Richard Murphy founded his practice in 1991. Its early reputation was built on highly crafted and innovative domestic work in the Edinburgh Area. A considerable number of awards and publicity has lead to larger projects, often arts related, and the practice now has projects in England, Ireland, Japan, Wales, Sri Lanka, Malta and in the Netherlands, as well as in Scotland. In an article in the Sunday Times, Hugh Pearman coined the phrase "maximalist" for their work; that is that the greatest architectural effects are obtained from the smallest and least promising contexts.

Richard Murphy defined their goals as to make architecture equally of its place and of its time. This selection of projects illustrates that approach looking equally at careful contextual responses to designing within and adjacent to existing buildings and also constructing new buildings within the contexts of established landscape and urban patterns.