About
We are a practice of architects, researchers and strategists who work in public to create spatial, environmental and social change.
We make buildings, public spaces, masterplans, visions, strategies, research and design guidance.
Our civic interventions in Barkingside were awarded a Special Mention in the 2016 European Prize for Urban Public Space and our work has been exhibited at the 13th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, the Shenzhen & Hong-Kong Biennale, the Berlage Institute (Rotterdam), Barbican Art Gallery (London). We are interested in and advocate for publicness, it is a preoccupation that weaves in and out of our projects.
We are also known for producing critical and provocative research that questions the limits of architectural production and explores new forms of agency and communication. Notably, the book SUB-PLAN: A Guide to Permitted Development (2009) and Building Rights (2010-), an online platform to democratise and evolve the current statutory planning system.
DK-CM is based in East London.
3 Durham Yard
Teesdale Street
London E2 6QF
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 20 7729 4140
DK-CM currently have no vacancies but are always interested in receiving good CVs.
Please send to studio@dk-cm.com.
Please note that we can’t always respond to unsolicited applications.
You will soon see our dog Morris appearing throughout this site. Please follow him to go behind-the-scenes on our projects and understand more about our process and inspirations.
Team
Cristina is an architect and author, and a Founding Co-director of DK-CM. In 2021 she was shortlisted for the Moira Gemmill Prize in recognition of excellence in design for women designers under 45. Cristina’s work explores the complex history and ecology of places and she is a champion of equitable access to nature. She is currently developing a campaign to make cities wilder, more biodiverse places, writes a column for The Architects’ Journal and is working on a TV script exploring spatial equality and representation. Cristina is an RIBA Conservation Registrant, and studied at London Metropolitan University, where she won the School Prize for Social Entrepreneurship, and at the Architectural Association, where she gained her Part III in 2011. She has taught at Kingston University and Central Saint Martins, and has been a visiting lecturer and critic at the Architectural Association, Cambridge University, Syracuse University, and the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.
David is a designer, strategist and author, and a Founding Co-director of DK-CM. He has worked on ambitious strategic, urban design, placemaking and policy projects since 2004. In 2018 David completed a PhD at the Royal College of Art School of Architecture title ‘Making Planning Popular’ concerned with the politics of planning knowledge. Prior to joining DK-CM David worked for General Public Agency and on various research projects including the book ‘SUB-PLAN: A Guide to Permitted Development’ (2009). David is a Module Leader at the London School of Architecture, and
previously taught at the University of Brighton, the Royal College of Art and Kingston School of Art. David teaches, lectures and writes internationally, has served as a trustee of The Architecture Foundation and is an external examiner at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.
Emma is an architect and researcher, and Associate Director at DK-CM having joined the studio in 2017. She has delivery experience across a wide range of projects, including heritage and education. At DK-CM she was responsible for the construction phase of a new education building at Wroughton Academies, Norfolk, and is currently leading on major adaptive reuse projects for the City of Westminster, London Borough of Haringey and Transport for London. She completed her undergraduate studies in Architecture and Spatial Design at Central St Martins, and undertook her Masters and Part III at the University of Cambridge. She has served as a tutor and visiting critic at both universities. Her MPhil thesis explored the writing of policy to support delivering diverse and multi-generational communities, enabling the sustainable expansion of a growing south Essex town.
Edward is an architect and urban designer, and an Associate at DK-CM. He joined the studio in 2019 after completing his MA at the Royal College of Art and has since completed his Part 3 at the University of Cambridge. Edward has recently worked on design guidance for the Greater London Authority and is currently working with the Royal Docks team in London to update their strategic thinking. He received the RIBA West London Student Award for his work questioning contemporary approaches to building conservation, and is currently part of a team delivering adaptive reuse and heritage refurbishment projects for the City of Westminster and LB Haringey. Prior to joining DK-CM Edward worked at Farrells on significant projects in the Royal Docks and the masterplan for the Manchester Northern Gateway Strategic Regeneration Framework, one of the largest regeneration schemes in the UK.
Gilbert (Kiu Paak) is a designer, artist and illustrator, and an Associate at DK-CM. He began working with DK-CM in 2015 and has particular responsibility for and expertise in image-making and visualisation. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Bath in 2013 and his Masters at London Metropolitan University in 2015. Gilbert’s Masters thesis explored the design of standard modular catalogue housing in Ebbsfleet to provide sustainable organic growth in communal hubs and public shared spaces. His recent art practice explores the use of Chinese aesthetics in the Western world through studying historic objects, shapes, motifs and conflations of them.
