustained by solar power, while the roof's slope and shape help to funnel and collect rainwater.

The plot offers impressive 360-degree views, nestled in the middle of a bull paddock, on top of a gently sloping hill above a dry creek bed. A grove of eucalyptus frames the expansive panorama of ‘Yella-Rock’ to the south, and ‘Hanging-Rock’ to the east, making for an ideal secluded sanctuary for the clients. Living spaces are positioned across the home's perimeter, with the kitchen and lounge lapping up easterly views, while bedrooms are placed behind them. A compact service core sits at the heart of the house, protected from the extreme weather conditions of this remote site.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects Directory

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

alexandersymes.com

Studio Porto, a young Brazilian practice, joins the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024, our latest annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios.

Who: Studio Porto

The emerging practice of Camila Porto stands out through its contemporary fusion of Brazilian culture with a cosmopolitan attitude. The studio's projects are intended to be timeless, balanced, and hospitable, Porto explains – but functionality is equally paramount. Attention to detail, empathy, and integration with nature are also strengths.

'Our greatest influence is Brazilian modernism, which brings with it a legacy of architectural solutions guided by simplicity and elegance. We combine this foundation with a contemporary and global perspective, integrating elements of nature and prioritising people's wellbeing. This combination of values shapes our approach uniquely and innovatively in architecture and design,' Porto explains.

What: AG House

AG House, one of the studio's newest completions, brings together the architect's signature blend of simplicity and minimalism. Set in Brazil's Uberlândia, the residence is located in the neighbourhood of Triângulo Mineiro. The structure, a single-storey residence, cleverly incorporates the owner's need for combining workspace and home through a contemporary design that centres on flowing, flexible space, functionality, and a prominent, light-filled area for entertaining.

AG House's L-shaped arrangement was chosen for its orientation – offering the best balance between plenty of sunlight and avoiding overheating. The materials add a luxurious and tactile touch, comprising slatted concrete, natural stone such as granite, shou sugi ban charred wood, and marble.

'The materials were selected with precision to provide not only an exclusive identity to the residence but also to ensure comfort. Metal structures, glass, Brazilian natural stones, and various species of wood converge to create a welcoming and visually appealing environment,' says the architect.

Why: Architects’ Directory 2024

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

@studioportoarquitetura

Young Chinese architecture practice Tsing-Tien Making joins the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024, our latest annual round-up of exciting emerging studios.

Who: Tsing-Tien Making

Suzhou-born Freja Bao's studio, Tsing-Tien Making (TTM), was founded following the architect's education in London's Bartlett School of Architecture and stints in Japan, in the offices of KPF Architects and Kengo Kuma & Associates. Bao set up her independent practice in her home town in 2023 and has been going from strength to strength since.

'As a collective deeply passionate about architecture, we at Tsing-Tien Making thrive on embracing challenges and infusing each project with innovative experimentation,' she says. Beyond her first completed project, featured here, Bao adds that there's more to come: 'Our focus extends to a range of exciting undertakings, including the development of a retirement house, the restoration of a scientist’s former residence, and the conceptualisation of a private collector’s room.'

While Bao credits her travels and exposure to international architecture as key influences in her work, she stresses that her roots are equally important. 'Upon returning to Suzhou, I observed a discernible gap in public awareness and perceptions of design. This challenge presents an opportunity to introduce and experiment with novel architectural concepts that could enrich the local landscape. My intention is to bridge this gap by integrating global architectural principles with local sensibilities, thereby fostering a more informed and appreciative public discourse around design.

‘Moreover, my vernacular roots have profoundly shaped my architectural perceptions and methodologies. Growing up immersed in the rich cultural and historical heritage of Suzhou, I developed a deep-seated appreciation for traditional aesthetics, craftsmanship, and the harmonious integration of built environments with natural surroundings. This background has instilled in me a unique perspective that values both the preservation of cultural identity and the pursuit of contemporary innovation.'

What: Zhang Taiyan's former residence

Twentieth-century Chinese scholar Zhang Taiyan's former residence has been redesigned and reopened as a domestic museum in his home town of Suzhou. Also known as Zhang Garden, the residence was built between 1911 and 1949 and comprises three buildings, surrounded by a green, walled garden.

The southernmost structure was preserved as a museum, while the other two contain the extensive bookshop and its café – both designed by Tsing-Tien Making – and communal areas.

Tsing-Tien Making worked on a design that draws on the setting's natural foliage tones, bringing a selection of shades of green into the composition. Materials blend timber in natural tones and metal, which was used in a modular manner in the shelving and displays.

Why: Architects’ Directory 2024

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

ttmaking.com

TigerQi Architecture is a young studio based in the British Virgin Islands, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. The boutique design firm founded by Lavina Liburd strives to provide elegant contemporary architecture to the wider Caribbean context, including its recent 'Beso del Sol Version 1: Rebuild' and other residential designs. Now, TigerQi Architecture has joined the Wallpaper Architects’ Directory 2024, our latest annual curated list that highlights exciting emerging studios from across the globe.

Who: TigerQi Architecture

Liburd started TigerQi Architecture in 2013, having previously worked at different firms and gained experience on a wealth of projects, from transportation and civic briefs to luxury residences and commercial buildings. With this under her belt, Liburd set up shop on her own, with a focus on a contemporary design approach that embraces simplicity and minimalism.

Due to the climate and topography of its secluded Caribbean home, the practice centres on three key principles; creating healthy buildings that support the social health and wellbeing of its clients; embracing hillside living to maximise views and light; and creating architecture that is designed to serve its community as a whole. These underlying principles are threaded into the studio's design process, wrapped up in a tropical modernism aesthetic.

What: Beso del Sol Version 1: Rebuild

With a location as beautiful as the British Virgin Islands, it is no surprise that TigerQi designs homes to embrace the surrounding context. Beso del Sol is an example of this – a rebuild concept to transform an existing villa by embracing its traditional wood-sided façade, while slightly infusing it with tropical modernist architecture ideas and incorporating climate adaptations for a cooling indoor-outdoor living experience.

The existing villa was a two-bedroom, two-bathroom plan, including roof pavilions. The clients had asked for a four-bedroom home with an elevated swimming pool to offer sweeping views of the surrounding greenery and the ocean.

The studio proposed a concept that took on a more brutalist architecture feel while echoing the structure of the more traditional, existing villa. Concrete offers a cooling exterior and foundational interior walls. The practice added wooden doors and window frames, which were recycled from the original home on the site, alongside vertical wood slats around the stairway and hallway to make for an organic, sheltered exterior space.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

tigerqiarchitecture.com

Studio Imagine. Simply Architecture – or SI.SA – joins the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024, making this young practice the Nigerian entry within our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios.

Who: SI.SA

African culture motivates Lagos-based architecture firm SI.SA. ‘We are influenced by the abstracted forms found in African traditional art and their ability to convey power and meaning,' says founder Seun Oduwole.

Founded in 2015, the ten-person firm aims 'to make beautiful buildings that enhance the built environment’. Dedicated to the betterment of communities, SI.SA focuses on inclusive and socially responsible architectural designs. Boasting a diverse portfolio of residential, educational, and cultural projects, the practice has worked on some impressive projects, such as the colourful John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History in Lagos.

Focusing on simplicity, clarity, and unity, the firm's strength lies in using design to craft compelling narratives. ‘Our ability to tell stories through visual metaphors has been well received by clients and the public,' state the team.

Over the last nine years SI.SA has sought to weave African identity into its work through contextual design. ‘Our biggest influence is our culture, expressed through African art. The abstracted sculptural forms rooted in Nigerian philosophical traditions inform our thought and application.’ Championing African heritage, SI.SA is putting African architecture on the global map. ‘We have an opportunity to create a contemporary and contextual architectural language in the Global South.'

What: Scissor House

Scissor House is a contemporary four-bedroom home located in Park View, Ikoyi. The project, set on an 850 sq m site, also includes two semi-detached townhouses to the rear. The main home at the front has a gate and grounds for parking while the rear semi-detached homes have a separate entrance for added privacy.

‘A friend approached me to design a contemporary family house on a tight plot,’ says Oduwole. Despite the small site, ‘we were able to find a simple and elegant solution to challenging constraints’.

He continues, 'A central entrance and feature stair connects accommodation wings on either side, like an open pair of scissors.’

The form of the angular dwelling was generated by deconstructing planes to create compelling spaces. As you enter, light softly filters through the skylight down into the lobby. A lofty atrium gives the interior a calm and tranquil feel as the white walls and furniture are cleverly contrasted by bold black accents. Here, a wooden staircase with a glass balustrade guides you up the building as you venture to the private quarters. At the top of the dwelling, residents can enjoy the terraces that are masterfully framed by cantilevered beams.

Why: Architects’ Directory 2024

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

si.sa.com

Studio Collaboratorio, a young Finnish practice, is part of the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024, our latest annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios.

Who: Studio Collaboratorio

This young Helsinki practice was founded in 2016 by Finnish architect Kristiina Kuusiluoma and Italian architect Martino De Rossi. Together, the duo formed Studio Collaboratorio, a dynamic emerging practice aiming to 'create beautiful habitats by using natural and ecological materials while at the same time paying close attention to the place and its history: more beauty, communality, affordability and humanity! Interactive cooperation, profound ecology and long life cycle are at the heart of everything.'

This studio revels in challenges, and what it doesn't already know, it can't wait to sink its teeth into – as with Villa Koppar, seen here, where the architects explored rammed-earth building elements, adapted to the Finnish climate and technology.

What influences them? ‘Definitely vernacular architecture and solutions that have been tested for hundreds, thousands of years. And nature. Simple, beautiful, practical, ethical solutions in one,' they say.

What: Villa Koppar

Villa Koppar is one of the young practice's most recent residential completions. Located in Finland's Inkoo, the single-family residence draws on its stunning natural surroundings, set in the Kopparnä region, some 45km out of Helsinki. Built elegantly in two volumes (the main house and the garage and guest house), the property may look simple but is the result of extensive research and sustainable architecture thinking.

Villa Koppar is an eco-friendly, geothermically heated passive house, constructed on a limited budget, using a prefabricated straw structure (Ecococon), Organowood spruce boards exterior cladding, and clay plaster interiors.

The architects explain: 'The living area, complete with a landscape sauna, is located on the upper floor, allowing for the enjoyment of the picturesque views and rocky terrain through an extended terrace. The bedrooms provide direct access to the garden on the ground floor. The interiors and lighting are characterised by their minimalist approach, utilising primarily wood and clay materials. Both floors are constructed using rammed earth (Luonnonbetoni).'

Why: Architects Directory 2024

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

collaboratorio.fi

Playball Studio, a young Indo-Spanish design practice, joins the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024, our latest annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios.

Who: Playball Studio

Established in 2017, Playball Studio is an Indo-Spanish architecture firm led by architects Celia Fernández Duque and Ronak Gangdev. Based in Rajkot, India, and Valladolid, Spain, the studio works on a range of uniquely contextual residential and commercial projects, often within urban conditions.

The word ‘Playball’ reflects the studio’s philosophy of always ‘playing ball’ and prioritising the needs of its clients. Fernández Duque and Gangdev are also conscious of the impact of their projects on the physical environment. The studio’s core strength lies in striking a harmonious balance between the organic and the technical, simplicity and refinement, and form and functionality.

Playball Studio is a culturally diverse firm, and this richness is reflected in its design process and results. The architects analyse the needs of the client and the context, and craft a specific and unique story for each project. This narrative becomes the guide for the entire design process.

Fernández Duque and Gangdev trained under the mentorship of leading architects, such as Glenn Murcutt, Jean-Philippe Vassal, Richard Leplastrier, and Peter Stutchbury, and have also worked in the studios of critically renowned architects including Stephane Paumier, Rajesh Renganathan, and Iype Chacko.

What: Plot 33

Playball Studio’s office and the duo's main residence in Rajkot, India, showcases the firm’s trademark design philosophy. Known as Plot 33, the three-storey building is in the heart of Rajkot in a crowded residential neighbourhood. The structure houses an office on the ground level, while the first floor features a living area, and the second floor is given over to the architects' private quarters. The third floor is a multipurpose space with guest and activity rooms. Plot 33 is a study in how to balance the indoors and outdoors, work and life, and privacy and openness.

Perforated metal panels and curvilinear components help bring in natural light and keep the office cool, while also adding to the space’s uniqueness. ​​The metal façade converts harsh sunbeams into a soft light entering the space.

A courtyard on the north edge ​​creates a harmonious look and seamlessly connects with the outdoors. All levels are woven together through a series of green terraces, contributing to the indoor-outdoor balance. The terraces feature cast in-situ flooring using waste kota stone pieces organised in a random pattern.

Inside the property, an open-plan configuration allows furniture pieces to act as space-defining elements, while flooring – unified throughout – comprises hand-crafted terrazzo tiles made with chips from marble waste and glass bottles.

Plot 33’s architectural design efficiently opens up to and yet shelters from the local climate, while ensuring that the space maintains a continuous visual connection with the city’s surrounding green spaces and the sky.

Why: Architects Directory 2024

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

playballstudio.com

Based in Toronto, architecture and art studio Svima was founded in 2020 by Anamarija Korolj and Leon Lai, who draw inspiration from the ever-changing context of cities, and design in order to create positive symbiotic relationships - whether that be natural, built or even digital. The studio’s Passageway House - a private residence near the Danube River in Novi Sad, Serbia - showcases its aesthetic sensitivity which reflects the duo’s Eastern European and Asian heritage, and is ultimately expressed through their Canadian identity. Now, the young practice joins the Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2024.

Who: Svima

Starting the practice five years ago Korolj and Lai, looked towards nature and ecology. During our era of mass construction, the studio fine-tunes its mission by focusing on three key pillars: air, light and greenery. With this in mind, their designs draw on the blossoming biomes of Canada, while balancing a human-centric approach, ensuring that the client receives a design that provides ample access to nature. The studio's portfolio brings together a series of schemes that nod towards creating a more equitable and sustainable future.

Seeing themselves as ‘not only as designers of buildings but as stewards of human experience’, Korolj and Lai seek to unite art and architecture to ‘continuously leverage the two mediums as vehicles with a reciprocal relationship in pushing the boundaries of the visual and spatial expressions.’ The creative duo strives to implement projects with a sense of place, resilience and inclusivity, ‘reflecting the essence of what it means to be Canadian.’

What: Passageway House

Located near the banks of the Danube River, Passageway House is a calming nook off a shared courtyard, sheltered from the Novi Sad city bustle. It was designed for a couple looking to downsize and aspired to live in the historical Serbian city. The plot is quaint, positioned off a pasaž, a semi-private passageway that follows the local vernacular, and overlooking a green courtyard shared with other families. Venturing inside, the home feels fresh and crisp, with clean white walls and high ceilings that allow for an abundance of natural light and an airy feel.

The clients are enthusiastic about contemporary Japanese minimalism - nods to which have been threaded through the design. Thin steel stair posts naturally expand the gaze towards the ceiling, opening up the space. Storage is cleanly tucked away behind white panels. The result creates a calming sanctuary within its busy urban context.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects Directory

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

svima.ca

The Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024 includes Studio Argus, a young practice joining our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios.

