Boundary-kucha: short stories on the evolution of practice

Boundary-kucha will explore the boundaries met by practices at each stage of their evolution through a series of short stories.

Rachel Birchmore and Emma Keyte are currently researching how practices cross such evolutionary boundaries. Many of them are practical: starting up, taking on a first employee, creating systems. Other boundaries are more ephemeral: how to ‘arrive’, stay relevant, survive succession.

We’ve talked to architects at all stages in the lifecycle, along with some who have bravely opted to disrupt the usual pattern of growth, avoiding the common boundaries by taking completely different routes to developing their practice.

This event brings together some of our interviewees to discuss the boundaries they’ve encountered and how they’ve maintained their success at different stages in their practice’s evolution. To give a broader perspective, those on the receiving end – the clients – will also have an opportunity to give their take on things: are they influenced by an architect’s stage of evolution when selecting designers?

This event is aimed at all those who are establishing, developing or future-proofing their practice, and anyone who may have met boundaries along the way. The themes will also have relevance to those starting or developing an organisation in other fields.

Speakers include: Gbolade Design Studio, Feilden Fowles, Denizen Works, RCKa, TOWN, Grimshaw, BDP, Hawkins\Brown and RIBA Journal. More speakers to be announced.