Tom is a Senior Architectural Assistant and joined DK-CM in 2019. Tom has participated in a range of projects at DK-CM, ranging from studies and research through to detail design, as well as facilitating engagement workshops, most recently working with Lugadero and the Westway Trust. He studied architecture at the University of Cambridge and completed his Masters at London Metropolitan University. Prior to DK-CM, Tom worked with Ash Sakula architects.
Susie is a Senior Architectural Assistant currently working with diverse professional stakeholders and local communities to develop a strategic joint vision for the Welsh Harp and Brent Reservoir. Susie completed her masters in Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences at TU Delft, graduating with distinction and a nomination for the National Archiprix. Her thesis imagined how a new common framework for the provision of care could expand on existing public infrastructure in North London. After completing her undergraduate at the University of Cambridge, Susie was involved in delivering a range of community projects involving complex, historic structures at Dow Jones Architects.
Ameeka is a Senior Architectural Assistant. She has a keen interest in working with young people within architecture having gained experience teaching in a secondary school in Ealing, and is currently working with the public in Harrow to develop appropriate public realm proposals for two town centres. Ameeka gained her BA at Kingston University School of Art and has recently completed her Masters in Architecture at Central St Martins where she focused on design led by public engagement.
Kate is a Senior Architectural Assistant and a certified Passivhaus designer. Her current work at DK-CM includes working with Transport for London and local stakeholders to develop a strategy for the use of railway arches in North-west London. Kate completed her masters in Architecture with collaborative practice research at the University of Nottingham, graduating with a distinction and a nomination for the RIBA East Midlands Inclusivity Award. Her masters project explored how public engagement outcomes could create alternative mapping to define the identity of Derby and inform future design proposals. Prior to working at DK-CM Kate worked on a number of heritage and public sector projects at Guy Taylor Associates and Jeanne Dekkers Architectuur.
Amrit is a Junior Architectural Assistant currently working with the Westway Trust and Lugadero to develop proposals for the enhancement of the spaces below the Westway in London. Amrit studied Architecture at Kingston School of Art and Technical University of Munich. Her dissertation explored the the role and impact of European architects on the masterplanning of Chandigarh and its impact on the residents of the city. Amrit has also volunteered for the Build Up Foundation, Open House London and Drawing Matter.
Amandine is a graphic designer and is responsible for the communication of the studio’s work and projects. She studied graphic design in Gobelins, Paris and graduated with a BA in Graphic Communication Design from Central Saint Martins. Prior to DK-CM, Amandine worked with l’Echangeur-CDCN, a national contemporary dance development centre in France.
Esma is a Junior Architectural Assistant who is also studying for her Part 2 at the London School of Architecture. After completing her BA Architecture at Central Saint Martins Esma took on the role of Junior Design Officer at the London Borough of Harrow. Her most recent work in the borough involved aiding in producing and curating the visuals for the Small Sites Design Code SPD. Esma is interested in species-appropriate design that aligns with our biological and hormonal cycles, and also in human health in the context of urban density.
Past Team Members
Catarina de Almeida Brito
Tom Atkinson
Rob Berry
Max Descheemaecker
Teófilo Furtado
James Hills
Eleanor Hedley
Elise Limon
Abigail McGrahan
Alice Meyer
Bushra Mohamed
Ishbel Mull
Ana Schefer
Hannah Sheerin
Kristin Trommler
Lina Viluma
Matt Volsen
Emily Wickham
Selected Clients
Collaborators
Publications about DK–CM
Books of the Year: Architecture and Design by Edwin Heathcote, Financial Times, 21 November 2021
‘Two pints of lager and a view of St Paul’s: the secret life of London’s most thrilling boozers’ a feature on the book Public House by Oliver Wainwright, The Guardian, 5 September 2021
‘Making good: Harrow Arts Centre in London, UK’ by Ruth Lang, The Architectural Review, February 2021
‘Decentring Architecture’ by Maraw El Mubark. ICON, Spring 2021.
‘Norfolk school block designed by DK-CM echoes postwar past’ by Rob Wilson. Architects’ Journal, May 2020.
‘Watch this Space’ by Sarah Handelman. Royal Academy Magazine, Winter 2020.
New Architects 3, Merrell Publishers, 2016.