Who: Studio Argus

Architect Margit Argus brings more than 20 years of experience in interior design, fine arts, and architecture to her young and fast-emerging architecture studio. The practice, based in Tallinn, is rooted in a Nordic aesthetic, bringing together local Estonian vernacular and a fine attention to detail. Current projects include a seaside hotel in Tallinn, a high-rise residential building, and a university campus in Tallinn, alongside a handful of schools and single-family houses.

'The opportunity to create unique, functional, and aesthetically pleasing spaces; the ability to translate visions into tangible structures is a powerful motivator for us,' says Argus, but 'the biggest influence on Studio Argus' practice is our dedication to merging historical preservation with contemporary innovation. This approach drives our work, where we seek to honor the past while creating functional, modern spaces.'

What: House in Suurupi

The beautifully minimalist House in Suurupi is one of the studio's latest residential completions. Conceived as an archetypal gabled house, the home for a private family is made from natural materials and blends into its forest context, as it sits on a large, tree-filled plot. The interiors are spacious, featuring Nordic brightness, functionality, and plenty of natural light, blending high-quality materials with warm natural tones.

The home's living spaces contain a main sitting area, the dining room, an open kitchen, a home theatre, and a sauna complex. The whole was conceived to engage in dialogue with the greenery outside, which remains almost always visible through the property's large windows. The project was created in collaboration with Estonian architecture studio LUMIA.

Why: Architects’ Directory 2024

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

studioargus.com

The Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024 includes Mast, a young practice joining our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios.

Who: Mast

Mast, founded in 2021 by Australian architect Marshall Blecher and Danish maritime designer and architect Magnus Maarbjerg, is on a mission to improve the relationship between the city and the sea.

'We are motivated by the amazing potential that comes from reconnecting with water, as we have seen the amazing effect that even small improvements to water access and quality can produce in cities,' Blecher explains.

Specialising in architecture on or near water, the duo have completed several small structures floating around Copenhagen harbour. There is the 20 sq m tiny prototype floating island KBHØ1 (KBH for Copenhagen and Ø for island) with its 6m tall Linden tree; and the portable ‘harbour bath’, or Dyppezone, which can be freely moved around the city’s waterways, creating intimate bathing experience along its way.

Our favourite is perhaps the recently finished floating Sauna KFF, developed in collaboration with Copenhagen City. Complete with a cold water plunge pool, this has export potential to any place with a clean body of water and a sauna-hungry population.

Mast also works on larger-scale projects, like the transformation of a sand quarry outside of Milan and a proposal for a floating hotel in an abandoned salt production facility in southern Portugal.

What: Houseboat Svenborgsund

Extending the life of a discontinued car ferry from 1947 into a two-storey houseboat was what made Blecher and Maarbjerg formally join their previously separate offices into Mast and set their direction towards working with maritime architecture.

'The houseboat started out as a 1940s Danish car ferry with a timber hull. Many ferries like this once served the small islands around Denmark but have been decommissioned as bridges have been built and modern ferries have replaced them,' Blecher explains.

With the help of the nearby professional shipyard Krohns Bådbyggeri, Maarbjerg and Blecher designed and built the houseboat over 18 months. 'Almost all the interior, including the flooring, kitchen cabinets and the staircase are made of solid Danish oak to keep the materials authentic and close to the original,' Maarbjerg explains. The lower floors consist of a large master bedroom, bathroom, a lounge area and a workshop. The upper deck is kept as one large 22m-long living, kitchen, and lounge area.

The old wheelhouse was renovated and added back on top of the vessel; it has become a small bar with access to the old lookout platform that now serves as a small terrace.

Why: Architects’ Directory 2024

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

mast.dk

The Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024 features Brown Urbanism. Here's why the young practice is joining our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios.

Who: Brown Urbanism

Richard Brown's Brown Urbanism was born some ten years ago, as a London-based architecture and urbanism design practice with a mission to 'create better places for people to inhabit that are inclusive, engaging and meaningful'. As part of this philosophy, the studio works on a range of typologies and scales, including commercial, residential, retail and hospitality; always with a focus on sustainable, low-cost, high-impact design.

'Simple, well-thought-through design that works for the client while creating distinctive and meaningful urban environments,' says Brown. 'We are interested in how design can better reflect, support and enable new ways of inhabiting and experiencing space. We are particularly interested in how the home can support the complexities of life’s requirements – from working from home and experiencing nature to treating the home as a performative cultural place.'

Drawing the practice's origins in the creative communities of east London, and blending that experience with Brown's years of research, community engagement and urban interventions, this is a practice that thrives in a pragmatic, yet highly creative approach. Its motivation is to highlight a range of cultural attitudes, sustainable ethics and practical material knowledge.

Brown adds: 'The biggest influence on the practice is inclusivity in all forms. Throughout all our project sectors, we are working hard to ensure that spaces, [both] public and private, are accessible, welcoming and easy to use for all. We are finding ways to make architecture as practice more financially accessible to a wider range of clients wishing to plan space for the future.'

What: Triangle House

Triangle House is an impressive, yet tiny triangular, self-built 40 sq m home in north London. Set within the confines of a former mechanics garage in West Hampstead, Camden, the award-winning project (claiming a prize in 2024 Don't Move, Improve) is compact and inventive, making the most of difficult, dense urban circumstances.

'We worked with the client to create a home of contradictions: small in plan and generous in volume; private from the street yet open and expansive in its interior outlook. We wanted to create a prototypical “work-home”, not just a workplace and not just a home. It would be a typology defined by neither identity. Instead, it would be a place that supports a range of activities,' Brown explains.

Why: Architects’ Directory 2024

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

brownurbanism.com

The Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024 includes AD-WO, a young USA practice joining our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios.

Who: AD-WO

Ethiopia-born Emanuel Admassu and Australia-born Jen Wood formed AD-WO in New York in 2015. The young art and architecture studio brings together their 'divergent' backgrounds to create valuable 'friction' within their practice – which, combined with their agility and multi-disciplinary approach, gives them a distinct edge when it comes to crafting works that are 'transnational' and experimental. The portfolio of the research-based studio spans from images and objects to furniture, tapestries, installations, and buildings.

'We examine the methods of spatial valuation that undergird the disciplines of architecture and urban design: how these systems of measurement are entangled with discursive and material regimes of racialisation, ecological degradation, and coloniality,' the duo say.

'Our work is committed to unsettling the conventions of architecture with hopes of developing a spatial practice that is open and generous. We experiment with tactics of opacity, occlusion, and abstraction, paying special attention to non-Western concepts and sites that are illegible to the ethnographic gaze. We are looking for gaps in perception as ways to challenge the limits of our imagination.'

What: Bole Rwanda

Bole Rwanda is a boutique residential project in Ethiopia, and the African country's capital, Addis Ababa. The scheme spans six floors and has a distinctive, colourful identity, partially featuring salvaged bricks that have been arranged in captivating patterns. The property's compound wall wraps around the main building, stretching up to its height and transforming 'from an opaque fence into an irregularly punched screen'.

This 'veil' around the main residential building shades and protects the dwellings inside, which are set back by two metres and feature outdoor space in the shape of balconies.

Why: Architects’ Directory 2024

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

ad-wo.com

The Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024 features Kasawoo, which joins our exciting annual round-up of emerging architecture studios from the UK.

Who: Kasawoo

London-based Kasawoo was founded by Kyriaki (Katie) Kasabalis and Darius Woo in 2020, after they met during their studies at Cornell University in the USA. Their studio was established with an aim to work on bringing great design to everyone. 'Early on in our practice, we discovered that good design was often out of reach for most people, and we made a commitment to change that. For us, good design does not need to come with a big price tag. That is why we set up our practice to bring this ethos to life,' they say.

This desire is combined with an approach that draws on a more ‘gentle’ architecture – minimalism, not through formal reduction, but rather through the efficiency of both design gestures and resources.

'In today’s material culture, we aim to redefine what ‘lightness’ means in construction through minimal and gentle interventions. We begin every project with a thoughtful assessment of the existing condition, asking ourselves what is the least we need to alter to really make a difference? We realise the potential of our projects through minimising demolition and we pride ourselves in always finding the smallest degree of intervention,' they say.

What: Vanato Cabin

This striking red cabin, was conceived as a tiny home on wheels on the island of Zakynthos in Greece. The project, titled Vanato Cabin, is a response to the pressures of fast tourism the country is facing and aims to create a compact, comfortable and design-led holiday retreat that touches lightly on its land and respects its environment and resources.

Vanato Cabin has been prefabricated off-site out of wood, reducing its carbon footprint through both building methods and material. At the same time, large openings ensure it connects with its surroundings. 'Two triangular wooden platforms fabricated on-site extend the interior space to the outside, allowing for both minimal living and maximum connection to nature,’ say the architects.

The cabin's bright colouring is not random, they add: ‘The exterior cladding is painted a deep red creating a visual link between the colour of the cabin and that of traditional houses found throughout the island, signalling the importance of new construction methods that respect their surroundings.'

Why: Architects’ Directory 2024

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

kasawoo.com

The full list for the Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2023 has been revealed, celebrating 20 studios as our finest emerging architects to watch. 

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. 

Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios, from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2023

Scroll down for the who, what, and why behind our Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2023 selection, and click on the link in each one for more on their work. 

 Pop Architecture, Australia  

'The Pop Art movement, dry humour and architecture' brought practice partners Katherine Sainsbery and Justine Brennan together, when they set up Pop Architecture over six years ago. Their portfolio brings together a site-specific approach with their own take on materiality and formal expression. For them, 'excellence in architectural practice supports the vision of the studio and consists of using a tried, tested and flexible design process to achieve successful outcomes; happy clients and collaborators; and continuous improvement'. 

The female-led practice promotes 'balance in the workplace, discouraging overtime and modelling sharing of responsibility'. It encourages staff development through collaboration and communication. At the same time, the word 'Pop' captures key tenets of its ethos, the founders explain. 'The process used to generate artwork by artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein resonates with [us]. The notion of removing the artist's hand and producing work via a production line draws parallels with contemporary architectural practice – both in terms of the number of people involved in completing a project, and in the creative opportunities which lie in the process of trying to simplify or optimise a design.'

 Ruína Architecture, Brazil 

Founded in 2020 by Julia Peres and Victoria Braga, Rúina is a studio based in São Paulo and Salvador in Brazil. The practice, whether developing architecture and objects or consulting, has a focus on ‘the reuse of materials and construction waste'. Hailing from São Paulo, Peres is an architect and graphic designer, with professional experience working across various project types. Meanwhile, Braga, born in Rio de Janeiro, is an architect and researcher, and is currently part of the Graduate Program in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage at the Federal University of Recôncavo Baiano. Recognising that within Brazilian contexts, material waste is heavily stigmatised, Rúina seeks to 'subvert the material resource considered as waste into new and alternative material for civil construction'.

 Anya Moryoussef, Canada 

'Reinvention, specifically of typologies and the ideas they embody', make Anya Moryoussef's work stand out from the crowd, motivating her practice, she says. 'We grow so used to our homes, where we spend so much time, that we easily overlook the effect they have on us. We look to design spaces that feel alive by activating their latent potential, changing moods, atmospheres, and thereby the lives of the people inside them. The spaces we generate have a strong and immediate – I’d even say emotional – impact on the people who enter them, and this is the first step to reconsidering, rethinking, reimagining the way we live.'

 Atelier Tropical, Congo & Mozambique 

Atelier Tropical is an architecture practice founded in 2016 by Valérie Mavoungou Rodriguez. A self-described 'Pan-African architect', Mavoungou Rodriguez draws from her Congolese heritage, studies abroad, and experiences living in multiple African countries, to lead her dynamic practice, working across Africa. 

Atelier Tropical finds its purpose in designing climate-sensitive projects, 'resilient to their tropical climates', that celebrate modernity while still embracing local building methods and African aesthetics. When she was growing up in the tropical basin of the Congo river, she reflects, 'many buildings were not always adapted to our luxurious landscape, dense vegetation, and hot humid tropical climate; I often wondered how we could do better'.

 Natura Futura, Ecuador 

Natura Futura's José Fernando Gómez is motivated by a desire to continuously participate in, research and experiment with the urban condition, 'deeply committed to the city and community life', he explains. 

‘On the other hand, this collective project is also a personal motivation; that leads us to question ourselves about sensitive aspects of architecture in Latin America. We believe in a path of architectural exploration that works to find solutions through questioning and continuous research about the cities. We are especially focused not in main cities, but in satellite cities.' 

 KKMK, Greece 

Founders Kate Karagianni and Marina Karamali see architecture as an 'intense and personal creation'. They strive for timelessness, taking into account the fact that their clients lives might change and needs evolve. KKMK is also an international practice, as while their headquarters is based in Athens, they have been involved in a variety of projects, spanning residential, tourism and commercial projects, in London, Australia, Indonesia and Egypt. No matter where they are, they are inspired by the cultural, historical, and social context of each given place – sprinkled with their own experiences in fashion, art and philosophy. 

 Collective, Hong Kong & Spain 

Collective was founded by architect Betty Ng in 2015 – Chi Yan Chan, Juan Minguez and Katja Lam have since joined her as co-directors. While the studio is 'globally oriented and strongly rooted in Asia', the team explains, it remains headquartered in two continents, with offices in both Hong Kong and Madrid. With the directors combining experience at some of the world's most influential practices, such as the studios of Pritzker Prize-winning architects Rem Koolhaas/ OMA and Herzog & de Meuron, Collective has a truly international outlook and a range of projects under its belt.

'We love working in a diverse genre of international projects, to move away from the standards and routines. Every project becomes a new adventure that allows us to tackle new circumstances, offering us an opportunity to come out with new answers and design solutions. These fresh encounters and processes motivate us in design,' the architects say, explaining what drives them and their overall approach, which can be applied to schemes of any scale and type. '[We] practice architecture, interiors, urban design and exhibition design. Collective specialises in design as a methodology, not a style.'

 Misa Architects, India 

Misa Architects is an architecture and design studio founded in 2015 in Ahmedabad, India, aiming to bring fresh perspectives to the contemporary Indian design scene. Its work strives to be 'culturally aware, environmentally responsible and creatively unbound'. Helmed by experienced architect Tarun Patel, who also teaches at CEPT University, the well-respected Architecture and Planning School in Ahmedabad, the team of 14 dynamic designers has worked extensively across Gujarat, Mumbai, Bangalore, and internationally in Dubai and Kenya. 

Rooted in a love for India’s rich cultural history that is 'interspersed with mythology, art, music and architecture', Misa Architects is on a quest to 'stimulate and stir the different senses', blending vernacular styles with sustainably minded touches that engage the user both emotionally and spiritually. 

 Arii Irie, Japan 

Atsuo Arii and Kako Irie met while working at C+A Tokyo, a joint architectural practice once headed by Kazuhiro Kojima and Kazuko Akamatsu. Kojima passed away in 2016 and both Arii and Irie sees him as the biggest influence on their practice; 'We both worked under him until he passed away and are deeply influenced by his interest and perception of architects as a mould for air, natural light and human activities,' they elaborate.

