Madeleine Kessler Architecture is an architecture, curation and urban design studio dedicated to designing joyful people-centred places that contribute positively to our planet. We work with complex urban sites to place community, craft and placemaking at the heart of design.

The studio has a wide range of experience ranging from exhibition, pavilion and cultural projects, to public realm, infrastructure and masterplanning. Our design practice explores architecture as a conversation about the city at every scale, and is enhanced by ongoing research into cities and public space through teaching, workshops and curation.

Current and recently completed projects include The Garden of Privatised Delights (British Pavilion, Venice Architecture Biennale); Hidden Half World (Oslo Architecture Triennale); Key-worker housing across rooftops in London (Skyroom); Foraged Fables (Museum of Architecture); and Forestation, a strategic proposal to rewild existing railway stations across the UK.

Madeleine Kessler MEng. AADipl. PGDip. ARB RIBA

Madeleine is an architect, curator and urbanist dedicated to designing joyful people-centred places that contribute positively to our planet. Her interests lie in the social aspects of spatial life, which she has explored through a number of award-winning experimental projects over the past decade. She was co-curator of the British Pavilion at the 17th International Venice Architecture Biennale, with the exhibition The Garden of Privatised Delights.

Passionate about embedding a holistic approach to design in the evolution of the city, Madeleine is a member of the Ebbsfleet Design Forum, and the National Infrastructure Commission’s Design Group, where she contributed to the first ever Design Principles for National Infrastructure. She is a Visiting Professor at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and also teaches at the Architectural Association and London School of Architecture, where she is a member of the Access & Participation Steering Group. She is regularly invited to guest-lecture and critique internationally, including at Seoul Museum of Art, HEAD Geneva, Harvard GSD, and IUniversité du Luxembourg; and to lead workshops, including for the National Saturday Club, Tate Modern, and Open City.

Madeleine brings over a decade of practice experience, having previously worked on cultural, civic and masterplanning projects at Haworth Tompkins, Studio Weave, and HHF Architekten, and as an Associate at Haptic Architects, on projects including Battersea Arts Centre, Oslo Airport City, St James's Market Pavilion, and Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Madeleine has been recognised by a number of awards including Architects' Journal's 40 under 40 and the RIBA Rising Star Award.

Find Madeleine on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

Rosie Hervey BA, DipArch, ARB

Rosie is an architect with a background in civic infrastructure and participatory design, principally working on community led schemes in the education and public realm sectors. She has led the delivery of multiple engagement projects, and enjoys working collaboratively with clients, communities and stakeholders to understand physical and cultural contexts. Rosie has worked with us on projects including The Garden of Privatised Delights, Foraged Fables, and Hackney Wick. She is currently researching intergenerational community led housing under the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust fellowship in partnership with the UK National Housing Federation. Rosie is investigating how different models of collective living can help to deliver sustainable communities and facilitate informal social networks of care. She has trained in intergenerational workshop facilitation with Age Exchange and currently also teaches undergraduate architecture studios at Cambridge University and The Bartlett, UCL.

Ness Lafoy BA DipArch. RIBA Part II

Ness is a designer and illustrator working across architecture, art, engagement and landscape. She is passionate about visually communicating design ideas in a way that allows everyone to understand and engage. With MKA she has worked on projects including Foraged Fables, Gingerbread City and Hackney Wick. Previously she worked at Moxon, Haptic, Smout Allen, and with the artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, where she designed and project managed exhibitions at The Pompidou, Royal Academy, Design Museum and Barbican. Ness has a keen interest in narrative drawing and her work has been exhibited at The Royal Academy, The RIBA and The National Gallery, Oslo. She studied at The Bartlett and was awarded the RIBA Presidents Bronze medal in 2013 for best design project.

Stephen Herd MEng, PhD, CEng, MIMechE

Stephen is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer who is passionate about helping organisations to use digital technologies to make data-driven decisions and improve the outcomes of their projects and organisations. He has over a decade of experience in the execution of major projects across infrastructure, real estate, utilities, and government. Stephen brings a breadth of experience including strategic planning, project management, data management, digital transformation, business development, graphic design, and marketing.

Collaborators

Allies & Morrison, Architecture Doing Place, Gort Scott, Haworth Tompkins, Hayatsu Architects, Haptic, If_Do, Jamie Whelan Architects, JCLA, Marko & Placemakers, Mikhail Riches, Nick Elias Studio, Reed Watts, Tibbalds, William Matthews Associates, ZCD

Selected Clients

Arrival, British Council, Built Environment Trust, GIANT Gallery, LSE Generate, Museum of Architecture, National Saturday Club, Oslo Architecture Triennale, Skyroom