The London practice pipped seven other contenders to the hotly contested title with an impressive portfolio – each development projecting a narrative through forms and materials that “resonate on a local level”.
At Spring Place in Kentish Town, this will be conveyed in a steel-clad industrial vernacular while at The Copyright Building in London’s Fitzrovia, a refined travertine office was the result.
All Piercy & Company’s projects express their belief that office buildings should also engage for civic purposes and be opened up for active use at the ground plane.
Other Piercy & Company works included in the submission included the refurbishment of 25 Savile Row – currently in development – and the redevelopment of Princelet Street, a re-imagined space from two existing buildings, with pleated roof incorporating glazing, which delivered a contemporary version of the weaving lofts that once filled the Brick Lane area.
The practice was announced as the winner at a gala ceremony, at Westminster Park Plaza Hotel, London, in April.
Also shortlisted in this category were:
- Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
- BDP
- Cartwright Pickard
- Emrys Architects
- Gensler
- LOM architecture and design
Stuart Piercy, Director, Piercy&Company said: "We are delighted to have been awarded Office Architect of the Year. As a studio, we are fortunate to work with some forward- thinking clients and to collaborate with talented consultants, makers and contractors. We are always trying to approach offices in terms of their civic role – questioning how to open the ground plane out to the public, how to detail the building so it has a more generous relationship with the public realm. For many of us, a high portion of our life is spent in offices, yet there is still a lack of attention as to how to make these spaces not just pleasant but inspiring."
Said Kaz Spiewakowski, managing director of GEZE UK: “We were delighted to again sponsor the Office Architect of the Year at the 15th BD Awards at its new venue. The winner, Piercy & Company epitomises the quality of design and creativity needed to produce standout developments that blend material elements with their surroundings.”
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