Formation Architects, London: Collaborative, Detail, Delivery

“We are fanatical about collaborations,” says Formation Architects Director and Trustee Kees van der Sande. 

For Formation Architects, the breadth of sectors they operate in, whether it be on private houses or commercial offices, is borne out of a collaborative approach with their clients and a host of world-renowned designers, artists and highly-skilled craftsman. The wider creative network that they operate in enforces a unique level of detail and understanding about the built environment, and how to build in order to design effectively. This process gives their staff the exposure to the wider project team, and therefore the deeper breadth and understanding about the whole design and construction process. The practice is able to focus on both ends of the project chain really well; the creative inspiration and clients are at one end, and they translate that into what the contractor requires in a very clear manner, while herding the myriad of other consultants and specialists in between. 

The practice was one of the first within the AJ100 to form an Employee Owned Trust, whereby they don’t have shareholders or one individual’s name above the door; this not only gives them more design freedom and they don’t have to push any particular agenda, but this also promotes an entrepreneurial culture and attitude internally, which brings the whole team together and establishes the next chapter in the practice’s legacy. 

The practice is extremely proud that over half of the team are female architects and they are championed both in the studio and the wider industry. They have also established social outreach programmes with local charities and schools, which the staff have been instrumental in promoting since the move to Lambeth a couple of years ago.