‘The Subtle Art of Breaking Building Laws’ by Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan, Gizmodo, 28.01.2014
‘Folk in a Box’ by Fatema Ahmed, Icon Issue 108, 06.2012
‘Privataudienz’ by Dagmar Ruhnau, Deutsche Bauzeitung, 05.2012
‘Folk in a Box gives a whole new meaning to portable music’ by James Pallister, The Architects’ Journal, 15.03.2012
‘One-on-one music venue unveiled by architect’ by Andrea Klettner, www.bdonline.co.uk, 15.02.2012
‘The Nation of Shopkeepers’ by James Pallister, Creative Review, 12.2011
‘The regulation of designs: applying current UK legislation to Le Corbusier’ by Patrick Devlin, Architectural Research Quarterly 12/3-4, 12.2008
Publications by DK–CM
‘Public House: A Cultural and Social History of the London Pub’ Open City, September 2021
‘British comedy has shaped the way I understand design’ Architects’ Journal, July 2021
‘A low-carbon refurb makes a better place that’s better for the planet too’, RIBA Journal, May 2021
‘Peveril Gardens’ in Architecture Today, January 2021.
‘Working in public: political and design inheritances in the work of DK-CM’, by David Knight and Cristina Monteiro, in Architectural Design 269, January 2021
‘Rewilding Our Cities,’ Cristina Monteiro, in Dezeen 2020.
‘Pioneering Suburbia’, David Knight and Cristina Monteiro, in Between edges and hedges, Harrow Council Design Unit, 2018.
‘Church of Santo António da Polana, Maputo’ (Building of the Month), David Knight, in The Twentieth Century Society, May 2018.
‘Dachaland’, DK-CM, in The Architectural Review, October 2017.
‘Extraits de SUB-PLAN: A Guide to Permitted Development’, David Knight and Finn Williams in Criticat revue semestrielle de critique d’architecture, #17, 2016.
‘Open Season’, Cristina Monteiro, in Architecture Today, Nov/Dec 2014.
‘The May Fair’, in The Architects’ Journal, 15.11.2014. Accompanied by an introductory essay by Owen Hopkins on the Royal Academy’s ‘Reimagining Mayfair’ project.
‘Icon of the Month: The Metropolitan Green Belt’, Charles Holland, David Knight and Finn Williams, in Icon #135, September 2014.
‘Review of the London Metropolitan Summer Show’, David Knight, in The Architects’ Journal, 25.07.2014.
‘The Lansbury Estate’, contribution to ‘Exploring a century of ideas about housing with the AA Night School’, by Sam Jacob, in The Architects’ Journal, 12.07.2014.
‘On Barkingside’ in PEAR Issue 6: Landscape/Ecology, 2014.
‘Making Planning Popular’ in The Edge of Our Thinking, Royal College of Art, 2012.
‘Insight: SUB-PLAN’. Architectural Research Quarterly Vol. 16 No. 3, 2012.
King’s Cross Urban Actions Field Guide, Architecture Foundation, 2012.
‘What planning can learn from aspirin’ in Future Frontiers: Architecture Annual 2012. Royal College of Art.
‘The Unlimited Edition’ Issue 2: Speculation. Guest editor of ultra-local newspaper produced by We Made That for the High Street 2012 Initiative.
‘The Guide’ in Dear… On Courtesy, Copenhagen, June 2011.
‘High Street Fashion’, in High Street London: Architecture Exhibition 2011, June 2011. Kingston University School of Architecture and Landscape.
‘Under the Radar’ in Architecture Today Issue 212, October 2010.
Mapping the Invisible, edited by Lucy Orta, Black Dog, 2010.
SUB-PLAN: A Guide to Permitted Development, 2009.
‘The Rule of Regulations’ in Hunch 12 : Bureaucracy, 03.2009.
Three Reviews, Building Design Magazine, 11.2008.
Houses in Transformation: Interventions in European Gentrification. eds. Berg, Kaminer, Schoonderbeek, Zonneveld. NAi Publishers, 2008.
‘Slides in the Public Realm: A feasibility study for London’ (General Public Agency) in Carsten Höller: Test Site, Tate Publishing, 2006.
‘Seeing God in the Sky’ in Scroope 16: Cambridge Architecture Journal, 06.2004.
Talks and Lectures
International Modernism and the Worker Village: from Essex to Shanghai, Focal Point Gallery/Radical Essex, 19.03.2022
The London Pub Crawl, The London Society, 08.10.2020
Working in Public, Brighton School of Architecture and Design, 05.11.2019.
New Publics, Roundtable discussion with Luca Montuori (Rome City Council), Alison Crawshaw and Finn Williams (Public Practice). British School at Rome, Rome, 13.02.2019.
Planning School, The London Society, 01.09.2018. With Darryl Chen (Hawkins Brown) and Guy Rochez (Croydon Council).
Postmodern Legacies: David Knight and Job Floris, Sir John Soane’s Museum, 21.07.2018.