The couple like to take on a variety of projects and despite only setting up shop in 2015, have already worked on a wide range of buildings, from coffee shops to factories. 

'Since most of our projects are something we encounter for the first time, the design always starts from research. Not only about the site but also the actual building type and its historical background and present use. This loosens our minds and helps us break away from stereotypical definitions of architects,' they explain. What excites Arii and Irie about being architects is precisely this opportunity to dissect a slice of the present to see what’s going on in the world right now. 

 East Architecture Studio, Lebanon & UAE 

Architects Nicolas Fayad and Charles Kettaneh joined forces in 2015 and founded East Architecture Studio, the dynamic practice with one base in Lebanon, and another in the UAE. The practice now has worked across four continents and has won recognitions including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2022 for its Oscar Niemeyer Guest House Renovation project in Tripoli, Lebanon. 

Remaining small and agile while excelling in their field is important for the pair. They say: 'What sets us apart as a studio is our ability to tackle significant projects with a relatively small yet highly skilled team. We excel in adapting and designing within diverse contexts and environments, allowing us to create tailored solutions that perfectly align with each project's unique needs. We take pride in being a dynamic and forward-thinking architectural firm.'

ALEEYA. design studio, Pakistan 

ALEEYA.design studio or simply, ‘A.’ is a Karachi-based design practice founded in 2020 by Aleeya Khan. Specialising in high-end residential, commercial, boutique offices and interior renovations in the economic heart of Pakistan, A. stands apart for its bespoke, Japandi, minimalist architecture style. Refusing to be put in a box, A. expands: 'We are not an architecture or interior design firm; we are a design house with an ethos driven by a desire to create a movement in all aspects of design.' 

Born and raised in Karachi, Khan completed a bachelor’s in Urban Design & Architecture Studies at New York University, and a master’s in Architecture at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation. After working at award-winning practices such as Beyer Blinder Belle, Khan returned to Pakistan in 2017 to explore the growing real estate market.

 ID + EA, Senegal 

ID+EA may be a young studio, but founder Fatiya Diene Mazza has already undertaken many projects and collaborations in a variety of scopes and sizes. A holistic approach that prioritises researching the varying cultural, societal, environmental, and economic aspects of each commission allows the architect and her team to 'devise sustainable and high-impact design solutions', she explains. 

'Our studio takes immense pride in formulating designs that harmoniously blend elements of traditional and contemporary styles. Our objective is to pioneer a fresh, engaging narrative that challenges conventional African design norms,' said Diene Mazza. 

'By fusing the steadfast principles of classic design with the daring innovation of modern architecture, we create a cohesive, dynamic design framework. In doing so, we strive to push the boundaries of African architectural expression, promoting a creative atmosphere that truly explores the potential of the architectural landscape.'

 Nicolas y Nicolas, Spain & Ecuador 

Nicolás y Nicolás' mission is to elevate everyday spaces, and living, through architecture. Nicolás Vivas, who heads the Quito office in Ecuador, and Nicolás López, who leads the Barcelona one in Spain, have a varied portfolio that is still growing – the pair only formed their joint practice in 2017. But they always try to bridge cultures and experiences, using for example, both local and traditional, and contemporary materials in their work. At the same time, they try to challenge themselves with every project. '[We stand out for] trying to step out of the boundaries,' they say. 'Our education, normally, [is] very linear on how we should understand architecture. Sometimes we forget that we are sensitive beings that enjoy simple things. We are trying to push the boundaries with gentle gestures.'

 Studio HE, Sweden 

Architect Xiao He was born in Wuhan, China, before her family moved to Sweden, where she has been residing since the age of four. Her studio, Studio He, was founded in 2019, following studies in Sweden and Hong Kong, as well as professional experience at established firms. 'In my earlier years, I was only driven by an unwavering quest for pioneering design approaches, constantly seeking to break new ground,' He says. 

'As my career progressed, I experienced a shift. I embraced and celebrated my Chinese heritage and seamlessly blended it with the Nordic design philosophy imprinted upon me during my upbringing, finding inspiration in its rich design elements. Additionally, with age, I have developed a deep interest in nature and sustainable materials. While acknowledging the complexity of achieving 100 per cent sustainability without compromising design aesthetics, I strive to incorporate sustainable principles as a vital aspect of my projects.'

 Studio Tropicana, Switzerland and Italy 

'As an emerging architecture firm, we are motivated by the opportunity to push the boundaries of what is possible and create something truly unique,' says Studio Tropicana founder Martina Palocci. 'Architecture has the power to shape the way we live, work, and interact with each other, and our desire is to have a positive impact on society through designing spaces that are beautiful, functional, and sustainable.' To achieve this, the architect and her team draw on multidisciplinary references, from space to art, film and design. 'It is through [a] continuous osmotic process [among disciplines] that we can create futuristic designs, where every element is in balance, properly orchestrated, and part of a timeless language,' she explains. 

 Pashenko Works, UK 

Mariia Pashenko and Koen Schaballie founded Pashenko Works in 2020. The dynamic architectural practice works between Ukraine, Belgium and the UK with a main office based in south London. After completing a degree in Fine Arts and Architecture in Ukraine, Pashenko moved to the UK in 2009 to study housing and urbanism at the Architectural Association, working for various practices in London over the next decade. 

Schaballie studied architecture at the Catholic University of Leuven, the TU Delft and the AA before working on a range of projects in the UK, Netherlands and Belgium. 'Fascinated and inspired by the European city', Pashenko Works was started as a way for Pashenko and Schaballie to develop their own signature approach to architecture that thoughtfully blends Ukrainian, Belgian and UK influences.

Of Architecture, UK 

Working with anything from public institutions and charities to developers, designers and private individuals, Of Architecture is a small and agile studio based in east London. 'We see architecture as a process where materials come together, accumulate and create spaces. Our ethos is to understand and respect the integrity of each element of the building – the material, craftsmen and people who would inhabit these spaces,' founders James Mak and Jongwon Na agree. 

Working closely with their clients sits at the core of the duo's work. They explain: ‘We celebrate each and every context we work in. Architecture should honestly articulate who we are as individuals and as a society. Our aspiration is to create simple, conscious and beautiful spaces through a piece of furniture, a building, or a city at a time.' 

At the same time, they layer their brief with their rich influences that stem from 'everyday life in the city'.

 Common Works, USA 

This award-winning practice (It was named among The Architectural League of New York 2023 Emerging Voices), may still be young and small, but it has big and noble ambitions. 'Speaking honestly – my primary motivation is escape,' says Common Works' founder Asa Highsmith. 'Escape from for-profit motives of private development. I have a long-term vision to use the profits we make from our business to begin our own non-profit community housing development entity with an aim to explore new, affordable housing models centered in sustainable practice and focused on rebuilding community.

'America seems to be a country currently built to atomise and isolate each person from the other, and it is detrimental to our social wellbeing and general health. I hope this answer doesn’t sound too politically charged or wildly silly – but it’s my honest hope, and thus my motivation.'

 Formation Association, USA 

Founded by John K Chan and Grace U Oh in Los Angeles, Formation Association practises architecture 'as an expansive cultural project to transform our expectations of the built environment'. Rooted in the idea of 'formation', found in psychology and archaeology and referring to the multi-dimensional forces and actions that create a single site or expression, the studio’s work is multivalent and multi-layered in its design approach. 

Trained in architecture at the USC School of Architecture, design director Chan brings extensive experience in various project types across the USA and abroad. Meanwhile, managing director Oh, a staunch advocate for the intersectional contemporary art scenes of Los Angeles, is deeply engaged in the cultural communities in which the Formation Association’s architectural work finds its purpose.

 Tad.Atelier, Vietnam 

Set up in Ho Chi Minh City, Tad.atelier is a small practice focusing on small and medium-sized projects across architecture, interiors and landscape design. This follows its founder Vu Tien An’s philosophy, centred on slow architecture, nature and the environment, and the informal spaces in our cities. ‘Although the rapid growth of the city has put pressure on the construction industry, we are trying to keep an open approach for each project we are in charge of. To us, two important issues that determine the formation of each project are the context and the requirements of the clients. In Tad.atelier, researching and making decisions for each specific project is a new and unique thought process. It really motivates us to seek solutions in completely different methods,' says the studio founder. ‘We conceive of buildings as living entities rather than objects.’

Collective is a young and dynamic architecture studio based in Hong Kong and Spain. The practice works on a wealth of art, commercial and residential projects, including this apartment in Hong Kong (above); the Art Collector's House; and exhibitions for M+ Museum and Taipei Art Biennial 2020. Now, Collective has joined the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios. 

Who: Collective

Collective was founded by architect Betty Ng in 2015 – Chi Yan Chan, Juan Minguez and Katja Lam have since joined her as co-directors. While the studio is 'globally oriented and strongly rooted in Asia', the team explains, it remains headquartered in two continents, with offices in both Hong Kong and Madrid. With the directors combining experience at some of the world's most influential practices, such as the studios of Pritzker Prize-winning architects Rem Koolhaas/OMA and Herzog & de Meuron, Collective has a truly international outlook and a range of projects under its belt.

'We love working in a diverse genre of international projects, to move away from the standards and routines. Every project becomes a new adventure that allows us to tackle new circumstances, offering us an opportunity to come out with new answers and design solutions. These fresh encounters and processes motivate us in design,' the architects say, explaining that their overall approach can be applied to schemes of any scale and type. '[We] practise architecture, interiors, urban design and exhibition design. Collective specialises in design as a methodology, not a style.'

What: Hong Kong apartment, and more

With a background as diverse as Collective's, it's no surprise that the team can apply their varied skills to projects that span the residential, commercial and cultural realm with ease. Among their recent and current residential work is a Hong Kong apartment, a newly completed space defined by its sleek simplicity and soft, timber-clad interiors; and the ambitious Art Collector's House, one of the several ongoing standalone, single-family houses they have on their drawing boards. 

Meanwhile, Collective takes pride in its contributions to the cultural sector too, having already developed several schemes and concepts for high-profile, global institutions, despite the practice's young age. Among those, the M+ Museum's 'Things, Spaces, Interactions' exhibition in the destination's East galleries is an expansive showcase of some 500 examples of furniture, architecture, graphic arts, and other design objects, for which Collective designed the display. 

The office and exhibition gallery for Art Intelligence's global headquarters in Hong Kong is another project in the same field by the studio – it's a textured, minimalist, and highly functional space that blends simplicity with 21st-century technology and design solutions, fit for the art space's multi-layered uses. 

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

collective-studio.co 

Atelier Tropical is the latest practice to join the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios. The practice from Congo and Mozambique, led by founder Valerie Mavoungou Rodriguez, has completed a range of residential works, including Eco-lodge Kunda highlighted here.

Who: Atelier Tropical

Atelier Tropical is an architecture practice founded in 2016 by Valérie Mavoungou Rodriguez. A self-described 'Pan-African architect', Mavoungou Rodriguez draws from her Congolese heritage, studies abroad, and experiences living in multiple African countries, to lead her dynamic practice, working across Africa. 

Atelier Tropical finds its purpose in designing climate-sensitive projects, 'resilient to their tropical climates', that celebrate modernity while still embracing local building methods and African aesthetics. When she was growing up in the tropical basin of the Congo river, she reflects, 'many buildings were not always adapted to our luxurious landscape, dense vegetation, and hot humid tropical climate; I often wondered how we could do better'.

After training as an architect in Paris, with stints also in Tokyo and Seoul, Mavoungou Rodriguez returned to her roots, dedicating her work to the investigation of 'both sustainable vernacular constructive techniques and modern lines'. Recognising that fast-industrialising countries on the tropical belt are 'major vital reservoirs of carbon on our planet, home to most world wildlife and plants', Mavoungou Rodriguez says that 'as space practitioners, we have no choice but to design while preserving the vital reserves and biodiversity of our ecosystems'. 

Inspired by tropical modernism, Mavoungou Rodriguez is 'committed to advocating for bioclimatic architecture', further explaining that 'when we meld traditional crafts with contemporary design aesthetics, we create regional, charming, temperature-tuned, effective architecture for our landscape, climate, and people'.

What: Eco-lodge Kunda

Eco-lodge Kunda is a series of different bioclimatic wooden cabins made out of one of the most durable and resistant tropical redwoods, Niové. Situated in the Congo’s National Park of Conkouati Douli, a Unesco-recognised coastal ecosystem, the lodge was delivered in 2017 with the aim of proposing a 'totally ecological and decarbonised experience to the visitors'. Deeply engaged with tropical architecture practices, Atelier Tropical was well-positioned to design these decarbonised cabins, making use of natural resources and limited energy for this unique site that offers spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean. 

'The idea was to create added value by showing up best sustainable practices in materiality, production, and thermic, like natural ventilation, solar power lighting, and work with local craftsmanship,' Mavoungou Rodriguez explains. Wood was hand cut and dried on-site, as well as treated with linseed oil. All furniture was also made on-site. By making a conscious effort to work closely with local expertise and materials, Atelier Tropical seeks to break the cycle of 'never-ending importation of industrial answers and materials from the developed northern hemisphere'. Open to the public, the lodge has hosted many visitors and tourists. For Atelier Tropical, Eco-lodge Kunda is but one of many examples of how, despite limited resources, the practice 'can stand strongly for sustainable solutions and respond to environmental challenges on big and small scales'.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

atelier-tropical.com 

Rúina, the Brazil-based practice headed by co-founders Julia Peres and Victoria Braga, is the latest addition to the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios. 

Who: Rúina

Founded in 2020 by Peres and Braga, Rúina is a studio based in São Paulo and Salvador in Brazil. The practice, whether developing architecture and objects or consulting, has a focus on ‘the reuse of materials and construction waste'. Hailing from São Paulo, Peres is an architect and graphic designer, with professional experience working across various project types. Meanwhile, Braga, born in Rio de Janeiro, is an architect and researcher, and is currently part of the Graduate Program in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage at the Federal University of Recôncavo Baiano. Recognising that within Brazilian contexts, material waste is heavily stigmatised, Rúina seeks to 'subvert the material resource considered as waste into new and alternative material for civil construction'.

Peres and Braga are highly experimental in their approach. They explain: 'Our practice starts from the intention of emphasising the process of making the project rather than its final object.' Drawing inspiration from visionary Brazilian architects associated with Arquitetura Nova (Sérgio Ferro, Flávio Imperio and Rodrigo Lefèvre), Rúina aims to bridge the gap in architectural practices focusing on themes of 'bioconstruction, natural materials and sustainable waste management' in the Global South. 

Of their driving force, the architects say: 'Understanding memory, heritage and what we consider as urban ruins is part of the complexity of projecting oneself in the contemporary world, this challenge and the relationship between the old and the new motivates us.'

What: Apartamento Paraíso 

Apartamento Paraíso is Rúina's renovation of a first-floor apartment in the Edifício Olga Ferreira building in São Paulo. Starting with an existing, fragmented space that lacked natural light, and with poor ventilation in original service areas as a legacy of colonial architecture, the studio has transformed the apartment into a bright, open home brimming with craftily repurposed material touches. 

