Pup Architects featured in Wallpaper's Rising Stars issue in January 2021.
The world is changing, architecture is adapting, and a new wave of young practices in London is emerging. They're armed with bold ideas, digital tools, new studio set-ups and innovative design approaches. In our Next Generation series, we hail this nexus of exciting studios in the UK capital, the first ten of which, featured in the next pages, are just the beginning.
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2012 was a key year for Steve Wilkinson, Theo Molloy and Chloë Leen. The London Olympics not only turned the global spotlight on the city, but also marked the trio’s first collaboration, a series of pavilions commissioned by the Greater London Authority for the Games. The architects, who’ve previously worked at practices such as Sam Jacob, Ash Sakula and Grimshaw, formally joined forces in 2017, forming Pup Architects, a community-oriented studio based in Clapton, east London.
The interaction of people and architecture, and the sense of community that this brings, are key to the team’s approach. ‘Our projects are usually both pragmatic and playful,’ they explain. ‘We are concerned with how people interpret and use a space. We approach every project differently and treat it as an opportunity to create something unique. The use and combinations of materials is fundamental to this at many levels, from playing with architectural language to how materials make a space feel. Sustainability is another key consideration, which often helps to define material choices – thinking about how to be resourceful, efficient and purposeful. It’s a good constraint to drive innovative solutions.’
Their first work as Pup was H-VAC, an experimental temporary structure that won the inaugural Antepavilion competition in 2017, while recent work includes an elegant, crisp refurbishment of Surrey Docks Farm. ‘It is our largest completed project to date, and it demonstrates a lot of our values of working with communities in a public setting,’ they say. ‘It will be great to see the development’s impact over the coming years.’
The studio is constantly developing ways for architecture to create a dialogue and support the local community, while respecting the natural environment as well as the multi-layered existing context. This is currently dominating their attention as they work on a new community centre, constructed from hempcrete and timber, which forms part of a masterplan to revive Cody Dock in Newham.
Achieving their goals also takes the right client. ‘In the UK, there is still quite a lot of conservatism around architecture and what it should be,’ they say. ‘If you look to other countries, architecture often has a much greater plurality. Clients can be very risk-averse here, and this diminishes opportunities for young talented studios with a diversity of approaches, who are often overlooked in favour of established practices. And there is still a real disparity when it comes to representation of minorities and women in the field.’