Location?

Clerkenwell

When did the practice start?

Laura: I started SODA in 2010, and then Russell joined me in 2012. 

How many staff?

Russell: We are currently 20 people. Our size means we can take on a really wide range of projects of varying scale but we all still know each other really well.

Laura: We enjoy that we know everyone in the studio and we don’t want that to change, we are happy to grow organically. 

Company ethos?

Russell: What makes us unique is that we have lots of different people from lots of different backgrounds. The majority of us are architects but we have people from graphics and branding backgrounds too. When we do pin-ups, we get everyone involved, which means we may approach a graphics brief from a more architectural perspective or we may approach an architectural brief with new perspectives.

Laura: We are strongly engaged in placemaking and creating identities and so involve the graphics team from the outset. Because of this, we develop a brief differently to how others would and it becomes a very interesting process.

Did you intend from the outset to have a Graphics team? 

Laura: We have always been interested in working across disciplines, we always knew we would incorporate it into SODA. Our interest in branding began when we were trying to brand ourselves. 

Russell: After visiting lots of agencies we decided to try and do it in-house and we rebranded ourselves. This coincided with a couple of other projects that we were working on architecturally that we felt undervalued the importance of cohesive branding and left it very last minute. We immediately realised that it should be integrated into the process and that we had the capability to do so. 

How do you define yourselves?

Russell:  First and foremost, we will always be architects, we spent so long investing and training in the field but, I would say we are more of a creative studio.

Laura: Yes, designers I think. We approach each project differently, always from a different angle, and as a result, we don’t have a house style. 

Current projects? 

Russell: Boulevard Theatre in Soho, which will be completed in Autumn. It is made up of two parts: Walkers Court which is mixed-use and Boulevard which is a new theatre within that and seats only 160 people. It is circular in plan and both levels, the stalls and the balcony, can rotate 360 degrees to make it as flexible as possible. 

Laura: In Chinatown we are converting two listed buildings into office space above a Chinese supermarket. Generally, we are working a number of co-working spaces and restaurants as well as an amazing nightclub! A new concept we are developing is an artist studio-come-restaurant, which is really exciting. We also enjoy doing ideas competitions. 

Russell: Yes, recently we put forward a proposal for British Land reimagining retail space, using our knowledge from the co-working world imaging what a “co-retail” space would look like.

Favourite part of the studio?

Laura: Mine is the model making corner/lunchtime area/ meeting area - everything seems to happen there and I very strategically sit next to it!

Russell: I like the courtyard which is shared between all the offices. I really enjoy being able to take a coffee or a sketchbook down there, we are very lucky to have such a space in central London. 

Favourite nearby coffee shop?

We all end up going to Fuckoffee which is just across the road and we love going to The Old Ivy House Pub. We don’t stray too far! 

Do you socialise together?

Laura: Lunch is rarely structured but often people sit at the table together or go outside and eat together. 

Russell: On Monday mornings we always catch up as a studio and make sure everyone knows what everyone else is up to that week and on Fridays we stop early and have a few beers together and do a pin-up or workshop some ideas. 

Laura: This week we are doing a personality test! It is not always architecture or project focused, we try to keep it low key and fun on a Friday. We also do our SODA Socials, venturing out to do something cultural, an exhibition or show – often followed by drinks!

Recently you launched a T-Shirt collection with Everpress for the London charity, the Childhood Trust, how did this come about?

Russell: We’ve been working with the Childhood trust who help with child poverty for some time and we thought rather than just doing a typical sponsored event how can we use our knowledge and expertise to create something more unique. 

Laura: Calling upon our wider network of peers and collaborators including Zaha Hadid Architects, Louis Khan and Pentagram, asking for a little bit of their time we teamed up with Everpress and created a series of T-shirts. It has turned out to be their most successful campaign to date and they have had to reprint the Zaha Hadid T-shirts twice! Every year we try to do something like this, a self-initiated project, last year was our SODA review.  

Pets allowed?

No one has ever asked! There is a lot going on already though, it would be hard work, perhaps a goldfish!

Most played song/artist/musician in the studio? 

Russell: NTS Radio in the morning and then in the afternoon we use the Sonos and let people choose what they like.  

Laura: We also have SODA Sounds, a playlist curated by a different team member every month - it is a short list with a little bit of blurb and is very interesting and very revealing...often unexpected!

Architect/Architectural style you look up to? 

Laura: Who can say one! I think it changes from week to week for me. At the moment I am quite inspired by London Art Deco buildings. Usually, it is project related so it depends what we are researching and a lot of the time we look outside of architecture whether it be music, art...anything. 

Russell: If I had to choose I would say Charles and Ray Eames not necessarily because of their style but their broad approach to product, furniture, and architecture. Also, they just look like they had really good fun, every photo they are beaming from ear to ear. 

Favourite building in London?

Laura: This has caused a lot of debate and again changes often but if there was one it would have to be the Barbican. Every time you go you find something new.

Favourite building you have designed?

Laura: For me, it is 76 Dean Street, a restored townhouse and new-build mews for Soho House that had previously burnt down. This the project that catapulted SODA forward so I have quite an emotional connection to the building. 

Russel: I would have to say the Boulevard Theatre. It is the most extraordinary project we have ever worked on. It such an incredible melting pot of knowledge and disciplines, being a part of that and helping bring it all together has been amazing.