An inverted beam embedded in the wall between the living room and bedroom was unearthed during demolition, and reappropriated to support furniture facing both sides, 'sectoring the environments without visually separating them'. Meanwhile, turning the wall between the kitchen and service area into glass sliding windows brings a renewed 'visual permeability from end to end of the apartment,' improving natural lighting and cross ventilation.

In line with the studio's ethos of reducing and reusing waste, existing materials and demolition debris on site were either restored or put to new use. A crusher helped break down various materials to produce both coarse and fine pieces, which were integrated into countertops, floors and finishes. Drawing inspiration from traditional mosaic floors common in São Paulo in the 1950s and 1960s, crushed old bathroom tiles were applied to floor and wall cladding in the terraced areas. The original floor in pink peroba wood, as well as original iron windows in the entrance hall were completely restored. 

By prototyping and experimenting with different materials, the studio was able to define 'the most appropriate technical and aesthetic solutions' for the project, constantly renegotiating the relationship between architecture and construction.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

ruina-arq.com 

The UK's Pashenko Works is the latest addition to the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios. The practice co-founders, Mariia Pashenko and Koen Schaballie, show us around their own home and latest project, White Patio House in south London. 

Who: Pashenko Works

Mariia Pashenko and Koen Schaballie founded Pashenko Works in 2020. The dynamic architectural practice works between Ukraine, Belgium and the UK with a main office based in south London. After completing a degree in Fine Arts and Architecture in Ukraine, Pashenko moved to the UK in 2009 to study housing and urbanism at the Architectural Association, working for various practices in London over the next decade. 

Schaballie studied architecture at the Catholic University of Leuven, the TU Delft and the AA before working on a range of projects in the UK, Netherlands and Belgium. 'Fascinated and inspired by the European city', Pashenko Works was started as a way for Pashenko and Schaballie to develop their own signature approach to architecture that thoughtfully blends Ukrainian, Belgian and UK influences.

Despite the practice being relatively new, Pashenko and Schaballie’s combined experience spans projects of different scales, programmes, climates and cultures. While Pashenko leans towards master planning and concept design stages, Schaballie complements these competences, gravitating towards materiality and construction. Central to their thinking are sustainability and circular economy principles, with designs that are 'considerate, cost-effective and achieve more with less'. 

Contemplating architecture as both a profession and a passion, Pashenko Works lovingly pursues projects, 'unlocking the potential of the site, the brief and the context and making the best of those opportunities'.

What: White Patio House

Offering a new prototype for dense urban living, Pashenko Works’ White Patio House is a transformation of a traditional terrace into a patio house for the studio founders' family. The home is made up of five distinct parts; the original Victorian terrace, a glass atrium, new contemporary extensions on the ground and first level, a patio garden and a garden room at the end of the site. 

Daylight pours into the home’s central glass atrium, reducing the need for artificial light and conceptually serving as a 'bridge' that connects the new volume to the 'memory' of the old building. Inspired by Belgian brutalism, deliberately exposed blockwork, steel beams and columns 'delineate the whole perimeter of the site as a uniting theme’.

Minimal sliding doors open into the garden, 'dissolving the barriers’ between inside and outside. The off-white corrugated steel sheets that clad the new additions match window frames and door colours, maintaining the carefully considered colour palette of the home. Thinking not only horizontally, but vertically, side walls feature growing climbers, bird houses and bug hotels. 

Embodying Pashenko Works’ ethos, sustainable design choices permeate this build –from choosing materials based on their sustainability credentials and capabilities, to including green roofs that regulate urban heating effects and encourage biodiversity. Thoughtfully maximising space within local planning constraints, White Patio House reimagines the experience of living within a congested cityscape.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

pashenkoworks.com 

The Indian practice Misa Architects has joined the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual list of exciting emerging practices from across the globe, with its latest completion, An Urban House.

Who: Misa Architects

Misa Architects is an architecture and design studio founded in 2015 in Ahmedabad, India, aiming to bring fresh perspectives to the contemporary Indian design scene. Its work strives to be 'culturally aware, environmentally responsible and creatively unbound'. Helmed by experienced architect Tarun Patel, who also teaches at CEPT University, the well-respected Architecture and Planning School in Ahmedabad, the team of 14 dynamic designers has worked extensively across Gujarat, Mumbai, Bangalore, and internationally in Dubai and Kenya. 

Rooted in a love for India’s rich cultural history that is 'interspersed with mythology, art, music and architecture', Misa Architects is on a quest to 'stimulate and stir the different senses', blending vernacular styles with sustainably minded touches that engage the user both emotionally and spiritually. 

Bringing together an eclectic mix of designers passionate about sketching, painting, model-making, music and other mediums of expression, the practice engenders a culture of knowledge exchange allowing its work to push the boundaries of 'resilience, contextuality, adaptability, resourcefulness and application of local skills and materials'. By posing questions such as 'Can architecture give back – to the users, to the city and to the community at large?' and 'How can we translate timelessness in our work?' Misa Architects brings a welcome intentionality that weaves India’s cultural heritage into its designs 'with respect, care and creative expression'.

What: An Urban House

Breaking away from the idea of an urban dwelling as a 'high, impermeable and seemingly invisible fortress', Misa Architects has made conscious design decisions that make An Urban House a 'lively, inviting and approachable home'. The design draws from an inside-out design approach, revolving around a central open courtyard. This sun-soaked patch is 'an epicentre for all communal uses, activities and even circulation.' Interior spaces embrace a 'minimal design language – employing a subtle, unpretentious material palette' embodying the studio’s broader design mission towards translating timelessness. 

Floating stairway treads add lightness to the circulation routes, while tall, punctured, 18in-thick cavity brick walls insulate and protect the home from heat and noise. The bedrooms on the upper levels are purposefully positioned to honour 'ancient Vastu wisdom that respects and responds to the sun and wind movement', harnessing natural light and ventilation throughout the day. 

On the borders between public and private realms, intricately designed Indian stone motifs stimulate the users' senses, and sit-outs and small openings along compound walls offer moments of rest. An Urban House is Misa Architects’ 'ode to the vernacular Indian architecture that invites community with its porous yet contemporary feel'.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

MISA Architects

East Architecture Studio is the latest entry to the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios. Based in Lebanon and the UAE, this is a young practice with a thriving, multi-award-winning portfolio – including The Capsule Retreat, seen below. 

Who: East Architecture Studio

Architects Nicolas Fayad and Charles Kettaneh joined forces in 2015 and founded East Architecture Studio, the dynamic practice with one base in Lebanon, and another in the UAE. The practice now has worked across four continents and has won recognitions including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2022 for its Oscar Niemeyer Guest House Renovation project in Tripoli, Lebanon. 

Remaining small and agile while excelling in their field is important for the pair. They say: 'What sets us apart as a studio is our ability to tackle significant projects with a relatively small yet highly skilled team. We excel in adapting and designing within diverse contexts and environments, allowing us to create tailored solutions that perfectly align with each project's unique needs. We take pride in being a dynamic and forward-thinking architectural firm.'

The geographical and cultural mix their practice enables enriches their work. 'At East Architecture Studio, what truly motivates us is the opportunity to work with inspiring clients who share our passion for innovative design,' the two co-founders say. 'The chance to collaborate with individuals and teams from diverse backgrounds allows for a synergistic engagement and encourages us to push the boundaries of what is possible. 

‘We thrive on the energy that comes from partnering with both established and emerging artists, and being introduced to their unique perspectives and artistic sensibilities. Additionally, we relish challenges, as they fuel our drive for continuous evolution and enable us to find ingenious solutions to complex problems. The combination of these motivating factors fuels our enthusiasm, propels our creativity, and ensures that every project we undertake is a testament to the studio's dedication and commitment to delivering exceptional concepts.'

What: The Capsule Retreat

Among their latest residential commissions is The Capsule Retreat, a generous 350 sq m residence in the rural Zabbougha region of Lebanon. The scheme, a holiday home for a private client, sits in a plot that overlooks the coniferous pine forests of Mount Lebanon. The architects sought to balance through their design this rich natural context with the owners' contemporary needs and art collection. 

The project celebrates exposed concrete, making the most of the material's sculptural robustness by carving round edges, curves and sweeping openings that take in the outdoors. 

An open plan kitchen, dining and living space sits at the heart of the home, with the two hearths of the house, the chimney and the stove, located facing each other, creating a dynamic warmth – while signalling the owner's passion for cooking and entertaining.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

eastarchitecture.net 

We shine a spotlight on ALEEYA. design studio's recent completion, The Architect's Home. The dynamic practice based in Pakistan, founded in 2020 in Karachi by Aleeya Khan, has joined the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual list of exciting emerging practices from across the globe.

Who: ALEEYA. design studio

ALEEYA. design studio or simply, ‘A.’ is a Karachi-based design practice founded in 2020 by Aleeya Khan. Specialising in high-end residential, commercial, boutique offices and interior renovations in the economic heart of Pakistan, A. stands apart for its bespoke, Japandi, minimalist architecture style. Refusing to be put in a box, A. expands: 'We are not an architecture or interior design firm; we are a design house with an ethos driven by a desire to create a movement in all aspects of design.' 

Born and raised in Karachi, Khan completed a bachelor’s in Urban Design & Architecture Studies at New York University, and a master’s in Architecture at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation. After working at award-winning practices such as Beyer Blinder Belle, Khan returned to Pakistan in 2017 to explore the growing real estate market. 

Merging her South Asian heritage with experiences abroad, Khan launched A. as a way to channel her entrepreneurial spirit into finding design solutions that navigate the myriad challenges of developing cities. Disrupting industry norms with a women-led team, Khan is cultivating 'an alternate perspective and distinct identity, with a vision to leave a lasting impact on her region'. Recently launching ‘A*, alittlemore studio’, a furniture and objects company, and sharing plans to open a second office in 2024 in the Middle East, Aleeya design studio is an ever-evolving practice to watch.

What: The Architect's Home

Located in an up-scale neighbourhood of Karachi on a south-west-facing 2,000 square yard lot is The Architect’s Home, occupied by Khan and her family. With the architect as both the client and designer, a process of 'untethered experimentation' afforded Khan the agency to create an 'authentic, untainted vision'. While still respecting existing by-laws dictating a 30ft setback from the front and 10ft from all three sides of the boundary wall, Khan has introduced a new aesthetic to her hometown. Playing with simple, minimalist forms A. seeks to challenge 'the common misconception that complex edges and unique curves give structure life'.

French crema limestone clads the large slanting masses of the home’s façade, creating a heavy exterior structure that simultaneously brings privacy from the street and conceals a 95ft-long driveway between the boundary wall and the main gate. Two entrances to the home create distinct experiences: one via the quiet pool patio through a large glass pivot door; and the other, via a double-height foyer through a heavy 9ft mahogany wood door. 

Carefully positioned window openings allow light to flood into the home, deliberately striking key structural elements and soft materials inside. With large circulation spaces encouraging an intentional flow of movement, The Architect’s Home 'reveals the soul of the architect, creating a space that is in constant evolution as the seasons change'.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

aleeyadesignstudio.com 

Formation Association from the USA’s West Coast is behind the geometric, contemporary lines of Ivanhoe Vista House in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake neighbourhood. Now, the young studio, which was founded in 2016 in the US by John K Chan and Grace U Oh, has joined the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual list of exciting emerging practices from across the globe. 

Who: Formation Association

Founded by John K Chan and Grace U Oh in Los Angeles, Formation Association practises architecture 'as an expansive cultural project to transform our expectations of the built environment'. Rooted in the idea of 'formation', found in psychology and archaeology and referring to the multi-dimensional forces and actions that create a single site or expression, the studio’s work is multivalent and multi-layered in its design approach. 

Trained in architecture at the USC School of Architecture, design director Chan brings extensive experience in various project types across the USA and abroad. Meanwhile, managing director Oh, a staunch advocate for the intersectional contemporary art scenes of Los Angeles, is deeply engaged in the cultural communities in which Formation Association’s architectural work finds its purpose.

As descendants of Chinese and Korean immigrants settling in Los Angeles, the pair often meditate on the 'ebb and flow of global migratory patterns', imbuing their architectural work with a 'multicultural and multilingual attitude' that celebrates idiosyncrasies while tying together different approaches. 

With an expanding portfolio of residential and commercial builds, art installations and design objects, Formation Association shuttles between cultural scenes, and the founders reflect: 'It is this quality of having just leaned out of the normative while still bearing its traces, that both registers and unregisters our work from either existing and vernacular contexts, or the overbearing expectations of the contemporary architectural moment.'

What: Ivanhoe Vista House

The architects point out that 'Ivanhoe Vista House differentiates itself from the neighbourhood’s predominantly white stucco Spanish colonial architecture'. In keeping with Formation Association’s varied design approach, this private residential scheme carefully considers the history of its area, while also imagining a new future.

Set on a three-sided site, punctuated by an olive tree and its canopy, the new volume emerges through the foliage to frame generous vistas of the reservoir beyond. Taking cues from the architectural and material expression of the expansive wood-gabled structure once covering the entire Ivanhoe Reservoir in the 1930s, now lost to memory, the design forms a series of new gabled profiles that scale towards the existing pitched-roof house. 

Though sharp, angular moments appear to dominate, a sense of softness is still achieved through warm tones, natural finishes and a sequence of light-dappled windows that draw in natural light to the upper living area, which features a new primary bedroom, kitchen and children’s reading nook. Below, an art studio, garage and dwelling unit that doubled up as a tutoring space during the Covid-19 pandemic, basks in the southern exposure, benefitting from views and access to the lakeside park across the street. 

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

formationassociation.com 

ID+EA was founded by Fatiya Diene Mazza in Senegal in 2015, and has gone from strength to strength since. Now, the dynamic practice is joining the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios. Its Black Rock House is a residence with a strong art twist – and our spotlighted project (created by Senegalese architect Abib Djenne in collaboration with Diene Mazza, Kehinde Wiley – an artist who features in the Wallpaper* USA 300 – and textile designer Aïssa Dione). 

Who: ID+EA

ID+EA may be a young studio, but Diene Mazza has already undertaken many projects and collaborations in a variety of scopes and sizes. A holistic approach that prioritises researching the varying cultural, societal, environmental, and economic aspects of each commission allows the architect and her team to 'devise sustainable and high-impact design solutions', she explains. 

'Our studio takes immense pride in formulating designs that harmoniously blend elements of traditional and contemporary styles. Our objective is to pioneer a fresh, engaging narrative that challenges conventional African design norms,' said Diene Mazza. 

'By fusing the steadfast principles of classic design with the daring innovation of modern architecture, we create a cohesive, dynamic design framework. In doing so, we strive to push the boundaries of African architectural expression, promoting a creative atmosphere that truly explores the potential of the architectural landscape.'

What: Black Rock House

Commissioned by artist Kehinde Wiley (currently showing at the de Young Museum, San Francisco), Black Rock House is located in Dakar, Senegal, and serves as the home for an artists' residency programme. The home, contemporary and idyllically drawing on its dramatic, seaside location, offers domestic spaces alongside a platform for African American and African artists to 'join forces, ideas and influences for the next generation'.