Negroni Talks #1: The restaurant at the end of society, Ombra, 04.06.2018. Cristina Monteiro with Carolina Caicedo (The Decorators), Roger Zogolovitch (SolidSpace) and Rosie Haslem (Spacelab).
In Conversation with Assemble, Susannah Haslam, and John Bingham-Hall, Tate Modern, 29.09.2017.
‘Experiments in Living: A Manifesto for Harrow’ at the launch of Better Design Harrow, hosted by the Royal College of Art and The Architecture Foundation, 10.07.2017.
‘Twins: Marginal Activity’ at Dalston Boys Club, London, 02.03.2017. David Knight compèred a night programmed by Charles Holland and Robert Mull of the University of Brighton, and featuring talks and discussion from Jes Fernie, Daisy Froud, David Kohn and George Saumarez-Smith.
‘Working in Public’ at Winkley Street Open Studios, London Festival of Architecture, 16.06.2016
‘A Manifesto for London: Ten Ideas for the New Mayor’ at Barbican Centre/Architecture Foundation, 19.04.2016, with Oliver Wainwright (The Guardian), Mark Brearley (Cass Cities), Bob and Roberta Smith, Kate McTiernan (Shuffle), Crispin Kelly (Baylight Properties), Claire Bennie, Carolyn Steel, Anna Minton & Alex Ely (Mae), and chaired by Ellis Woodman.
‘Building Rights’ at Critical Urban Ecology 2016, University of Brighton, 22.02.2016
‘Learning from Colin Ward’ at The Garden Museum/Architecture Foundation, 08.10.2015, with Daisy Froud, Eric Guibert and Ken Worpole, chaired by Ellis Woodman.
‘Politics and Places’ Camberwell College of Arts, 12.05.2015
‘On trying to be a political designer’ Chelsea College of Arts, 02.03.2015
‘Recent Work’ Cambridge University, 16.02.2015
‘Urban Design Proposals (Proposals for Urban Design)’ Kingston University, 4.02.2015
‘Building Rights’ Nottingham University, 4.12.2014
‘DK-CM Recent Work’ Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, 12.11.2014
‘Building Rights’ Frome Architecture Club, Frome, 04.11.2014
‘Building Rights’ The Cass School of Architecture, London Metropolitan University, London, 15.10.2014
‘Building Rights’ Make Lewes Festival 2014, Lewes, 21.09.2014
‘Every Town Needs a Crown: Frederick Gibberd & Barkingside’ Fullwell Cross Library, 20.09.2014 (Part of London Open House 2014)
Invited speaker at ‘Contemporary Approaches to Late Modernism’ ‘The Fittja Pavilion’, 14th Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, Venice, 06.06.2014
‘DK-CM Recent Work’ Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, 29.04.2014
‘Stories about Places and Buildings’ Camberwell College of Arts, 22.04.2014
‘Planning is Frozen Politics’ Architectural Association, 21.02.2014
‘DK-CM Recent Work’ Central Saint Martins, London, 24.10.2013
‘DK-CM Recent Work’ Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, 23.09.2013
‘Fittja Centra: DK-CM in conversation with Tor Lindstrand’ Fittja Open, Botkyrka Konsthall, Sweden, 21.09.2013
‘Culture + Commerce: Appropriate Measures – Can Established Planning and Preservation Measures be Adapted to Protect More Radical Forms of Culture?’ The Architecture Foundation, London, 11.09.2013. With Catherine Croft (The 20th Century Society), Simon Ricketts (SJ Berwin) and Henry Edwards-Wood (Long Live Southbank).
‘Making Planning Popular’ TEDxHackney, London, 29.06.2013
‘Grand Designs’ part of the Future Thinking series. Lecture and workshop in collaboration with Rebecca Bell, The School of Life, London, 24.04.2013.
‘Beyond Localism: Making Planning Popular’ Stour Space, Hackney Wick, 19.04.2013
‘Peripheral Work’ University of the Creative Arts, Canterbury, 21.02.2013
‘Recent Work’ Architecture Faculty, University of Porto (FAUP), 15.02.2013
‘Recent Work’ Cambridge University, 05.02.2013
‘Making Planning Popular’ University of Westminster, 28.09.2012
‘Making Planning Popular presents ‘Il Tetto’ First public lecture introducing David’s PhD research at the Royal College of Art. Followed by screening of ‘Il Tetto’ by Vittorio de Sica. Sugarhouse Studios, 26.08.2012.
‘Great Estates’ Talk and Panel Discussion to accompany a screening of Utopia London. Sugarhouse Studios, 12.07.2012.
‘How London Works’ Talk and walking tour for Unit 1 at the Architectural Association Summer School. 05.07.2012.
