William Burges and Stephen Davies are the directors of 31/44, a practice with offices in London and France known for making architecture that sits comfortably in the fabric of the city, introduced with care and consideration.

In this episode, Will, Steve and Dave discussed:

• How teaching in both undergraduate and masters programs have changed the way they communicate their work, and how they view their projects as being part of a research agenda.
• The approach they took to their website design in the early days of the practice when they didn’t have much built work to show, and why they began sharing their readings, research and travels alongside their built work.
• The importance of producing renders in-house to maintain a level of control and consistency, and how sometimes it’s more important to show a vignette with detail versus a full-view of the space or building.
• Why physical models, produced at varying scales, have been a vital part of their design process, but also as an essential presentation tool.
• How they shift the tone of their communication to address the specific needs of the different audiences architects encounter, whether it’s with a client, students, planning authorities or the local community.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit 3144architects.com or follow them on Instagram at @31_44.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.

Hugh McEwen and Catrina Stewart are the directors of Office S&M, a London-based practice known for their inventive and experimental approach to materials and colour.

In this episode, Hugh, Catrina and Dave discussed:

• Their commitment to have a 50/50 split between private and public work, and how this declaration helps them differentiate themselves from other similarly sized practices.
• How having a diverse range of non-architectural collaborators on your team when pitching for public projects, such as a chef or photographer from the local community, can help to demonstrate that you understand the client, the brief and the local context.
• How playfulness and use of colour isn’t just a stylistic aesthetic in their work, but something deeply embedded in the early stages of their design process as a way to increase client and community engagement.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit officesandm.com or follow them on Instagram at @officesandm.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.

Mary Duggan is a London-based architect known for her well-conceived and thoughtfully-detailed architecture for forward-thinking clients in the cultural and housing sectors.

In this episode, Mary and Dave discussed:

• How keeping the practice small allows her to focus on the work she wants to do, allows her to avoid some of the challenges and compromises required to sustain a larger practice.
• Why she believes architects don’t have to be involved at every stage of the design and construction process, and how her front-end focused business model is rethinking the way architecture is delivered.
• The impact other creatives such as ceramicists and composers have had on her practice, and why she believes architects should look outside architecture for inspiration.
• How making inexpensive models in the concept stage, sometimes out of cardboard, ceramics or dried flowers, allows her to communicate ideas quickly without large financial and time investments.
• Why she prefers her website and Instagram to focus on conceptual models and the ideas they represent, rather than photographs of built projects.

If you'd like to learn more about her studio, you can visit marydugganarchitects.com or follow her on Instagram at @marydugganarc.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.