The house's clean lines, modern interiors and open spaces underscore a convivial as well as forward-thinking atmosphere, created to foster innovation. Meanwhile, the dark pigment of its main material – concrete – served as inspiration for the house's name. 

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

id-ea.pro 

Common Works Architects has joined the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios. Here, we feature the studio's White House and profile the practice founded by Asa Highsmith in Oklahoma City in 2015. 

Who: Common Works Architects

This award-winning practice (It was named among The Architectural League of New York 2023 Emerging Voices), may still be young and small, but it has big and noble ambitions. 'Speaking honestly – my primary motivation is escape,' says Highsmith. 'Escape from for-profit motives of private development. I have a long-term vision to use the profits we make from our business to begin our own non-profit community housing development entity with an aim to explore new, affordable housing models centered in sustainable practice and focused on rebuilding community.

'America seems to be a country currently built to atomise and isolate each person from the other, and it is detrimental to our social wellbeing and general health. I hope this answer doesn’t sound too politically charged or wildly silly – but it’s my honest hope, and thus my motivation.'

Making the most of small budgets to achieve high-impact spaces that make their users' life better. Finding 'ways to make simple language special' is one of the studio's strengths. 'Our clients choose us for this reason – as our approach to design makes our projects extremely constructable and costs predictable,' Highsmith adds. Blend this with a strong interest in craft, heritage and a site-specific approach, and Common Works Architects is a studio brimming with ideas. 'I’m personally of the opinion that there is opportunity to blend the character of these ideas with a sense of magical realism,' the architect adds. 

What: White House

Occupying a long and skinny plot in the Oklahoma City suburbs, White House is crafted to make the most of its conditions. The home was designed to follow its site's border lines as much as possible, comprising in its two levels four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and living space – including a wine cellar, a coffee and reading nook, a fireplace, and a private courtyard. 

A bespoke metal gate with a perforation pattern signifies the transition from public to private space from the street. The visitor is then guided through to an open-plan kitchen, lounge and dining area, which spills out onto a patio courtyard with provision for al fresco dining. The principal bedroom is nestled at the opposite end of the house on the same floor. Upstairs are three more bedrooms and a family bathroom. 

A minimalist approach of off-white walls and mortar-rendered masonry is punctuated by custom steel awnings and window planters that add focal points to the pared-down façade. A matching steel shroud transforms the chimney into a centrepiece design feature – a beacon announcing the home's design credentials. 

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

commonworks.archi 

Dynamic Vietnamese practice Tad.atelier is the newest addition to Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios. Founded in 2016 by principal Vu Tien An, this is a young office dedicated to research and innovation in the context of its country's urban conditions – and fittingly, we spotlight its Urban Houses project for this profile. 

Who: Tad.atelier

Set up in Ho Chi Minh City, Tad.atelier is a small practice focusing on small and medium-sized projects across architecture, interiors and landscape design. This follows its founder Vu Tien An’s philosophy, centred on slow architecture, nature and the environment, and the informal spaces in our cities. ‘Although the rapid growth of the city has put pressure on the construction industry, we are trying to keep an open approach for each project we are in charge of. To us, two important issues that determine the formation of each project are the context and the requirements of the clients. In Tad.atelier, researching and making decisions for each specific project is a new and unique thought process. It really motivates us to seek solutions in completely different methods,' says the studio founder. ‘We conceive of buildings as living entities rather than objects.’

Vu Tien An teaches as well as practises, which allows him the necessary time and tools to take a slow and considered route to designing his solutions, embracing research. 'A large part of our working time is to figure out the right questions,' he says. 'Maintaining academic practice activities helps us have a broader view of the role of architecture in daily life. We have always been fascinated by the way people occupy space, renovating space to serve their lives. Architecture without architects is our main inspiration.'

What: Urban Houses

This house, situated in a busy Ho Chi Minh neighbourhood, is part of a larger corner plot that Tad.atelier has been working on with the view to transform it into a little family of urban dwellings. The concept comprises three homes – one for the project's main client, and two more for rent. A mix of shared communal and private areas creates a balance that allows for privacy as well as socialising. 

'The concept is how to build up a community gathered in a cluster of houses while each house could play as a specific functional space,' Vu Tien An explains. ‘In that community, the residents could meet up, communicate with others in public spaces, share the same out(in)door greenery, natural ventilation… but still keep themselves private in their own bedroom areas.' Gardens, pathways and openings connect the various areas visually and physically comfortably, without compromising each resident's need for seclusion. 

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

tad-a.vn 

Arii Irie from Japan has made waves with its Warehouse Villa, a residential project in Isumi born of the transformation of an industrial building into a home. Now, the studio, which was founded in 2015 in Tokyo by Atsuo Arii and Kako Irie, has joined the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual list of exciting emerging practices from across the globe. 

Who: Arii Irie

Atsuo Arii and Kako Irie met while working at C+A Tokyo, a joint architectural practice once headed by Kazuhiro Kojima and Kazuko Akamatsu. Kojima passed away in 2016 and both Arii and Irie sees him as the biggest influence on their practice; 'We both worked under him until he passed away and are deeply influenced by his interest and perception of architects as a mould for air, natural light and human activities,' they elaborate.

The couple like to take on a variety of projects and despite only setting up shop in 2015, have already worked on a wide range of buildings, from coffee shops to factories. 

'Since most of our projects are something we encounter for the first time, the design always starts from research. Not only about the site but also the actual building type and its historical background and present use. This loosens our minds and helps us break away from stereotypical definitions of architects,' they explain. What excites Arii and Irie about being architects is precisely this opportunity to dissect a slice of the present to see what’s going on in the world right now. 

What: Warehouse Villa in Isumi

Arii Irie Architects Warehouse Villa in Isumi is admittedly more warehouse than villa. 'The client needed a simple warehouse for storage, but also wanted to be able to use the space as a weekend retreat for family and friends.' With no specific need for climate control, the architects proposed an ultra-simple structure of a steel frame with 0.5mm-thin steel and polycarbonate corrugated sheets for the roof and walls.

On the ground floor, there is a large open kitchen/living room, two toilets and a freestanding bathtub tucked away behind the corner of the main storage space and cordoned off with a full ceiling-height curtain. A steel staircase leads up to a mezzanine above the storage space, where visitors can camp for the night in sleeping bags. 

There is no insulation and also no air-conditioning, despite the hot and humid Japanese summers. 'We know this is a bit extreme, but the house is located close to the Pacific Ocean, and with ample openings to make the most of the sea breeze, the house can be naturally cooled down.'

The semi-transparent polycarbonate sheets let in plenty of light and large custom-made sliding doors open up towards an expansive concrete patio in front of the house to create a continuous space for larger gatherings. It’s architecture at its bare minimum, but aesthetically pleasing and a fun modern update of the modest warehouse. 

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

ariiirie.com 

Of Architecture was founded in London in 2021 by James Mak and Jongwon Na, who came together to form their joint practice after stints at dRMM and 6a respectively. Now, the emerging practice has joined the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios. Its Esplanade House project is a minimalist seaside home on Fistral Bay, UK. 

Who: Of Architecture

Working with anything from public institutions and charities to developers, designers and private individuals, Of Architecture is a small and agile studio based in east London. 'We see architecture as a process where materials come together, accumulate and create spaces. Our ethos is to understand and respect the integrity of each element of the building – the material, craftsmen and people who would inhabit these spaces,' Mak and Na agree. 

Working closely with their clients sits at the core of the duo's work. They explain: ‘We celebrate each and every context we work in. Architecture should honestly articulate who we are as individuals and as a society. Our aspiration is to create simple, conscious and beautiful spaces through a piece of furniture, a building, or a city at a time.' 

At the same time, they layer their brief with their rich influences that stem from 'everyday life in the city'.

What: Esplanade House

Esplanade House is situated atop a cliff in picturesque Cornwall, elegantly placed among the plot's terraced gardens. The new-build home makes the most of its privileged position's views, while at the same time, spread across three levels, it serves as the clients' live-and-work space. In order to accommodate the structure's different needs and functions, Of Architecture worked with a minimalist architecture palette – in terms of form, colour and material. 

The house, consisting of simple rectangular volumes, is topped by a zinc roof, appearing 'monolithic and modest'. Its interiors take a similar approach, as textured lime render and silver-coloured metals dominate. A double-height living space is amply lit by a large opening towards the sea views, while the exposed soffit of long steel beams becomes a key interior feature. Above the living space are a screening room and a library. Bedrooms are nestled next to the living space, and underneath. 

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

studio-of.co.uk 

Studio He, a young architecture practice in Sweden, has joined the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios. The firm is founded by Xiao He, who recently completed this impressive timber dwelling Nabben in rural Sweden – the architect's own private retreat. 

Who: Studio He

Architect Xiao He was born in Wuhan, China, before her family moved to Sweden, where she has been residing since the age of four. Her studio was founded in 2019, following studies in Sweden and Hong Kong, as well as professional experience at established firms. 'In my earlier years, I was only driven by an unwavering quest for pioneering design approaches, constantly seeking to break new ground,' He says. 

'As my career progressed, I experienced a shift. I embraced and celebrated my Chinese heritage and seamlessly blended it with the Nordic design philosophy imprinted upon me during my upbringing, finding inspiration in its rich design elements. Additionally, with age, I have developed a deep interest in nature and sustainable materials. While acknowledging the complexity of achieving 100 per cent sustainability without compromising design aesthetics, I strive to incorporate sustainable principles as a vital aspect of my projects.'

It is this blend of cultural heritage, her inherent dynamism and aspirations, and desire for architectural experimentation that make He stand out. Working for her clients with the same passion she would apply to her own family projects, the architect seeks to create work that embodies a client's needs, brief and way of life. The powerful work of established female architects past and present has influenced her work – she lists Zaha Hadid, Lina Bo Bardi, Eileen Gray and Elizabeth Diller as examples. And when it comes to form, 'the architectural luminaries Alvar Aalto and Mies van der Rohe hold sway over my design ethos to the extent that I named my own son Mies as an homage', she points out. 

What: Nabben

The summer escape of He and her family, Nabben is a wooden structure that sits lightly on the ground of its picturesque site, in the lush archipelago south of Stockholm. The project brings together modernist architecture's Case Study Houses, 'old Norse feeling, and a touch of Chinese temples'. Lifted from the ground on small concrete plinths, the project uses stacked jackstraws of glulam beams. This lends the home a strong sense of horizontality, but also makes it feel entirely at home in its surrounding birch tree forest. 

'The house is made entirely of wood with seven different types of pine in its framework,' He explains. 'The supporting glulam beams are made of pine, the exterior walls consist of pine rules, insulation of wood fiber, windshield in pine plywood and a thermo-pine façade panel. The window frames are in solid pine treated with a teak glaze and the wooden deck is in heart-pine.' 

With timber dominating inside and out, residents remain connected with nature at all times – this is accentuated by the large openings and raised terrace (which was designed to accommodate existing trees growing through it).

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture. 

studiohe.se 

With one foot in Italy and another in Switzerland, Studio Tropicana is a young architecture practice, formed in 2020 by Martina Palocci. Now, the studio has joined the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual list of exciting emerging practices from across the globe. The practice's work is highlighted here through one of its recent residential works, an extension in Italy, 009_Blue Bird Kitchen. 

Who: Studio Tropicana

'As an emerging architecture firm, we are motivated by the opportunity to push the boundaries of what is possible and create something truly unique,' says Palocci. 'Architecture has the power to shape the way we live, work, and interact with each other, and our desire is to have a positive impact on society through designing spaces that are beautiful, functional, and sustainable.' To achieve this, the architect and her team draw on multidisciplinary references, from space to art, film and design. 'It is through [a] continuous osmotic process [among disciplines] that we can create futuristic designs, where every element is in balance, properly orchestrated, and part of a timeless language,' she explains. 

The studio is young, but has a growing portfolio and the director has valuable background at renowned architecture studio Herzog de Meuron. However, 'a "nomadic vision" of architecture is our biggest influence,' she says. 'We value collaboration and draw on our experiences in different countries, seeking the unknown. Our design process combines traditional methods with new technologies for innovative results. We experiment with new methods and technologies while valuing tradition and experience gained from working in world-renowned architectural firms. Our nomadic approach aims to create functional spaces that reflect cultural richness and diversity, making them more inclusive, meaningful, and relevant to a wider range of people.'

What: 009_Blue Bird Kitchen

Set near the centre of Varese in Italy, 009_Blue Bird Kitchen (also known as BBK) is the first major residential completion by the emerging Studio Tropicana. The scheme, belonging to a blogger and creative director that works from home, is nestled in quiet suburbs, bordering on rural and occupies what used to be a hay barn. The architects were approached to redesigned the client's daily space, enhancing the home with a workshop and flexible studio to support their business. 

The architects worked with the surrounding structures' outlines and overall character, introducing at the same time a contemporary element through bold geometries. The interior was left open and fluid, using materials that feel modern and sharp, such as white aggregate cement flooring and white painted OSB wood buffer panels between the roof beams. The concept of refined 'simplicity' was central in the design, the team explains. '[We begin] with the idea that often the simplest things are the most profound, and unexpectedly, for this reason they are timeless,' say Palocci. 

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture. 

studiotropicana.net 

Young studio Nicolás y Nicolás is named after its two co-founders, Nicolás Vivas, who heads the Quito office in Ecuador, and Nicolás López, who leads the Barcelona one in Spain. Their work has earned them a spot in the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual list of exciting emerging practices from across the globe. Our spotlight falls on the firm's Casa Magnolia, a low, suburban home in Puembo, Ecuador (which they completed together with Caa Pora Architects).

Who: Nicolás y Nicolás

Nicolás y Nicolás' mission is to elevate everyday spaces, and living, through architecture. Their varied portfolio is still growing – the pair only formed their joint practice in 2017 – but they always try to bridge cultures and experiences, using for example, both local and traditional, and contemporary materials in their work. At the same time, they try to challenge themselves with every project. '[We stand out for] trying to step out of the boundaries,' they say. 'Our education, normally, [is] very linear on how we should understand architecture. Sometimes we forget that we are sensitive beings that enjoy simple things. We are trying to push the boundaries with gentle gestures.'

They also draw inspiration from nature, and some of architecture's grand masters: 'We deeply believe that nature has plenty of lessons to be learned. Different scales, colours, textures, and so on, coexist in the same space and time in such a harmonic way. Our design practice is always looking forward to create a sensitive link between nature and what we create.' 

They add: '[We are also influenced by] Ricardo Bofill. It’s very inspiring to see his work, how he mixed monumentality with singularity. The use of colour in a unique way of expression.'

What: Casa Magnolia

Through this commission, the architects tried to offer an alternative response to the typical high-end home in a small residential enclave. Casa Magnolia, which was created together with CaaPora Arquitectura, was approached as a series of spaces and volumes, composed together in a way that leads to a functional flow and pleasing domestic comfort – as opposed to seeing it as a 'precious', single architectural element. Five volumes totalling 350 sq m are set out across a single level, open and communing with their natural surroundings. Each volume houses a specific activity, designed around its particular needs – but they all open up towards the green views of the leafy context. 

