Ten architecture studios that designed their own office buildings
Following photos of BIG's soon-to-be-completed HQ in Copenhagen harbour being released last week, Dezeen rounds up 10 architecture studios that designed their own office buildings.
Sangath, India, by Balkrishna Doshi
Pritzker Architecture Prize-winner Balkrishna Doshi, who passed away in January, created the Sangath in Ahmedabad in 1981 to be his own studio.
The distinctive sunken barrel vaults and their accompanying amphitheatre and water features remain home to Doshi's most recent practice, Vastu Shilpa Consultants.
The Leadenhall Building, UK, by RSHP
RSHP, then named Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, completed City of London skyscraper The Leadenhall Building in 2014.
Two years later, the studio's 200 staff moved into a colourful office occupying the 14th-floor of the building, which has a tapered profile that earned it the nickname the Cheesegrater.
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MVRDV House, Netherlands, by MVRDV
Dutch architecture studio MVRDV created its 2,400-square-metre head office within a post-war building complex in central Rotterdam.
As the project's name suggests, it features numerous references to domestic interiors such as a long dining table in the middle of a space called the Family Room, in additional to several brightly coloured and themed meeting rooms.
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Office in the Woods, Spain, by SelgasCano
Nestled in the woods outside Madrid is the tunnel-like office of SelgasCano.
Semi-sunken into the ground, its transparent north-facing wall provides views of the tree canopy overhead, while the south-facing aspect is opaque to shade the working stations.
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Quarry Studios, UK, by Moxon Architects
Moxon Architects' Quarry Studios in the Cairngorms National Park was named the best Scottish building of 2022 by RIAS.
On the site of a former quarry surrounded by woodlands that was previously being used as a rubbish tip, the studio constructed a 25-person office and cafe using large beams of Douglas fir.
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Multidisciplinary studio Neri&Hu converted an industrial building in Shanghai into its own offices, with additional space for the city's wider design community.
The original concrete frame was left bare, while glass bricks were used to partially fill in the windows in order to change the proportions of the structure without structural interventions.
Urban Farming Office, Vietnam, by Vo Trong Nghia Architects
Known for its plant-filled, low energy buildings, Vo Trong Nghia Architects designed its head office in Ho Chi Minh City as a "vertical farm" with vegetation covering its concrete frame.
The wall of plants filters sunlight and air, helping to keep the interiors cool. Workspaces are organised around a central atrium, with the concrete structure left completely exposed.
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Taliesyn office, India, by Taliesyn
Indian architecture studio Taliesyn left materials exposed and unfinished at its recently completed office building in Bangalore as a reflection of the practice's values.
A steel skeleton holds the structure together, while the interiors feature terrazzo floors, plywood furniture and a large green spiral staircase.
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Black Barn, Netherlands, by Studio Space and Studio REDD
Studio Space Architecten and design firm Studio REDD came together to create a shared office space in the Dutch town of Goirle.
Its barn-like form was informed by old farm structures found near the site, with large windows affording workspaces a view of the river that runs parallel to the building.
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Sher Maker Studio, Thailand, by Sher Maker
Small Thai architecture studio Sher Maker arranged its office either side of an open-air courtyard, using salvaged materials and a simple structure to deliver the project on a budget of just £15,000.
The office, which is nestled in a forest near Chiang Mai, was named interiors project of the year at Dezeen Awards 2021, with judges calling it "a beautifully simple shared space".
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