Whitechapel High Street stage 3 with its undulating copper roof almost complete. more...

 

Jan Kattein Architects was established in 2003 and we now work from our own premises in Islington, near Angel. The practice portfolio covers a number of disciplines including Urban Design, Theatre Design and Architecture in Germany, Austria and the UK. We do not specialise in particular architectural styles or building types, but aproach every design project as an individual task to take account of the client's brief, the particularities of the site and the innovative and sustainable use of materials. The scale of our projects ranges from a £57 million masterplan for Blackpool to a 6 thousand Euro stage design. Our Kai Tak City Project won a Royal Academy First Time Exhibitor Award. The stage design for Le Nozze Di Figaro won the International Ring Award and the work of the practice has been published and discussed in the press internationally. Our clients include local authorities, private individuals, developers and opera houses - each of them them with a need for a custom-made solution and a comittment to design.

While practising, Jan has always maintained a close link with the university. This has brought his experience of multi-disciplinary practice to a new generation of students while innovative design solutions developed at university can inform the work of the practice. Three years ago we set-up a specialist training scheme providing Innovative Space Management training to officers from 10 London Boroughs.

Design for us comprises a number of activities which is reflected in the set-up of our studio combining a design space with making space and exhibition space in our own shopfront gallery. The creative process is a collaborative process which progresses a project stage by stage in close consultation with our clients, public authorities and a range of specialist consultants. During the construction process, we work closely with the maker, builder or contractor so that their particular expertise can benefit the project.