Like Father, like daughter

Set up in 1979, Pierre’s eponymous practice has mastered houses, offices, shops, cultural and community venues, landscaping and urban design over the years. He’s even tried his hand at exhibition and furniture design and art installations, believing that “architectural thinking flourishes best over a range of different scales and types of project”. Sustainable building methods and rethinking the status quo has long been part of his practice, scooping up the Concept House Competition prize in 1998 for his energy-efficient development Slim House. He designed The Royal College of Art’s Computer Related Design Department, Langdon Park School in Tower Hamlets and decades’ worth of considerate, beautiful houses that we’d sell our own fathers to call home.

Given Pierre’s huge portfolio, interest in sustainability and his mantra “always aim to work with nice people” – something we share here at Zetteler, we were curious to find out more from Russian For Fish’s esteemed studiomate so went straight to the man himself…

What are the main things that set Russian for Fish and Pierre d'Avoine Architects apart? 

This is difficult to answer. If pressed I would say we offer a balance of age and experience, youth and vitality and a genuine interest in collaborative practice across a range of scales. Also we are naturally multicultural with roots in India, Europe and the UK which I feel helps us engage easily with a wide range of clients in a wide range of scenarios in the UK and internationally.

In terms of your approach to architecture, what do you and Pereen have in common? 

We are interested in people and approach architecture from an anthropological perspective. Pereen and I are inventive in our interpretation of a client's brief whether it is the design of a chair, a door handle, an equestrian landscape or reinventing a seaside pier.

What is your experience of sharing an office space with your daughter?

It is stimulating and fun and for me a great pleasure and privilege.

When Pereen was a child, was she interested in your work as an architect? 

We used to live and work in a very big building, a converted hotel/ pub, by the river in Mortlake. Pereen and her younger sister Molly and brother Claude were only allowed in the office after 6pm on weekdays and at the weekends. The office was always buzzing. Pereen's mother Jacquie also ran her accountancy practice there. Pereen was a very good artist at a young age and very good with her hands. Most memorably Pereen helped me make a card model of a project for the Invisible House when she was ten. She was very deft and skilful even then. The Invisible House model has been exhibited and published internationally including in Copenhagen and Moscow.

Were you pleased that Pereen decided to follow in your professional footsteps? Did it come as a surprise or had she always wanted to become an architect? 

Pereen originally wanted to be a sculptor and went to Chelsea Art School to study on the foundation course. Friends on the course were applying to study architecture at the Bartlett UCL and Pereen much to our surprise decided to join them. Of course we weren't that surprised given her background including her grandfather who was a famous architect in India.

You founded your practice almost 40 years ago. What would be your key bits of advice when it comes to running your own creative business?

You need stamina and persistence. You need to be playful to keep things fresh and creative. Always aim to work with nice people. Give credit to all your collaborators.

Do you and Pereen ever work on projects together? Do you collaborate in other ways – ask each other for advice on certain approaches etc.

I find it easy to work together with Pereen on projects at various scales. We also teach together. We run Unit 14 March studio at the Cass School of Architecture and have even lectured together at the V&A and elsewhere. We are good at bouncing ideas off each other.