Stephen Witherford, Christopher Watson and William Mann began collaborating in 1997, following weekly walks through London's former and current periphery. Our winning Europan 5 competition entry established the principles of our approach, based on careful observation, recognising the often surprising relation of city and landscape, and the mutual dependence of public buildings, collective space and everyday activities. We established Witherford Watson Mann Architects Ltd in 2001 after winning Europan 6 with a commitment to explore how architecture can support social engagement. The practice has a staff of ten people.