‘The Radical Precedent’ Studio Culture Conference 2012, London Metropolitan University. 29.06.2012. With Adam Khan.
‘Altab Ali Park’ Invited speaker at the ‘Live Projects’ Symposium 2012, Oxford Brookes University. Cristina presented muf architecture/art’s work in Whitechapel. 25.05.2012
‘Making Planning Popular’ Evening lecture at Kingston University School of Architecture and Landscape. 30.02.2012
‘Making Planning Popular: Recent Work 2009-2012’ Guest lecture at Newcastle University School of Architecture Planning and Landscape. 15.02.2012
‘Toward a History of Popular Planning’ Paper delivered at The Edge of Our Thinking: RCA International Conference on Research in Art and Design. 19.11.2011
‘Good Laws Rightly Applied: A History of Deciding the Future’ Mini-lecture as part of Ruth Beale‘s residency at the Department of Overlooked Histories, Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridgeshire. 12.11.2011
‘Metropolitan Improvements: Producing the Regency City’ Guest lecture at Kingston University School of Art and Design History, London. 24.10.2011
Invited guest at ‘Denise Scott Brown: New Questions’ at The Architecture Foundation, London. 26.09.2011
Touring Talk of Pablo Bronstein: Sketches for Regency London at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London. 21.07.2011
‘Landscapes of Legislation’ Landscape Institute, London. 02.07.2011
‘The Beer Acts: How a legislative bastard became a public institution’ ‘Pub Talk’, hosted by LMU ASD MA&DE and de magazine, London. 31.03.2011. With Nicola Read, David Kohn, House of Jonn, James Gilpin and Nicholas Henninger of EXYZT.
Participation in Museum Futures: Exploring Partnerships and Public Engagement at the London College of Communication, London. 29.03.2011
Participation in the commission Public Monument by Sean Dockray, at Shadowboxing, Royal College of Art, London. 18.03-03.04.2011. A conversation, mothballed until broadcast in 2021, between David and Zig of London Boaters and covering housing as a verb, unreal estate, the mutualisation of the waterways and easements. Props: 1 Lilliput Lane cottage, 1 cheese sandwich, 1 broken chair.
‘SUB-PLAN: Working with Permitted Development’ ‘Further Reading Required’, Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. 17.02.2011. With Finn Williams.
‘Permission to Build’ New London Architecture: Don’t Move, Improve!, London. 12.02.2011. Guest speaker with Naomi Cleaver and George Stowell.
‘Building Practices’ Thinking Building Lecture Series, Kingston University School of Architecture and Landscape. 01.02.2011
‘On Porto’ at London Metropolitan University Unit 2: Patrick Lynch, Alun Jones, Paulo Moreira, 14.10.2010
‘Building without Bureaucracy’ with Finn Williams and chaired by Michael Tsoukaris, London Borough of Southwark. A talk at the Architecture Foundation inaugurating the ‘Skyroom’ designed by David Kohn Architects, 21.09.2010
‘Street Policy: Could explorative urban behaviour shape spatial planning?’ Royal Geographical Society Annual International Conference 2010, Urban Subversions Session, London. 03.09.2010
‘Knowing the Rules’ a lecture on ‘SUB-PLAN’ and ‘The Rule of Regulations’, and a general plea for architects to engage with regulatory structures. Guest lecture, UEL Diploma Professional Practice 08.03.2010, CPD Seminar at Edward Cullinan Architects 07.04.2010, UEL Degree Professional Practice 08.11.2010, UEL MA Sustainability and Design 24.11.2010)
‘The Subversive Survey’ Paper delivered at ‘Field/work’: 6th AHRA International Conference, Edinburgh. 20-21.11.2009
‘The Birth of Autonomous London’ This is Not a Gateway Festival, London. 10.2009
‘Free Space: The Green Grid as Found’ First lecture in the Green Grid Lecture Series, running all year at Kingston University School of Architecture and Landscape. 10.2009
‘Recent History’ Guest lecture, City University, London. 2009 and 2010
Guest at ‘From the Invisible to the Exotic: Public Perception of the Roma Gypsy’, hosted by The Ratiu Foundation / The Romanian Cultural Centre during GRTHM 2009, for Project 35 and with Catalin Berescu and Alex Valentino
‘Tales of the London Traveller’ with Sue Konu and Project 35, at London College of Fashion International Seminar ‘Roma Gypsy Survival Strategies’ 2009
‘On the Rule of Regulations’ Guest lecture at CF Møller Architects, 2009
‘On the Rule of Regulations’ University of East London, 2008