Location? 

Kentish Town, North London.

When did the practice start? 

1994.

How many staff? 

Around 30.

Company ethos? 

The design process from concept to completion is central to the ethos of the practice. Making beautiful buildings that have civic and social purpose encourages a wider conversation about architecture within the office; projects are developed through design review, and proposals strengthened through research. Designs that are intimately connected to context and function develop through rigorous analysis of the site, brief and constructive dialogue with clients and end users.

Walters & Cohen is committed to design excellence and creating buildings that express a profound sense of place. We nurture long-term relationships with many clients and are serious about the responsible delivery of projects. Social, economic and environmental sustainability are integral to our promotion of a better built environment. 

Current projects? 

Walters & Cohen has an international portfolio of education, commercial, residential and cultural projects. Our current projects include a new building at St Paul’s School in Barnes, London, to replace existing 1960s CLASP buildings which have reached the end of their lifespan. At more than 9,000m2, it comprises classrooms, a library, dining hall, kitchen, administrative offices, a chapel, hall and social spaces, including a generous multi-purpose Atrium. 

We are also working on the masterplan for a new co-educational secondary school for 1150 pupils aged 11-18 years old at the site of Twyford Abbey in Ealing, west London. The project presents a rare opportunity to design a school from scratch. 

As well as several other education projects in the UK and abroad, we have just completed the Vajrasana Buddhist Retreat Centre in Surrey which won a RIBA East Award, a RIBA National Award and was named RIBA East's Building of the Year in 2017. It also won a 2017 Honor Award at the Faith & Form/IFRAA Awards and was shortlisted for the 2016 WAF Awards. 

We have also just completed a HLF funded project which reused an existing 1930s naval boathouse on the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to create a boatbuilding academy, exhibition space and restaurant, realising the potential and promoting the historic value of the site as a timber boatbuilding enterprise and upholding teaching skills that would otherwise be lost. 

Have you always been at this studio? 

No, we started in Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell, then moved to Highgate Studios and moved to this studio in 2005. 

Favourite part of the studio? 

All of it.

Favourite nearby coffee shop? 

Fields Beneath.

Do you eat lunch together? 

Yes, every day.

Pets allowed? 

Yes, encouraged.

Most played song/artist/musician? 

Cindy Walters: We'd have to ask Spotify…

Michál Cohen: Shostakovich first thing in the morning.

Favourite architect?

Cindy Walters:  Joze Plecnik. 

Michál Cohen: Glen Mercutt, Peter Zumthor.

Favourite building in London? 

Cindy Walters:  Our studio, closely followed by the original Tate Modern. 

Michál Cohen: Kew Gardens (not a single building but a lovely place to visit)