Clean, white surfaces, plastered walls and rectangular volumes of straight lines make for a simple and serene environment where horizontality and a connection to the ground is highlighted. Translucent 'bridges' link the different areas, decorated with rusted steel sheets that add texture. 'The project proposes a single-family home in a very abstract way, in which the functionality of the spaces, their internal relationships, and the suburban context are extrapolated to generate a simple and straightforward architectural object, both in composition and materiality,' the architects conclude. 

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture. 

nicolasynicolas.com 

caaporarq.com

Natura Futura is a pioneering young studio from Ecuador, formed in 2015 by practice principal architect José Fernando Gómez. Now, the Los Rios-based studio has joined the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual list of exciting emerging practices from across the globe. Celebrating its participation, we spotlight the firm's La Casa Que Habita, an urban residence in Babahoyo, Los Rios. 

Who: Natura Futura

José Fernando Gómez is motivated by a desire to continuously participate in, research and experiment with the urban condition, 'deeply committed to the city and community life', he explains. 

‘On the other hand, this collective project is also a personal motivation; that leads us to question ourselves about sensitive aspects of architecture in Latin America. We believe in a path of architectural exploration that works to find solutions through questioning and continuous research about the cities. We are especially focused not in main cities, but in satellite cities.' 

Natura Futura's work appears modest. The studio often uses inexpensive materials and shapes and volumes that, while vastly improving the lives of their users, are subtle and understated. Gomez is influenced deeply by the context of each given project too – hoping that each one helps make its surrounding conditions better for all. 

‘Our purpose is to generate projects that function as an engine of awareness for change, managing resources and working hand in hand with private and public companies, foundations and the community. The purpose is to generate projects that leave a precedent within the city, for example, our house for abandoned kittens was important since after that, laws were generated for the protection of abandoned animals. A centre for the care of stray animals is currently under development,' he says. 

What: La Casa Que Habita

Set in the town of Babahoyo, Los Rios, La Casa Que Habita is a unique proposition. 'Albita and Juan, a young couple, needed a new place to live. The possibility of using a lot within the urban area was suggested as an answer,' the architects recall. In order for the clients to make the proposal economically viable, it was suggested to combine their living space with a school – a place for the community to learn and gather. The project blends living, working and social elements in a site-specific way, offering solutions to the housing crisis in the city. 

Using the archetypal image of a house with a pitched roof, Natura Futura worked towards a structure that occupies comfortably and efficiently its 12m x 30m plot – a slice of town originally earmarked for a terraced dwelling. Raw materials, natural textures and plenty of light through glazed walls, doors and skylights make for a pleasant, warm and tactile space. The public-facing elements are located on the ground level, while accommodation is placed on the floor above. 

'La Casa Que Habita is a manifesto that rethinks the way in which urban centres are inhabited and densified in a more sustainable way, a vision of merging activities that help us diversify them, recovering the locality and its traditions as a starting point for new generations,' writes Gomez. 

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture. 

naturafuturarq.com 

KKMK was formed in 2017 by practice principals Kate Karagianni and Marina Karamali. Now, the Athens-based studio has joined the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual list of exciting emerging practices from across the globe. For its entry, we highlight the Greek studio's K45 Residence, a geometric, minimalist architecture residential project in the country's capital.

Who: KKMK

Karagianni and Karamali see architecture as an 'intense and personal creation'. They strive for timelessness, taking into account the fact that their clients lives might change and needs evolve. Theirs is also an international practice, as while their headquarters is based in Athens, they have been involved in a variety of projects, spanning residential, tourism and commercial projects, in London, Australia, Indonesia and Egypt. No matter where they are, they are inspired by the cultural, historical, and social context of each given place – sprinkled with their own experiences in fashion, art and philosophy. 

Their studio is drawn to a research-based approach. 'We confront every project, even the smallest, as a new field of research,' they say. 'We try to understand deeply the needs of our clients and translate their vision into a built reality. In every project we experiment with a combination of cutting-edge design technologies, innovative material and sustainable design principles. We like to explore the limits of traditional means of construction and enhance them with digital fabrication methods. It is really important for our practice not to replicate ourselves and to develop each project with a unique fresh design attitude.'

What: K45 Residence

K45 Residence is a private home in the upmarket central Athens neighbourhood of Psychiko. The building's sharp, geometric, minimalist architecture looks are the result of a radical reimagining of an existing 20th-century property on site. KKMK worked with the original home's footprint and volume, bringing it into the 21st century. And while the street façade was completely redesigned, integrating its openings with a distinctive, sculptural relief surface, the interior was also transformed into a haven of calm. 

Clean surfaces and simple materials and colour combinations (namely timber and white plaster) dominate throughout. They act as a serene envelope for everyday life, while leading the gaze towards the home's hidden asset – its planted courtyard, visible only once you are inside. This contrasts with the frontage's expressive nature.

The architects write: 'Our scope was to create a façade that pulsates with the city. It reacts geometrically to stimuli and takes its final form based on these fluctuations. At the same time, remains the boundary between city and private life.'

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture. 

kkmk.gr 

Toronto-based Anya Moryoussef joins the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual list of exciting emerging practices from across the globe. Her practice may be young, founded in 2016, but Moryoussef is an award-winning architect with over 15 years of experience. Here, we spotlight the studio's Craven Road Cottage, a residential extension in Toronto.

Who: Anya Moryoussef Architect

'Reinvention, specifically of typologies and the ideas they embody', make Anya Moryoussef's work stand out from the crowd, motivating her practice, she says. 'We grow so used to our homes, where we spend so much time, that we easily overlook the effect they have on us. We look to design spaces that feel alive by activating their latent potential, changing moods, atmospheres, and thereby the lives of the people inside them. The spaces we generate have a strong and immediate – I’d even say emotional – impact on the people who enter them, and this is the first step to reconsidering, rethinking, reimagining the way we live.'

The dynamic emerging architect has been leading her independent studio since 2016, prioritising 'the importance of emotional wellbeing, daily inspiration, intellectual provocation, and delight'. On top of her wealth of built work, despite her firm's young age, Moryoussef has already also scooped two Royal Architectural Institute of Canada medals, including the prestigious Emerging Architect Award for 2021. She draws inspiration from the practitioners around her, influenced by 'the women architects for whom I’ve worked and who I mentor. They led and continue to lead me to question what is given or assumed in the design field – creatively, pedagogically, professionally. Also, my mother, who taught me how to see beauty in the most unexpected places. The emotional minimalism of Eva Hesse’s work.'

What: Craven Road Cottage

Anya Moryoussef's case study shines a light on an often neglected typology – the humble worker's cottage. Set on Craven Road, Toronto, this project involved the complete reconstruction of an existing single-storey structure, 'originally built to house the working poor’. Through her design, the architect brings her own contemporary interpretation of the genre, opening up the space and introducing spatial generosity and visual connections throughout. Structural elements from the original build were retained, both to honour sustainable architecture principles and to reduce overall costs for the client. 

The result is a home filled with light, calm and comfort. '[Our client] wanted a space where she would feel safe, at peace, and inspired,' Moryoussef writes. At Craven Road Cottage, minimalist architecture meets historic sensitivity and a sharp, 21st century acumen. 

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture. 

amarch.ca 

Pop Architecture joins the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual list of exciting emerging practices from across the globe. The practice was formed by Katherine Sainsbery and Justine Brennan in Melbourne in 2016. The studio's South Yarra House, a residential extension in their home town (completed together with Beatrix Rowe Interior Design), showcases the practice's elegant, contemporary approach.

Who: Pop Architecture

'The Pop Art movement, dry humour and architecture' brought practice partners Katherine Sainsbery and Justine Brennan together, when they set up Pop Architecture over six years ago. Their portfolio brings together a site-specific approach with their own take on materiality and formal expression. For them, 'excellence in architectural practice supports the vision of the studio and consists of using a tried, tested and flexible design process to achieve successful outcomes; happy clients and collaborators; and continuous improvement'. 

The female-led practice promotes 'balance in the workplace, discouraging overtime and modelling sharing of responsibility'. It encourages staff development through collaboration and communication. At the same time, the word 'Pop' captures key tenets of its ethos, the founders explain. 'The process used to generate artwork by artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein resonates with [us]. The notion of removing the artist's hand and producing work via a production line draws parallels with contemporary architectural practice – both in terms of the number of people involved in completing a project, and in the creative opportunities which lie in the process of trying to simplify or optimise a design.'

What: South Yarra House

The refresh of an Edwardian-era home in its eponymous Melbourne neighbourhood, this project by Pop Architecture consists of the reimagining of the interior and a rear extension with a distinct contemporary feel. The aim was to add space, but also to maximise natural light within the home. In order to achieve this, the pair worked with curved forms, exploring how the light bounces off specific materials and shapes. 'Light and flow throughout' were key elements in the client's brief. The architects obliged, creating smart volumes and a sense of generosity in which they were able to accommodate three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and two living spaces. 

In the internal design, the architects collaborated with interiors specialist Beatrix Rowe. A distinctive clerestory window frames the entry hall, while an expansive glazed rear façade is defined by a tall, textured brick feature that adds sculptural quality and drama. The structure's robust materials are complemented by delicate interiors compositions, rich in bespoke details – such as the custom-made mirror cabinets, track lighting and metal balustrades. 

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture. 

poparchitecture.com.au 

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm – across styles and continents, and now including more than 500 alumni. Now, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2022 is back, with the series' 22nd edition. 

This year’s survey spotlights 20 young studios from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, Paraguay, Thailand, the UAE, the UK, the USA, and Vietnam with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture. From sleek, minimalist homes to inventive urban reimaginings, and from sustainable architecture marvels to exercises in reuse; these young practices are masters in the art of residential architecture, and pave the way for an exciting future in their field. All the entries are now here for you to explore in full. 

Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2022

In the following stories, we take a deep dive into the Who, What and Why of each practice. 

Alcorn Middleton, Australia

One of the youngest studios in this year’s Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory, Alcorn Middleton was set up in 2019, by Joel Alcorn and Chloe Middleton. ‘Our journey began well before Alcorn Middleton materialised in 2019,’ they explain. ‘It started back in 2013, very organically and unexpectedly, when we began working with each other, brought together by a mutual friend from university. And once we got to talking, we’d surmised that we both shared even more mutual friends, having studied at the same university throughout our undergraduate degree, without ever crossing paths. It didn’t take us long to realise we shared synergies in work ethic, drive, and passion for design.’ 

Architensions, US

Based in New York and Rome, Architensions was founded in 2010 by Alessandro Orsini, with Nick Roseboro joining in 2013. The studio works at the intersection of theory, practice and academia, rooting its projects in detailed research. Roseboro describes Architension’s practice as one grounded in learning and experimentation: ‘For us, the studio is also a learning environment, a space for experimentation, failing and trying again, a place to search for something new.’ The studio’s growing portfolio varies from public installations, such as the steel-frame Playground at the Coachella festival in California, to residential projects, such as Blurring Boxes, an apartment renovation with extensions clad in charred wooden slats, and the more recent House on a House (pictured). There’s also education spaces such as Children’s Playspace, an indoor playground in Brooklyn that consists of colourful plywood structures. Additional writing: Shukri Sultan

ARP – Architecture Research + Practice, Greece

ARP stands for Architecture Research Practice, and was set up in 2014 by architect Argyro Pouliovali, with offices in Athens and the small island of Antiparos. Pouliovali, who trained at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and ETH Zurich, also brings experience gained at the offices of Meili Peter Architekten in Zurich and decaArchitecture in Athens, to her dynamic, fast-emerging practice. This is a studio that aims to offer a fresh take on contemporary Greek architecture, balancing 20th-century modernist teachings, 21st-century global influences, and the traditional local vernacular and what it means for the Greek built environment of today. 

Atelier Luke, Australia and Japan 

Founded by Luke Hayward in 2013 and co-led by Japanese interior designer Junko Nakatsuka, Atelier Luke effortlessly blends Japanese and Australian design traditions. Hayward is registered as an architect in both countries, bringing a unique balance of the two architectural heritages into the studio’s projects. Atelier Luke’s works vary wildly depending on their location: from exposed, rusted farm shelters in rural Australia to compact family homes in Kyoto (such as the Terrace House near Demachiyanagi, pictured here). 

Equipo de Arquitectura, Paraguay

Asunción’s Equipo de Arquitectura is the brainchild of Chile-born Horacio Cherniavsky and Paraguay-born Viviana Pozzoli. Since 2017, the small studio – now eight-people strong – has been operating from the Paraguayan capital tackling projects of various scales – from single-family houses to larger housing developments, and from religious structures to cultural architecture. At the heart of its work sits an approach that favours tactile materials, earthy textures and colours, and inspiration that stems from Paraguay’s climate and urban conditions. The results are designs that have already won the practice several national, as well as international awards.

Estudio Felipe Escudero, Ecuador

Felipe Escudero founded his namesake practice in Quito in 2015, after working in London, Beijing and New York, in the offices of Heatherwick Studio, MAD Architects and Space4Architecture respectively. ‘The reason why I decided to come back to Ecuador was that after a while, I began to see all the similarities between these big cities and I was interested in finding something unique here,’ he says. Escudero has built several residential, commercial and cultural projects, such as Magnolia House (pictured) for his mother; his own residence; and the concrete embrace of Casa Roca. Most recently, the studio built the Foresta restaurant, which features cooking ‘islands’ made from volcanic stone sourced from Cotopaxi in Ecuador. ‘The speed and informality of Latin America can be beneficial, in the sense that you can build things quite fast. It has been a journey in making the most of local conditions with a global perspective,’ says Escudero. Additional writing: Shukri Sultan

HAS Design + Research, China and Thailand

This China- and Thailand-based studio was founded in 2019 by architects Jenchieh Hung and Kulthida Songkittipakdee, whose initials partly form its name, HAS (Hung And Songkittipakdee). The pair combine impressive accolades and experience, such as a stint at Kengo Kuma & Associates (Hung) and a scholarship from the Renzo Piano Foundation to work at Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) in Paris (Songkittipakdee). Focusing on the Asian context and identity, the two founders blend cultural buildings, religious architecture, installation art, exhibition design and experimental projects in their fast-growing portfolio. ‘HAS explores Asia’s architectural language through an approach that engages design and research in parallel,’ explain the duo. ‘It emphasises the relationship between nature and man-made environments, looking for another kind of natural architecture through the city’s own conditions. We call it “Improvised Architecture”.’

Hayatsu Architects, UK 

Japan-born architect Takeshi Hayatsu trained at the Musashino Art University in Tokyo and at the Architectural Association in London. Having worked in the UK since the turn of the millennium (his experience combines time at David Chipperfield, Haworth Tomkins and 6a architects), he founded his eponymous practice in 2017. His work is defined by three key notions, he explains: ‘construction, conservation and community’. Hayatsu Architects’ work is characterised by crafted, thoughtful, sensitive and playful approaches tailored to unique situations and the requirements of users. ‘We believe that well-considered, well-crafted buildings can bring a positive impact on individual lives and their wider community,’ Hayatsu continues. Working with delicate, historical settings has always been at the core of the architect’s work – something he explored extensively with projects such as Raven Row gallery in Spitalfields (Grade I-listed) and South London Gallery in Peckham (Grade II-listed), during his time at 6a. 

