Penoyre & Prasad, London: Cooperative, Creative, Curious.

“It’s very much a one room culture here,” says Penoyre & Prasad Partner Mark Rowe. “We don’t have teams based around a particular partner or sector.” 

In the practice’s studio, which is spread across the floor of an office just off Whitecross Street in London’s Clerkenwell, all 50 staff sit together in teams of between two and ten people based around their projects. 

“Everyone has their own desk and then there is layout space, space to meet, space to make stuff, and space to present,” comments Partner Suzi Winstanley. 

The office, which the practice has been in for 20 years, is about to undergo a revamp which will see it adopt more varied spaces from a traditional library to areas for making and collaborating. 

“As we plan to stay here for another ten years we are really thinking about how the space functions and whether it is still working for us,” says Winstanley. 

“As BIM has ramped up drawing and making has become ever more present in the work we do and we need to ensure we still make space for it,” adds Rowe. 

The practice’s work – whether it be on schools, higher education or hospitals – is embedded with research. Studies are sparked from particular projects and the research interests of the more senior staff members filters down through the entire practice. 

“The culture of research connects to one of mentorship throughout the office,” comments Winstanley. 

These research projects are presented at the practice’s weekly meetings where the whole office gets together and younger team members are encouraged to take up responsibilities. Part one and two year out students have organised workshops, softball teams and have also built and designed installations for the London Festival of Architecture. It is a supportive environment where they are mentored and encouraged.