We work with clients, communities and constraints. We balance ambitious design with planning policy, creative ingenuity with buildability, and the latest technology with the realities of budget and programme. We challenge expectations of what is possible.
While disparate in nature, scale, form and material, our projects are all characterised by a combination of pragmatic problem solving and idealistic ingenuity. We call this approach Pragmatic Idealism.
Awards include a RIBA National Award, Civic Trust Award, Dezeen Awards shortlist, AJ Small Projects shortlist, AJ Retrofit shortlist and a BD Young Architect of the Year finalist nomination.
Our work has been widely published, featuring in The Guardian, Wallpaper, Fast Company, Dezeen, the RIBA Journal, the Architects Journal, Building Design, Detail, Arquine and Afasia.
Founding Director
Alex studied at the Royal College of Art, graduating in 2009, before working at acclaimed practices in Copenhagen and London where he contributed to a series of award-winning buildings.
Alex founded [Y/N] Studio and has overseen every project the studio has undertaken across an unusually wide range of scales, sectors and contexts — from carefully detailed private homes to large housing schemes, workspace buildings, educational and cultural projects, public spaces, infrastructure and masterplanning.
Bradbury Works in Dalston, an extension and refurbishment of affordable workspaces for Hackney Co-operative Developments, won a RIBA National Award and Civic Trust Award. Woodberry Works, a second project for the same client, has been shortlisted for the AJ Small Projects Award. In 2022 [Y/N] Studio were shortlisted as finalists for the BD Young Architect of the Year Award.
Alex currently teaches at Canterbury School of Architecture, having previously held positions at Oxford Brookes University, the University of Westminster and London Metropolitan University. He speaks internationally about the work of the practice.
Team
[Y/N] Studio has been home to a diverse and talented group of people. Past and present team members include Alex Smith, Inas El Ferkhsi, Elena Gruber, Maegan Icke, Stanley Chick, Nathalie Huber, Edward Crooks, Michael Waters, Raffaela Swoboda, Ayse Cagin Bailey, David Lomax, Margherita Zompa, Carolina Borgatti, Daniel Ford, Ainhoa Valle, Ezmira Peraj, Luna Ozbek and Roxani Tseranidou.
[Y/N] Studio has been home to a diverse and talented group of people. Past and present team members include Alex Smith, Inas El Ferkhsi, Elena Gruber, Maegan Icke, Stanley Chick, Nathalie Huber, Edward Crooks, Michael Waters, Raffaela Swoboda, Ayse Cagin Bailey, David Lomax, Margherita Zompa, Carolina Borgatti, Daniel Ford, Ainhoa Valle, Ezmira Peraj, Luna Ozbek and Roxani Tseranidou.
Jobs
We are always interested to hear from talented people as we look to grow our team. At [Y/N] Studio every team member is expected to contribute design ideas and criticism — our projects evolve collaboratively, without single authorship, and we believe this leads to better architecture.
Please email your CV and a short portfolio to mail@ynstudio.eu. We review everything we receive and will be in touch if there is a suitable opportunity.