Established in 1996, they started small: their first commission was for a public house in Walsall which won an award for the best-built pub in 1999. This was the beginning of their interest in public architecture. Other interesting projects followed: a prototype for suburban housing in Stevenage - their first exploration of social housing, a studio house in Bethnal Green and the transformation of a former paint factory into a residential building. Over the years their focus has expanded both geographically and typologically, and so has recognition of our work. They were awarded the Schelling Prize for Architecture and the Tessenow Gold Medal in 2006, and several RIBA awards and international prizes have followed.