Following this week’s announcement of David Chipperfield as the 46th Pritzker Prize laureate, we reached out to several of his former employees that now run their own firms and studios in order to get their thoughts and recollections on working for the architect as younger designers.

Chipperfield himself benefited greatly from his time in the offices of Richard Rogers and Norman Foster shortly after completing his studies at the Architectural Association (AA) in London and in advance of starting his practice later in 1985. Speaking to Guardian architecture critic Oliver Wainwright after the win, Chipperfield said: “In both those offices, they were quite obsessive about doing more than you’re asked to do.”

“My generation has always been about the product,” he added, “but I believe more than anything now that we need to focus on the process.”

Read about his influence shared by his protégés as to if (and how) their experience at DCA influenced their current practice and stylistic sensibilities.

Kevin Carmody & Andy Groarke of Carmody Groarke

Groarke and Carmody established their practice in 2006 after working together in DCA's London office. The pair have gone on to win several awards and lecture at Cornell, Yale, and the Bartlett School, respectively. Their work recently garnered the firm a place in Fast Company's "Most Innovative Companies" list for 2023.

The studio culture at the time placed great emphasis on finding architectural ideas in a project's context and purpose, an approach that has greatly influenced the work of our own studio [...] — Kevin Carmody & Andy Groarke

"Huge congratulations to David — the award is well deserved for his significant contributions to the culture of architecture worldwide. Our own practice began as a result of meeting in David’s London office in 1999 where we worked together on many projects including sculptor Antony Gormley’s studio. The studio culture at the time placed great emphasis on finding architectural ideas in a project's context and purpose, an approach that has greatly influenced the work of our own studio and the way in which we approach the process of designing and making architecture."

Kam Bava of K Bava Architects

Bava worked in DCA's Berlin, London, and Shanghai offices between 2009 and 2013 on a wide range of projects including large residential designs and buildings such as the Cafe Royal Hotel and the Rockbund development in Shanghai. Bava holds degrees from the University of Manchester and London Metropolitan University and has gone on to lead several major refurbishments (including recently the bars in the Barbican Centre Theatre) and establish what is now considered an emerging practice within London's architectural circles.

David always had the confidence to reveal what was already there in a better way. A drive to build less, and think more, which is something that feels incredibly relevant in our current state of the world. — Kam Bava

"By working for David in London, Berlin, and Shanghai at the start of my career, I was very fortunate to have my formative years as a practitioner shaped by the culture of his offices. Above all else, it is a culture of ideas, thinking, and making. As somebody that came from a more diverse background, these years helped me gain the confidence to not worry if I was a different color, or that my upbringing was less enriched. My first project was at DCA Berlin, which was the Rockbund project in Shanghai. I fell in love with the process of working with historic buildings. David made it about ideas, not just conservation. The project for the Barbican institute is small but an important project for our practice. We took a brief for a party space and shifted the concept towards conservation. David always had the confidence to reveal what was already there in a better way. A drive to build less, and think more, which is something that feels incredibly relevant in our current state of the world."

Aude-Line Dulière of the Architectural Association (AA)

Belgian architect Dulière is a former Wheelwright Prize laureate notable for her work in the field of adaptive reuse and support of film production following a stint in DCA's London office. Today, she is co-teaching Diploma 18 at the AA and collaborating with cooperative designers Rotor on several projects related to material sourcing for the building industry.

Although the projects are certainly elegant, we were always reminded that the essence of the design interventions is about what a project does to its occupants, to a city rather than how it looks. It was and still is about using design as a device for more generosity. — Aude-Line Dulière

"I have been working for five years at DCA. The office was then located on the 12th and 2nd floor of Elizabeth House, a narrow tower flooded with light with a view on the Thames River which design was reminiscent of the UN building in NYC. (Unfortunately, the tower is currently being demolished, and the view is now blocked by humongous neighbouring towers.) Ideas are an unlimited resource where built work and materials aren’t, so it is admirable that the practice managed to sustain a space in Central London where staff can dedicate time on developing ideas and precise detailing in the perpetual quest for the best possible design solutions with all the cultural references, political challenges, and technical expertise that it entails. Although the projects are certainly elegant, we were always reminded that the essence of the design interventions is about what a project does to its occupants, to a city rather than how it looks. It was and still is about using design as a device for more generosity. The practice also has the ability to attract excellent architects, and I have enjoyed the conversation at the office canteen, day and night, and met inspiring colleagues from whom I have learned tremendously."

Stephania Kallos & Abigail Turin of Kallos Turin

Both partners worked for Chipperfield before embarking on their own path to worldwide acclaim with offices in both London and San Francisco. Their work has been published in the New York Times, Dwell, Elle Decor, and other leading design publications. In 2010, they received the prestigious RIBA International Award for their design of the Villalagos Residences in Uruguay.

We learned how a concept can drive not just the overall design, but every tiny detail. — Stephania Kallos & Abigail Turin

"What we learned in David’s office has been fundamental to our practice — from the rigorous approach to plan making, to the emphasis on being clear and direct about the ideas that drive a design, to the discipline and hard work it takes to make a project really great. We learned how a concept can drive not just the overall design, but every tiny detail. And we got to see him in action with clients and staff. He is a natural leader and a lovely person."

Takeshi Hayatsu of Hayatsu Architects

Hayatsu took his experience at DCA into his own practice, which was established in London in 2017. Since then, the studio has completed projects for the Victoria & Albert Museum, Barbican Centre, and artist Peter Doig, among other high-profile clients. Margot Heller, Director of the South London Gallery, praised him as having "a great facility for collaborative working, contributing strong ideas but also being willing to listen to practical and other concerns."

David’s architecture was always solid in a material substance sense, and his thinking was global beyond the UK context. — Takeshi Hayatsu

"To me, working at DCA was like being in another school. I met so many talented people there, and some became lifelong friends. David’s architecture was always solid in a material substance sense, and his thinking was global beyond the UK context. Graduating DCA school gave me a hope in architecture that can change people’s life and create a better world."

Rik Nys

Belgian architect Rik Nys, trained at the Architectural Association, is the editor of David Chipperfield Architects : form matters and the monograph David Chipperfield Architects, and has worked as Design Director at DCA's London office.

Thirty years later, the Pritzker Prize crowns a career presenting a seal to the deal. Long overdue and well-deserved. Bravo Sir David! — Rik Nys

"In the early days of David Chipperfield Architects, a practice member asked the question: 'When will be moving up into the second league?' Notwithstanding the answer, we all knew that — even from third position — the goal was to move up into the first league. Thirty years later, the Pritzker Prize crowns a career presenting a seal to the deal. Long overdue and well-deserved. Bravo Sir David! However, one cannot help but feeling that it brings closure to a type of architecture that has been pandering too much towards the capitalist global north. Regardless political persuasions. The desire for finite form needs to make room for a new path of committing architecture which may well operate in the cracks and be less concerned with the outcome. The voice of nature is getting louder and louder. We can no longer ignore her. Besides, the Pritzker Prize Jury would do well by rewarding the collective in the future. The myth of the single creative genius no longer makes sense. Neither can the analogy of the architect as the conductor of an orchestra still be taken seriously. All architects should seek to conjointly contribute to a global matrix tackling issues ranging from social inequality to balanced sustainability. Architects need to take up position with other players and disciplines in the game. It is less about captaincy and more about collaboratively operating. I rest assured that Sir David Allen Chipperfield CH, Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize will agree with me."