About
IDK is an award-winning international architecture and design studio based in London and Paris, focused on building cultural community.
The practice collaborates with organisations and groups, both urban and rural, using architectural production as a tool to reinforce collective experience and deliver positive social impact. We work across various fields, from construction and exhibition design to teaching, research and engagement. As a team, we look to gather a plurality of voices to develop viable design-based solutions to the complex cultural, environmental and economic challenges of our time. The studio places emphasis on diversity of culture, ecology and collective responsibility through efficient and maintainable designs.
We work with a range of individuals, organisations and brands including the V&A, Tate Galleries, RIBA, Barbican, Serpentine Galleries, LSE, LSA, Meanwhile Gardens, Meta, Oculus, Coinbase. Our culture is agile, supportive and built on trust. We encourage our team to develop distinct creative practices in support of our clients’ vision.
People
Mike Lim (MA Cantab, MA RCA (hons), ARB): An architect and specialist in innovative design thinking, Mike combines rigorous process with experiential quality and detail. He uses design as a tool to empower and facilitate organisations to bring people and communities together. His work explores the intersections of virtual, augmented and physical realities and he has a strong commitment to delivering sustainably responsible design solutions. Mike is IDK’s Project Director and Sustainability Design Lead.
Previously worked for OMA, Hong Kong on commercial, cultural and educational projects notably for the design of the Kataoma Cultural Resort in Bali, National Arts Museum Beijing and the West Kowloon Cultural District competitions, and the Chu Hai College of Higher Education in Hong Kong. On returning to London, he joined Matheson Whitely where he worked on projects across the arts, hospitality, fashion and the private sector, working on the design and delivery of a series of East London galleries and arts spaces and the AJ Small Projects of the Year winner 2018, Wrong House. Since 2016 he has provided design consultancy as part of Meta’s (Facebook) experiential brand design team including leading the design programme for the organisations flagship first-party retail programme and delivery.
James Pockson (MA Cantab, MA RCA (hons) RIBA, ARB): An architect with extensive experience working across the arts, museum, heritage and exhibition sectors. James leads on IDK’s cultural projects combining his technical expertise with a commitment to building futures that are technologically engaged and conservation led. His work places people and communities at its centre, and he is IDK’s engagement lead. James is a Lead Tutor at Cambridge University, teaching on the Masters in Architecture and Urban Design.
Previously worked for Herzog and De Meuron in London as part of the delivery team for the Tate Modern extension. Later, as a project architect at Nissen Richards Studio, he delivered temporary and permanent exhibitions within heritage and conservation contexts including the refurbishment of the Courtauld Galleries and delivering The American Dream: pop to the present at the British Museum.
Roddy Bow (BA, MA RCA): A Paris based multidisciplinary designer who trained as an Architect, Roddy is IDK’s Design lead. He combines architectural process and rigour with his own diverse creative practice to develop spatial, graphic and brand design for communities and our clients. Roddy has recently delivered the mixed use community development Outside Devon, which was shortlisted for the RIBA MacEwen Award for Social Good in the Rural Regeneration category and featured on the cover of Architects’ Journal.
Previously he worked for Lacaton & Vassal in Paris, most notably on the internally renowned Palais de Tokyo and a series of award winning innovative housing restoration projects. As part of Dome Collective he runs La Cité Du Turfu, a collaborative workshop series and fanzine about the future of high-rise housing, with teenagers from La Courneuve.
Past and present members of our studio
Ausra Kamicaityte, Alex Boyce, Barbara Banuls, Dan Stone, James Shackleton, Jessica Kendall, Kit Stiby Harris, Natsuno Katashima, Rachel Leong, Sam Gomez, Zoë Spittle
Opportunities
IDK does not offer unpaid internships but we welcome open applications. Please send your inquiry and portfolio (10MB max) to info@idk-o.com