Claire Perrier BA (Hons) MA

Studio Manager

Claire has held various roles within contemporary and performing arts in the last 10 years; from gallery management, communications, arts consultancy, and exhibition production. She has worked for public and non-for-profit institutions, galleries, advisories, and private collections in France, Spain and the UK. Claire is our studio manager, she leads the culture working group. She enjoys contemporary dance and collects arts and interior gems, from drawings and photography to mid-century furniture.

Alessandro Milani BArch DipArch ARB

Senior Architect

Alessandro is a senior architect and leads the studio’s masterplanning and development team. Current projects include Birmingham Smithfield Market and the Greenwich Design District. Alessandro also leads the studio’s research into systems from AI to digital twin. Prior to joining the studio, Alessandro worked for 10 years at David Chipperfield Architects in both London and Shanghai, leading a diverse range of project typologies through different RIBA works stages. He has a passion for motorbikes.

Jennifer Dyne BSc (Hons) MArch PGDipArch ARB RIBA

Associate

Jennifer was nominated for the MJ Long Prize for Excellence in Practice at the W Awards and was also named one of RIBAJ's Rising Stars in 2022. She is an Associate at the practice leading the Houses & Interiors team, with projects in London and Europe; she recently completed Red House which won RIBA House of the Year in 2022. Jennifer has also lead arts projects in the studio, including our shortlisted competition entry for the National Gallery. Jennifer champions excellence in the studio, leading the design working group. She won the Ambrose Poynter Prize for her thesis on bunkers and has a continued interest in the history of domestic architecture.

David Kohn MA DipArch (Cantab) ARB RIBA FRSA

Founding Director

David founded the practice in 2007 and has over 20 years multi-disciplinary team leadership experience and sets the design direction of all projects. He is particularly interested in collaboration, having worked with artists Rosalind Nashashibi, Fiona Banner, Simon Fujiwara and Pablo Bronstein. David is a committed educator and lectures internationally on architecture and design. He is currently a lecturer at the Architectural Association.

Laura Büchi BSc MSc

Architectural Assistant

Laura is part of the houses and interiors team and is currently working on new-build and refurbishment residential projects in London. Previously, Laura completed her diploma at ETH Zürich with Prof. Adam Caruso. Her master's thesis focused on collective housing as a way of living more sustainably. 

Ayse Canci BA MArch

Architectural Assistant

Ayse is part of the research and development team and is currently working on various competitions. She graduated from TU Darmstadt before completing her Master’s degree at the Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio with distinction, where she studied under Valerio Olgiati and Kersten Geers. Her thesis project explored the phenomenon of planned obsolescence while representing the power and limits of architecture as a language. She enjoys cooking and practicing yoga.

James Houston BA (Hons) MPhil ARB

Architect

James is an architect and is currently working on Birmingham Smithfield markets. James completed his Masters in Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Cambridge in 2016 where his thesis explored the relationship between identity and the urban fabric in contested cities. Prior to joining the studio, he was a project architect at Citizens Design Bureau working on Theatre and Community projects. In his spare time he enjoys taking photographs and making music.

Emily Dan BA, MA Cantab, DipArch

Architectural Assistant

Emily is part of the Masterplanning and Development Team and is currently working on Birmingham Smithfields markets. She studied at Cambridge University, KTH Stockholm and Glasgow School of Art where her thesis project explored landscapes in Northern Sweden. She previously worked at Haworth Tompkins where she worked on residential housing projects.

George Mathers BSc (Hons) PDip ARB

Architect

George is an Architect and working on the design for Birmingham Smithfield Market. He studied at Queen’s University Belfast and London Metropolitan University, where he won the prize for Best Integrated Design Study. Prior to joining the studio, he worked at Maccreanor Lavington Architects for 3 years and gained experience designing housing in a range of stages and typologies. When he can, George enjoys wild camping and hill walking.

Grace Quah BA (Hons) March ARB

Architect

Grace is an Architect and is currently working on Birmingham Smithfield Markets. She has experience working on residential projects including co-living and private houses. She has led technical workshops and has been a guest critic at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. She is currently a Visiting Tutor in architectural design at Birmingham City University. Grace has played guitar since the age of 11 and is part of a weekly guitar ensemble.

Elliott Wang BSc MArch

Architectural Assistant

Elliott joined the studio as part of the arts team and is currently working on Modern Art Oxford. He studied at the London School of Architecture, where his thesis project, 'The Grand Domestic’, was nominated for the RIBA Silver Medal and the Architect's Journal Student Prize. Prior to joining the studio, Elliott worked at Walters and Cohen Architects and Studioshaw, gaining experience in cultural, educational and residential design. In his spare time, Elliott enjoys photography, playing squash, and visiting galleries.

Paul O'Brien BSc Arch BArch ARB RIAI

Senior Architect

Paul is a senior architect and leads the arts team at the practice. He is currently working on a new private gallery and an exhibition design. Paul gained experience working at Turner Works, DSDHA and Grafton Architects and completed his studies at University College Dublin and KTH Stockholm, Paul is an RCA practice mentor and a visiting critic at a number of architecture schools. He likes to spend his free time on runs with his dog or traveling.

Luxmi Nanthakumar BSc MArch

Architectural Assistant

Luxmi is part of the Masterplanning and Development Team and is currently working on Birmingham Smithfield markets. She graduated from the Welsh School of Architecture in 2022 where her MArch thesis was awarded by the RIBA Royal Society of Architects in Wales. She previously worked at Allford Hall Monaghan Morris on a variety of projects. In her spare time she enjoys live music with friends and travelling.

Janis Vilcins BSc March PGDip ARB

Architect

Janis is an architect and is part of the studio’s education team. He is currently working on New College's Gradel Quadrangles project in Oxford and contributes to the studio’s research into sustainable architecture. Janis graduated from Scott Sutherland School of Architecture in 2016, and his MArch thesis project was nominated for several awards including RIBA Silver Medal as well as published in AJ and Blueprint. Janis recently qualified as a Passive House Designer and is passionate about photography and cycling.

Izzy Middleton BA (Hons)

Architectural Assistant

Izzy is currently working on the Birmingham Smithfield markets, in the Masterplanning and Development team. She studied at Kingston University, where her project 'Shoreditch Hive', explored repurposing an abandoned site. In her spare time, she loves hiking and playing tennis.

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