Hé! Architectuur, Belgium

Chance encounters sparked the partnership between Hanne Eckelmans and Renée Verhulst, leading them to form Belgian architecture studio Hé Architektuur in 2017. Eckelmans and Verhulst lived and worked in the same neighbourhood prior to starting the studio and after regularly crossing paths, gradually transitioning into working together. In 2020, they began collaborating with a third team member, Isabelle Marchal, and since then the all-female studio has operated as a trio, continuously innovating their practice by inviting ideas from external designers too. Additional writing: Martha Elliott

Isso Architects, Indonesia

One of our youngest entries this year, partners Wibisono Soegih and Stephanie Tatimu launched Isso Architects in 2017. Based in Jakarta, the architecture and interior design firm works across a variety of commissions that span the residential and hospitality realm – but is looking to expand more into commercial architecture, with a few live commissions already underway. Its breakthrough project, YD House (pictured), is a compact, inventive and site-sensitive home in Jakarta; while other work includes the Locaāhands Dining club, a restaurant in Surabaya that transforms an existing structure into a contemporary hospitality experience. 

JA Architecture Studio, Canada

Toronto-based JA Architecture Studio was established by architect Nima Javidi and landscape designer Behnaz Assadi in 2013. Working across residential, cultural and curatorial projects, the co-directors have been recognised for their proposals for a Bauhaus Museum in Dessau and a Guggenheim Museum in Helsinki. Among their accolades are a Progressive Architecture Award and four Canadian Architects Awards of Excellence; and they have been shortlisted twice to represent Canada at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Their studio, as well as a few of the homes they have built (such as 44 Foxley Street, pictured, and The Corbel), sit within the neighbourhood of Beaconsfield Village in Toronto. Javidi explains the challenges of designing homes there: ‘There is a lot of opposition to projects beyond three storeys, so there is this push to find ways to densify a low-rise neighbourhood.’ Therefore, each of their residential projects becomes ‘an experiment in typology’. Additional writing: Shukri Sultan

Kanan Modi Associates, India

Kanan Modi’s architecture studio was established in Hyderabad in 2013, born out of an existing family business that operated in the realm of building construction. Now, Modi heads her namesake practice (which took on its current name in 2018) with co-director Nirav Pramod Modi, and the young, dynamic office has been rapidly expanding its portfolio, operating also in Mumbai and New Delhi. The architect, who was educated in Mumbai, New York and Milan, enjoys blending tradition and modernity in her designs, as well as taking into account critical issues such as climate, materiality, daylight and spatial experience in the development of her architectural solutions. ‘The firm strives to achieve design excellence with architectural interventions that blur boundaries between the indoors and outdoors, with a strong focus on creating energy-efficient, climate-responsive environments. [We strive] to build spaces that encourage dialogue between art and architecture, with daylight playfully bouncing off raw textures and evoking varied emotions throughout the day,’ Modi says. 

MMA Inc, Japan

As a child, Momoko Kudo, the head of MMA Inc in Tokyo, dreamed of working in theatre. ‘I spent much of my upbringing in Switzerland, and my mother would take me to see a lot of plays. I really loved the intimacy of the stage,’ she says. After five years at MHS Planners, Architects & Engineers, including a long stint based in Vietnam working on hotel projects, Kudo went back to school and completed a master’s degree at Terunobu Fujimori’s studio at the Kogakuin University. She says: ‘I was really lucky to be able to work with Fujimori. For some reason I was one of the few people he chose to interview for the degree, and luckily I got a spot.’ After graduating, Kudo established MMA Inc in 2016. ‘First I called my practice Momoko Kudo Architects, but architecture is such a collaborative effort and I didn’t want to take credit for all the amazing work my staff contributed, so I changed the name to MMA,’ she explains. Additional writing: Jens H Jensen

ODDO Architects, Vietnam and Czech Republic

Based between Vietnam and the Czech Republic, ODDO Architects is led by partners Marek Obtulovič, Nguyễn đức Rung, and Mai Lan Chi. ODDO’s broad portfolio contains designs for restaurants, landscaping, resorts, studios and homes. Highlights include playful cylindrical wooden light structures and a catwalk-inspired birdhouse, demonstrating a fun and explorative tone in the studio’s approach. Aside from its adventurous designs, ODDO is keen on making the most of sustainably sourced materials, having used repurposed timber and fast-growing locally sourced wood in its projects. The studio’s residential work in Vietnam, including TH House (pictured), showcases ‘hit and miss’ brickwork, a style of masonry that allows gaps between blocks, encouraging the breeze to travel through. Subtle glass doors ensure foliage is visually present within buildings, creating playful areas between inside and out. Similarly mindful of their context and surrounding conditions, houses built by Oddo in the Czech Republic tend to follow the country’s vernacular, while still making ample use of the open natural spaces that wrap around the houses. Additional writing: Martha Elliott

Roar, United Arab Emirates 

United Arab Emirates-based architecture and interior design studio Roar has been led by founder and creative director Pallavi Dean since 2013. Having worked internationally as a designer and lecturer, Dean brings an eclectic mix of influences to projects that span all scales and typologies. The studio combines freeform creativity with evidence-based methods in research, construction and design. The studio works across public, educational and residential spaces, as well as designing products such as lighting, seating and rugs. Partnerships – with Vitra and American Hardwood Export Council, amongst others – are sprinkled throughout its portfolio, demonstrating the wide range of opportunities that this creative team has embraced since its inception. The designs produced by Roar are both grand and refined. While the style of its projects may vary widely, depending on their respective use and needs, they are all cleanly finished and purposeful. Some are more minimalist, monochromatic spaces, while others use well-placed bursts of colour and eccentric fittings to achieve a distinctive identity, exhibiting Roar’s range and capacity. Additional writing: Martha Elliott

Saba Ghorbanalinejad, France

Saba Ghorbanalinejad’s practice embodies her appreciation for ‘things that are on the verge between beautiful and ugly, poetic and aggressive’, resulting in delicate designs and unassuming, pared-down minimalist architecture. Ghorbanalinejad set up her Paris-based studio after years of working in Paris and London as well as participating in collaborations across the US, France and the UK. Her designs are often defined by their simplicity. Another of the architect’s key fascinations is material impact, as the studio aims to expand its knowledge and capacity on the subject, collating a network of interior designers, creatives and craftspeople in order to provide the most fitting and refined skills for each project. Additional writing: Martha Elliott

Soft-Firm, US

Lexi Tsien and Talitha Liu form the New York-based interdisciplinary studio Soft-Firm. Founded in 2018, the practice works across speculative research, art installations, exhibitions, and residential and commercial projects. As its playful name suggests, Soft-Firm does not consider itself a traditional practice but a platform ‘to expand hunches, glitches and inside jokes into architectural ideas’. The studio’s design process is an open-ended exchange between themselves, their clients and the surrounding context. Liu describes their role as ‘provid[ing] an infrastructure or toolkit for our clients to use and adapt’. Tsien adds: ‘We want them to take over the spaces, for the design to be of service to them.’ Additional writing: Shukri Sultan

Studio CL, Chile

Chile’s Studio CL was founded in 2012 by architects and friends Daniel Lazo and Gabriel Cáceres. ‘We approach design as an editing process: a search for the essential elements involved in communicating an idea, from conceptual to technical,’ they say. ‘It involves constant revising, and excision of the dispensable. We aim not only for our design solutions to look simple, but to be simple in their manufacture. We strive for elegant solutions that achieve multiple goals in a single movement. Our pursuit is a raw, abstract design quality, a sort of nakedness.’ The duo work on a variety of projects, but housing takes a special place in their hearts. Working with urban plots is also an area of interest; they enjoy tackling the challenges of city life and see architecture as a tool for shaping and improving urban living. Their recent work for innovative developer Ochoalcubo – DSP Residential Building (pictured) – is a key example. Public space design is another field in which Studio CL strives to excel, using Santiago as a case study: the city is going ‘through an accelerated process of change without a clear model for the city it wants to be, but with a lot of room for improvement. As a byproduct, our work is not bound to any specific architectural scale or niche,’ they say.

Studio Contra, Nigeria 

Studio Contra co-founders, Olayinka Dosekun-Adjei and Jeffrey Adjei, are an emerging force in the Nigerian – and global – architecture scene. The husband-and-wife team established their joint practice in Lagos in 2016 and were propelled to global prominence by winning the commission for the Institute of Contemporary African Art & Film in the country’s Ilorin, Kwara State. The project, low and sculptural, anchored to its site but also intricate and intriguing, is currently in construction. Not only is it the studio’s very first cultural build of this scale, it’s also Nigeria’s first purpose-built museum of visual and cinematic arts. Dosekun-Adjei and Adjei, however, are no one-trick ponies. Their growing portfolio includes pretty much every typology, from retail and cultural spaces to leisure and hospitality work, as well as a wealth of private house schemes, which are currently in design or under construction. Red Clay Villa (pictured) exemplifies their approach, which is about blending global influences with local identity, working to define contemporary Nigerian architecture.

Unknown Works, UK and Hong Kong 

Founded by a trio of co-directors, Ben Hayes, Kaowen Ho and Theo Games Petrohilos, Unknown Works is a dynamic London- and Hong Kong-based architecture practice that jumps with ease between scales, typologies and territories. Multidisciplinarity is the name of the game here for the three partners, who met and became friends when they were all studying at The Bartlett School of Architecture before setting up Unknown Works in 2017. Now, the team tackle anything from architecture, urban design and immersive events to exhibition design, installation art, graphics and digital media, from their east London base. ‘Unknown Works is fascinated by the human condition, the development of cities, the interactions of social and urban environments and the mechanics of space distribution,’ say the trio. Their works reflect their fascinations, and include plenty of inventive, fun houses that balance the functional with the experimental, such as the bright yellow CLT House (pictured); prestigious exhibitions and cultural spaces (the team are currently hard at work on the Energy Revolution gallery for the Science Museum); Brightbox, a prototype for an off-grid interconnected classroom, clinic and community hub for communities that lack vital infrastructure in Uganda; and the award-winning Scotts Taikoo Li restaurant in Chengdu, China. 

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Scroll through the 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 Wallpaper* Architects’ Directories for more residential architecture and inspiring studios from across the globe – whether you are planning a dream home or are simply after some moments of architectural escape and inspiration. 

Emerging architect Saba Ghorbanalinejad and her studio’s minimalist extension to this Nanterre house represent France in the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2022, our annual list of exciting emerging practices from across the globe.

Who: Saba Ghorbanalinejad

Saba Ghorbanalinejad’s practice embodies her appreciation for ‘things that are on the verge between beautiful and ugly, poetic and aggressive’, resulting in delicate designs and unassuming, pared-down minimalist architecture. Ghorbanalinejad set up her Paris-based studio after years of working in Paris and London as well as participating in collaborations across the US, France and the UK. Her designs are often defined by their simplicity. Another of the architect’s key fascinations is material impact, as the studio aims to expand its knowledge and capacity on the subject, collating a network of interior designers, creatives and craftspeople in order to provide the most fitting and refined skills for each project. 

In her work, old and new blend seamlessly, creating spaces where historical bold stone fireplaces and grand columns are celebrated through the crisp simplicity of the surrounding decor. Her minimalism establishes a sense of character through the use of tiny accents of colour, and gestures such as mirrored doors or gently curved walls. All elements come together to demonstrate the thought behind her well-balanced spaces, such as a home extension in Nanterre (pictured). 

What: Nanterre extension

Tasked with adding a 20 sq m ground floor extension to a recently renovated three-floor home in Nanterre, Ghorbanalinejad’s studio created a soft, minimalist space brimming with light and personality. Aiming to keep construction times to a minimum, the architect crafted the extension to the existing building without doing any structural work on the original house. In doing this, wires and pipes were left in place and clever bespoke joinery now artfully hides these elements of the building’s original infrastructure. A box sitting under a skylight, for example, adds nook-style seating and storage to maximise the room’s potential. Meanwhile, a nearby timber partition showcases Ghorbanalinejad's craft- and simplicity-driven style. 

Gentle colour tones throughout complement the original light grey concrete of the outside patio, and a matching concrete finish on the interior flooring creates continuity between new and existing elements. The angled top edge of another joinery element showcases Ghorbanalinejad’s attention to detail and skill in granting personality to each detail within a space. Perhaps this home’s most prominent feature is its visual exposure to the elements. The glass ceiling, with a wide bench beneath, offers a chance to stare up at the sky no matter the weather; while large sliding glass doors span the extension’s width, allowing the space to open to a natural breeze, and welcoming natural light throughout the day. 

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2022

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 22nd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, Paraguay, Thailand, the UAE, the UK, the USA, and Vietnam with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

INFORMATION

sabaghorbanalinejad.com

Sweaping curves, minimalist volumes and drama that is supported by research and a sense of experimentation define the work of CHOHELO A+U, the practice led by Shinhyung Cho and Stuart Helo. The Seoul-based studio’s portfolio includes Rounded House, an elegant private home in South Korea. With it, and a growing body of work beyond, the practice joins the ranks of the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2021. 

Who: CHOHELO

A practice dedicated to challenging our perceptions about aesthetics and the visual interpretation of architectural typologies, CHOHELO A+U is a Seoul practice that was set up by co-directors Shinhyung Cho and Stuart Helo in 2015. The two South Korea-based architects feel passionate about experimentation, their work often led by a rigorous design process and the idea of endless possiblities. 

‘Architects design buildings. But if we just design buildings, tomorrow will be no different from today. CHOHELO A+U looks to the future and opens up possilibities so that life in the city can go beyond the current reality. We are building the future vision of the city,' say the two directors. ‘We also aim to explore alternative ways of approaching the debate around sustainability, from a critical lens rather than from a technological one.'

The pair's bold statements are accompanied by equally powerful imagery, their work often defined by sweaping curves, dramatic geometries and eye-catching compositions. Their designs include several residential projects, such as Rounded House, a minimalist, subtly futuristic white home (see below), as well as a range of other commissions, from galleries to retail and a beautifully sculptural chapel.

What: Rounded House

This generous private home in the outskirts of Seoul was designed with both work and entertaining in mind. The clients, part of a large family that enjoys hosting, called upon  CHOHELO A+U's Shinhyung Cho and Stuart Helo for a house design featuring a generous kitchen and dining area that would be perfect for big family banquets, but also have enough space for a workshop on the lower ground level – one of the clients is an established metalworker. 

CHOHELO A+U obliged and Rounded House was born, defined by its scale and apparent simpicity. Its crisp, white, minimalist box form with rounded corners, which add a subtly futuristic edge, conceals a range of living spaces within. The public areas are located on the ground level, with a flowing dining area, kitchen, and living room spilling out to a large garden. Private rooms are upstairs, and the workspace downstairs. 

A spacious circulation core becomes a central feature and the ‘heart of the house', say the team. It is also strategic in the project's  sustainability approach, boosting natural air circulation, allowing hot air to travel upwards and out, leaving the house fresher inside. This is supported by a carefully planned insulation strategy (an air pocket within the walls’ double concrete skin), ensuring passive cooling and energy saving. 

