16th June 2017

Russian For Fish: London Festival of Architecture

One of the joys of living or working in close proximity is the GREAT parties you can hold. Architecture practice Russian for Fish have made this habit, each London Festival of Architecture hosting an open studio event with the seven architecture practices that share its space in Bethnal Green.

Russian for Fish was founded in 2006 by the then architecture student Pereen D’Avoine. Pereen initially started the practice simply as a means to get around an architecture competition’s stringent entrance rules, naming it Russian for Fish partly as a result of her lifelong love of goldfish. Eleven years later, the practice, and its pleasingly eccentric name, is still standing. Russian for Fish specialises in the transformation of buildings across London and the south-east, taking on renovations, extensions and new builds for clients both commercial and residential. Picking up a number of awards on its way, the practice has become known for working miracles in compact spaces.

Russian For Fish’s studio is based on the Winkley Estate, a series of four yards in Bethnal Green, east London. Durham Yard is the only non-residential live/work unit on the estate and currently houses eight architecture practices. “It definitely feels like a hub. We know everyone,” says Pereen in an interview with Zetteler. “There is a great courtyard, which is a real sun trap and every year we hold an open studio out there for the London Festival of Architecture.”

This year is no different.

Doors for this year’s open studio will open on Friday 16 June at 5pm, with events running throughout the evening, and 10am until 5pm on Saturday 17 June. Friday evening sees a vibrant talks programme staged by a number of the Durham Yard architecture practices, followed by a celebration in the way of beers and a BBQ.

Running times for the talks are as follows:

5.30pm Archio, held at their 96 Teesdale Street studio.

6.00pm Mark Sciberras of Common Ground Workshop, hosted at DK-CM’s studio in Durham Yard

6.30pm Suraj Vithlan of Motion Architecture, hosted at DK-CM’s studio in Durham Yard

7.00pm DK-CM, hosted at DK-CM’s studio in Durham Yard

7.30pm vPPR, hosted at DK-CM’s studio in Durham Yard

A selection of models from an array of the Winkley Estate architecture practices will be on display during the event. The models will be displayed in both the courtyard and on the first floor of Unit 8. Russian for Fish will be exhibiting in Unit 8 with Pierre d'Avoine Architects and MOCT.

The practices involved in the open studios are: Archio, Common Ground Workshop, DK-CM, MOCT Studio, Motion Architecture, Pierre d'Avoine Architects, Studio DA, Russian for Fish and vPPR.

The 2017 iteration of the London Festival of Architecture will take place throughout June (1-30). For the full programme visit: http://londonfestivalofarchitecture.org