David Chipperfield Architects London
David Chipperfield Architects was founded in London in 1985. From early retail and residential projects in the city, the practice expanded through competitions and commissions in Japan, Germany and Italy. Today, the London studio’s 80 staff work across a range of architectural projects in the UK and internationally.
The office has previously occupied studios in Camden (above), Waterloo and Aldwych, and is now based in Fitzrovia (top image).
From the outset, the studio has maintained a close connection to architectural culture – sharing its first space in Marylebone with the architectural exhibition space ‘9H Gallery’. Since 2024 the studio has been based in Fitzrovia, occupying its own building with a street-front presence. The space fosters a design culture centred on making, thinking and hosting, encouraging collaboration across the studio and with external experts and disciplines. Regular design reviews, talks and events bring together staff, guests and diverse participants, offering staff and visitors a tangible expression of the practice's values and ideas.
The ground floor operates as a flexible workshop for model making and early-stage design teams and a space for curated exhibitions and events, with shelving that displays an archive of historic and current models serving as ongoing inspiration.
On the fourth floor, a communal canteen and library provide space for the studio to gather
The studio places sustainable practice at the centre of its work, identifying the re-use and adaptation of existing structures as fundamental to reducing architecture's environmental impact. The London office was a founding signatory to RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge, AJ Retrofit First and Architects Declare and works closely with the UK Green Building Council.
Reflecting the city's multicultural society, the studio's staff represent over 20 nationalities and languages, with an equal gender balance. All members are encouraged to participate in an internal advocacy group focusing on diversity, inclusion and equity within the studio and wider profession. Staff are also engaged in education and mentoring, working with young people from primary school to university level to support the next generation.
Christmas party at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2022
The DCA Symposium 2024 was an away day of talks and discussion hosted at John Soane's Pitzhanger Manor
The London office organises regular tours and events and in 2022 all staff travelled to Lyon to see, among other things, a recently completed office building, designed by the practice.