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2021

Conceived in 2000 as our index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our magazine’s annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. The project has, over the years, spanned styles and continents, while always championing the best and most exciting young studios and showcasing inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni and counting, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 21st edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios, from Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the USA, and the UK, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

INFORMATION
chohelo.com

Indonesian architect Realrich Sjarief set up RAW Architecture with a view to reviving architecture’s relationship to crafts, building and people. Using Guha, his own live-and-work base in Jakarta as our case study, we welcome RAW onto our list of exciting, emerging studios for the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2021. 

Who: RAW Architecture

Founded in 2011 by Realrich Sjarief, RAW Architecture (or Realrich Architecture Workshop) is a boutique studio in Jakarta, consisting of architects, but also ‘thinkers and craftsmen’, says Sjarief. He goes on to explain that building and crafts are very important in his practice. Architectural design is in fact only one part of a wider, multi-layered practice that encompasses three different platforms. The architecture studio tackles design challenges and leads Sjarief’s sustainable and contextual approach; then, his DOT Workshop laboratory works on building construction and technologies; while Omah Library is the enterprise's research hub. 

‘I try to re-establish the long history of craftsmanship in my family, who have been builders one way or another for three generations,' he says. ‘We count 60 years of practice since Indonesia’s independence. My father’s practice had to shut down in the 1998 economic crisis. Around that time, in 2000, I started my journey into architecture. RAW Architecture is reviving this idea of a harmonic relationship between the craftsman, designer, people, and buildings as a whole. It has become the manifestation of this belief.’

As a result, RAW’s work feels rooted to its place, being at the same time modern and experimental. Much of its portfolio consists of contemporary new-builds (such as Alfa Omega School, and Guha, a live/work renovation and extension project, below) that feel organic and at home in their context. ‘We want to deliver unique, relevant, and climate-responsive buildings produced through collaborative research and explorations,' he says. 

What: Guha

This complex is the main base, in life and work, of Indonesian architect Realrich Sjarief in Jakarta's Taman Villa Meruya neighbourhood. Containing the architect's own home, his office, RAW Architecture, as well as Omah Library and a separate retail unit, Guha is a live/work composition that combines old and new; natural, native building materials of the region, such as bamboo, and modern concrete; contemporary, urbane forms and spaces, and rich planting and architectural gardens.

Guha consists of an existing building that has been renovated and redesigned, and a brand-new extension. The new element includes three bamboo structures that house the architecture studio. Working with bamboo was a challenge the practice learned a lot from, explains the architect: ‘The design and construction process of Guha's bamboo parts helped us learn about integrated designs that use natural fibre composite materials with manmade, industrial ones to create sustainable architecture. Working with bamboo offers a sense of discovery but also uncertainty, as research and development in bamboo construction technologies has not yet been adequately developed.’

The build was led by local craftsmen and comprises three floors and a metal roof to the east of the existing building, supported by the bamboo structure. Traditional techniques meet contemporary technologies to produce a result that works with its context – visually, as well as climatically. Natural ventilation and an abundance of planting help to passively air and cool down the building.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2021

Conceived in 2000 as our index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our magazine’s annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. The project has, over the years, spanned styles and continents, while always championing the best and most exciting young studios and showcasing inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni and counting, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 21st edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios, from Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the USA, and the UK, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

INFORMATION

raw.co.id

Bartlett and AA-trained architect Tosin Oshinowo set up cmDesign Atelier (cmD+A) in Lagos in 2012 and has been exploring a design language that blends clean modernist architecture and Nigerian and African culture ever since. One of her newest private beach house designs, Fowóralé, is a contemporary minimalist escape that blends local and global. 

Who: Tosin Oshinowo, cmDesign Atelier

Working out of Lagos, Nigeria, cmDesign Atelier (cmD+A) is headed by architect Tosin Oshinowo. Founded in 2012, the architecture practice takes a site-specific approach, while blending Oshinowo's own experiences in Nigeria with her time in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. As a result, cmD+A is a laboratory of exploration for a design language that ‘asserts an identity', bringing together a contemporary sensibility with a very local, sensitive, site- and culture-specific approach. 

‘Today’s Nigerian society and culture is rooted in the consequence of colonisation and modernity,' says Oshinowo. ‘Our design language is influenced by this and manifests as minimalist modernism, while our space composition is culturally Nigerian/African. Where possible, we explore local materiality and technologies for use in a modern context.' 

The residential offering in the studio's growing portfolio is rich, ranging from new-build private homes and beach houses to retrofits. Contemporary villas such as the crisp white minimalism of Fowóralé, and the balanced, geometric frontage of 5 Four, a series of terraced houses (all in Lagos), are key examples. Meanwhile, the team also tackles retail, offices, urban interventions and masterplanning. ‘By first understanding our client’s specific needs, through design, we create contemporary solutions that are challenging and culturally relevant to the identity of architecture in the context of Nigeria and west Africa,' says the architect. 

What: Fowóralé house

The luxurious and picturesque Ilashe beach outside Lagos, is the green setting of this crisp, white minimalist villa by cmD+A. Tosin Oshinowo and her seven-strong team worked with the serene, natural environment to compose the house's design concept. This exclusive beach can only be accessed by water, making aggressive development in the area difficult, and allowing the natural environment to remain just that – pristine and untouched. The design seeks to reflect a sense of peace and connection with nature. 

‘Our intent in the design was to create horizontally and vertically framed views, showcasing the calm serene beach environment,’ says the architect. ‘The minimalist aesthetic draws your eye to the surroundings with the casuarina trees planted in a colonial area that have blended beautifully with the indigenous palm trees.'

Created as a private retreat, the beach house includes three bedrooms orientated east, towards the region's striking sunsets. Plenty of external areas, including decked terraces and pathways, and a swimming pool, allow the residents to experience an effortless indoor/outdoor lifestyle. Clean surfaces and volumes, white walls that reflect the sunlight, and a welcoming, open design with a discreet, low profile make for the perfect getaway. ‘The space between the two bedrooms lends itself as an opportunity for a feature art wall to showcase the diverse artistic creativity of the Lagos,' adds Oshinowo.

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2021

Conceived in 2000 as our index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our magazine’s annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. The project has, over the years, spanned styles and continents, while always championing the best and most exciting young studios and showcasing inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni and counting, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 21st edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios, from Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the USA, and the UK, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

INFORMATION

cmdesign-atelier.com

Now one of South Korea's most prominent contemporary architecture practices, The System Lab was founded in Seoul by Chanjoong Kim, a mere eight years ago. The dynamic and, arguably, still fairly young studio quickly made a mark through its eye-catching creations that started off from private housing and smaller scale retail interiors, and quickly evolved to today's growing portfolio that encompasses prestigious commissions, such as a series of office buildings for Hana Banks and larger scale commercial work. We caught up with Kim to discuss the studio's approach to architecture, how it developed since its inception in 2012, and its recent completions, such as Garo Alleys, a shopping destination in the country's capital.

W*: Who is The System Lab? What does your studio stand for?
CK: We believe that a particular language or a style shouldn't be the focus of our work, as architects. Instead, each project should have a system of its own. We strive to find ‘the system' which optimises the conditions of each project. We see ourselves as a laboratory that finds that system, which is how we named our studio. Innovation is the most important value in what we do. Whether it is about coming up with the best construction cost or designing a tiny door knob, innovation should always be present in our projects.

W*: You were featured in the Wallpaper* Architects Directory in 2016 as an emerging firm. How has your practice changed since then?
CK: We have been most interested in improving how we work. In order to do innovative work, the way we work should also be innovative. Our staff number has been growing (we are over 50 people now), but I don't feel that it should mean the size of the office must grow. We try to free people from the physical office. We have been hot-desking for almost two years now, and every week, 20 per cent of our staff work from home, and people take turns coming in.

Our work is now more task-focused and community-based. The office becomes an access point, not a place where everyone needs to show up. Our new practice nurtures collective intelligence, and people operate under their own responsibility. We might also send our staff to work in a plastics factory or furniture maker's studio for a couple of months. We are considering opening a cafe where creatives, such as carpenters or animators, can come to work alongside us. We believe this way of working creates great synergy. 

W*: What motivates you in your designs?
CK: Understanding the challenges and limitations of each project and trying to find the best way to address them (the system). 

W*: One could argue that your work has a distinctive visual style. Would you agree? And if so, where does it stem from?  
CK: Yes, that's what people often feel, but a distinctive visual style isn't an objective in itself. Instead, aesthetics are the result of the system we identified as the best fit for each individual project. For instance, for Hana Bank Place One, our client told us they wanted to be totally redefined, and not to look like a bank at all. For Healing Stay Kosmos in Ulleungdo, we needed a visually striking building to tell a story and attract people to this remote island, so I came up with a very unusual design. 

W*: Your work appears contemporary, perhaps futuristic even, at first glance. What role does tradition and your country's heritage play in your designs?
CK: If you look at our forms, you might feel that we don't have deep relations with Korea's heritage or tradition. However, I believe how we think and how we communicate reflect the Korean way of thinking. Koreans might look rational, but we are actually quite emotional and sensitive. 

W*: What role does context play in your designs?
CK: Considering visible context, such as the adjacent building, the physical conditions of the land we are given [is important]. On top of it, I care about the invisible context. I focus on social relations and the community surrounding the site. Who lives nearby, who passes by every day, what kind of jobs these people have, all these things are important.    

W*: What can you tell us about the design and concept of two of your biggest recent works, the designs for Hana Bank in Jeju and Busan?
CK: Both sites in Busan and Jeju are in the old centre of the town, neighbourhoods with high density and no public or green space. Hana Bank wanted to create a fresh image and connect with the community, so they decided to offer rooftop gardens for people to come and rest. So I focused on elevators in the middle of the building to give easy access to impressive rooftop gardens. For Hana Bank Jeju, the perforated structure is used to reflect the image of local rocks, which are formed by volcanoes. Hana Bank Busan features a motif inspired from the Jack and the Beanstalk fairytale. The roads surrounding the building are very narrow, and visuals of green stalks climbing up the building to reach the rooftop garden add wit and fun.    

W*: Garo Alleys was another key recent project, please could you tell us more about it?
CK: Garosu-ghil, a popular shopping area for young people, has high density and very narrow alleys with no public space or parks. We wanted to create a relaxing route to a rooftop garden, so we built a ramp surrounding the building like a new alleyway. We also persuaded the client to empty the ground floor completely from retail. It has now become a public space that acts as a shaded meeting place for people. Giving up the ground floor's high rental revenue wasn't an easy decision for the client, but it bears a symbolic meaning for what they are trying to do. 

W*: What are you working on at the moment, what's coming up from The System Lab?
CK: We are working on a series of collective housing (co-living) projects targeting young professionals for SK D&D, a large Korean developer. For this housing concept, we developed a large trunk, which is easy to assemble and move. If you want to try out living in different neighbourhoods in Seoul, you can pack your belongings in your trunk in the morning, and it will be delivered to your new home when you come back from work in the evening. Each floor has a communal floating balcony lounge. I'm also working on a few resorts and hotels, including a Hyatt in Jeju. And I just finished designing Gentlemonster's new headquarters in Seoul.

MORE WALLPAPER* ARCHITECTS DIRECTORY 2020

INFORMATION
thesystemlab.com

When we featured them back in 2001, Fearon Hay had been running for just three years. Set up by Tim Hay and Jeff Fearon, the studio started out in Auckland, although it now has an outpost in Los Angeles. We were drawn by their exquisite residential architecture, which more often than not was paired with the equally beautiful New Zealand landscape, creating far flung retreats that tempted in every way.

This recent project, Fabric Warehouse 2.0, reflects the practice's approach to commercial projects. These have often required redevelopment and re-use, integrating their refined modern approach within the context of an existing storage warehouse. Located in downtown Auckland, the project creates two clear spaces – office and warehouse – with bold, installation-like connections, like the metal-wrapped internal stair and balustrade. 

The architects describe the exterior as deliberately mysterious – it's more Donald Judd than big box store. That artistic focus extends to the client's collection of art and objects, which are scattered throughout the space, alongside internal courtyards for work and meetings.

The entire building is also designed to be self-sufficient, with the ability to harvest rainwater and solar power – elements that Fearon Hay have explored with their more off-the-grid and out of the way private projects. As well NZ and the US, the practice has also worked on hospitality projects in China and Sri Lanka and won numerous awards, including for the vineyard building at the Brancott Estate on the South Island. 

MORE FROM WALLPAPER* ARCHITECTS DIRECTORY 2020

INFORMATION
fearonhay.com

Jonathan Tuckey describes the Wachtuus Mountain restaurant as a ‘relatively small project in a really spectacular location.’ Like much of his studio’s work, it contains a substantial element of re-use and re-purposing. Tuckey’s own house, one of his earliest projects, was what our attention to this emerging architectural designer when he featured in the 2006 Architects’ Directory. A refurbished factory in North London, it sought to retain patina and materials and a sense of history and use that could all too easily have been scrubbed away.

In the years that followed, Tuckey and his team have doubled down on this approach, becoming well known for their ability to build within context, convert with sensitivity and still create contemporary statements. His association with Switzerland has only deepened over the years, following a chance meeting on the slopes that eventually evolved into a chalet project that involved his family moving to the country for a two-year stint. Now back in London, the connection continues, and the restaurant is the fourth finished project in the Andermatt area. 

The modest structure began life as a military hut, part of the country’s vast networks of bunkers, barracks and outposts. Andermatt was once a strategic strongpoint and the nascent inter-war ski industry gave way to decades of military oversight. Built in the 40s as a watch house, with space for a small number of troops to live and sleep, it ultimately ended up surplus to requirements and on the open market.

Tuckey’s client worked with the designer to come up with a plan, and the idea of a restaurant serving Andermatt’s prime ski runs won approval. ‘It’s an ordinary chalet shape, but it actually conceals an entrance to a network of tunnels,’ Tuckey explains, ‘there are military fortifications deep within the mountains that allow you to get around the whole country underground.’

The structure has been left substantially unaltered, with the original wooden beams spruced up and paired with new colours and elements like the marble-backed fireplace. ‘It was in pretty immaculate condition,’ he admits, ‘but we also wanted a language of materials that could work with the existing timber.’

The red and white triangle designs on the external shutters are a nod to the signage of the slopes. ‘It’s a building you can pass quite quickly and often in poor visibility,’ he says, pointing out that the shutters reference local Canton flag designs as well as Richard Long's nearby installation “Wind Line over the Furka Pass,” dating from 1989.

Whereas the Wachtuus has benefitted from Tuckey’s light touch, other current projects require a great deal more involvement. ‘We enjoy working with buildings that have character but which people don’t really know what to do with,’ he says, ‘we’re now known for re-using buildings and it’s nice that this is a subject that the architectural community is finally coming around to.’

A new hotel in northern Norway, carved from a former cod liver oil factory, is on site, as are residential projects in London, Italy and Austria. Other work includes a theatre for a school in Berkshire and a recording studio in Somerset. All this is achieved with a relatively small team of 15, based in a central London. ‘I’ve never been interested in making studio very large,’ he explains, ‘we have a great team and we’re comfortable choosing the projects we want to do.’ 

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