On October 2, 2025, at 7 pm at the St James Church, Clerkenwell, London.
Online Tickets at https://www.architectsnotarchitecture.com/event/london-2025/
Regular Price: 16 ₤, 12 ₤ for Students.
The acclaimed event series “Architects, not Architecture” is back in London for the fourth time. Having hosted events in over 10 countries across 3 continents, and uniting architects and architecture enthusiasts worldwide, we’re thrilled to return to the UK.
“Architects, not Architecture” (AnA) provides a rare opportunity to learn about globally renowned architects from a distinctive perspective. The series’ unique format, which has been captivating audiences since 2015, adheres to a single rule: speakers are not allowed to discuss their architectural projects. This approach allows for deeply personal and engaging narratives, offering a fresh and intimate look at the minds behind the architecture.
On Thursday, October 2, 2025, at the St James Church Clerkenwell in London, the AnA stage will host three renowned architects, practicing in Europe and beyond. They will share insights into their personal journeys, focusing on the key moments that influenced their architectural careers:
– Alex de Rijke, dRMM, London – drmmstudio.com
– Eva Jiřičná, AI Design, Czech Republic – www.aidesign.cz
– Tosin Oshinowo, Oshinowo Studio, Lagos – www.oshinowostudio.com
Alex de Rijke is a co-founder and director of dRMM, which was established in 1995 with Philip Marsh and Sadie Morgan. Through his expertise, dRMM has become a timber architecture pioneer, as he advocates for better construction methods and building materials. Eva Jiřičná is an architect and co-founded AI Design alongside architect Petr Vágner. Her work has been based in London and in the Czech Republic, where she has worked on several prestigious cultural and commercial projects. Tosin Oshinowo is the principal and founder of Oshinowo Studio, a Nigerian practice based in Lagos. Her work bridges architectural history with perspectives on contemporary African design and innovation.
We anticipate captivating dialogues with our inspirational speakers.
Doors open at 6 pm. Talks commence at 6.30 pm.
This event is presented with the generous support of our sponsors Equitone, JUNG, and Fisher & Paykel.
Program
- 6:00 pm – Doors open, networking
- 6:30 pm – 6:45 pm – Introductions
- 6:45 pm – 7:45 pm – Lectures (2 Speakers, 20 min per speaker followed by a 10-min interview)
- 7:45 pm – 8:15 pm – Break: Drinks & Finger Food
- 8:15 pm – 8:45 pm – Last Speaker (20 min talk followed by a 10-min interview)
- 8:45 pm – 9:15 pm – Roundtable discussion and Q&A
- 9:15 pm – 10:30 pm – Networking, refreshments, and finger food
About the speakers:
Alex de Rijke is a founding Director of dRMM, having established the practice in 1995 with Philip Marsh and Sadie Morgan. He is a design champion at dRMM, responsible for the concept, construction and delivery of our timber projects. Alex conducts ongoing research into contemporary materials, technologies and methods of construction. Through his leadership, dRMM has become a recognised pioneer and authority on engineered timber design and construction, especially laminated timber structures.
Having introduced softwood CLT (cross laminated timber), to the UK with ground-breaking work at Kingsdale School, London and Naked House, Oslo in 2006, Alex invented, in collaboration with AHEC and ARUP, the world’s first cross laminated hardwood timber for Endless Stair in 2013, dRMM’s London Design Festival installation at Tate Modern. De Rijke is an outspoken critic of the global problem of embodied carbon-heavy materials and building methods that are the default of the construction industry. He was appointed as the first ever Professor of Timber Architecture at TU Delft in 2023. De Rijke was Dean of Architecture at the Royal College of Art and Professor of the Masters programme from 2011-2015, instigating a new culture of making and prototyping. He has served on the Major of London’s design advisory panel, and continues to contribute to design discussions at universities and institutions such as RIBA, ARCAM (Architecture Centre Amsterdam), the Milan Salone del Mobile and The Plan ‘Perspective’ conferences. De Rijke represents dRMM and champions timber for the wider profession in the media through radio, TV appearances and features in publications such as The Plan, Architecture Today, Dezeen and The Guardian. Alongside and often integrated with his architecture, de Rijke has designed and made many furniture pieces using (some) recycled plastics and (predominantly) wood. Key examples of his freestanding and fitted furniture are ‘Table; turned’ for the London Architecture Wishlist, and various works with artist Richard Woods.
Eva Jiřičná is one of the most prominent figures in both Czech and international architecture. Her work is defined by a refined aesthetic, technical precision, and a profound understanding of space. She was born on March 3, 1939, in Zlín and moved to Prague with her parents at the age of four. She studied architecture at the Czech Technical University in Prague and later continued her education at the Academy of Fine Arts under Professor Jaroslav Fragner. She began her professional career in 1967 at the Institute for Housing and Clothing Culture. Since 1999, Eva Jiřičná has also been active in the Czech Republic, where she co-founded the architectural studio AI DESIGN with architect Petr Vágner. Under this name, the practice has delivered a number of important projects—including Hotel Josef in the centre of Prague, the Orangery in the Royal Gardens of Prague Castle, and an extensive educational and cultural campus in Zlín, comprising the Tomas Bata University Library, a cultural and congress centre, and the Faculty of Humanities. For many years, Eva Jiřičná was also dedicated to teaching and she is a recipient of the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), a member of the Royal Academy of Arts, a Royal Designer for Industry, an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from both the Czech Ministry of Culture and the London Design Festival. In 2024, she was awarded the Order of the White Lion, the highest state honour of the Czech Republic.
Tosin Oshinowo is a Lagos-based Nigerian architect and the principal and founder of Oshinowo
Studio, established in 2013. She has worked on several civic, commercial, and residential projects
throughout Nigeria and is renowned for her socially responsive approach to architecture, design,
and urbanism. Oshinowo’s key designs include a project with the United Nations Development
Programme to build a new community in northern Nigeria for a village displaced by Boko Haram,
the Maryland Mall in Lagos, and Adidas’ flagship store in West Africa. Her work demonstrates a
strong interest in architectural history while embodying a contemporary perspective on African
design and innovation. Her curatorial work focuses primarily on concerns of culture and identity,
embodying a contemporary perspective of urbanism in the global South. She co-curated the
second Lagos Biennial in 2019 and curated the second Sharjah Architecture Triennial in 2023. She
also partnered with Lexus International on a conceptual design exploration for Design Miami 2020.
Her research project, Alternative Urbanism: Self-organising Lagos Markets, received a special
mention award at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale. Oshinowo is a registered architect in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Before founding Oshinowo Studio, she worked in the offices of Skidmore Owings & Merrill in London and the Office of Metropolitan Architecture in Rotterdam, where she was part of the team that designed the 4th Mainland Bridge proposal in 2008. Returning to Lagos, she practised at James Cubitt Architects and led notable projects, including designing the corporate head office building for Nigeria LNG in Port Harcourt. She has a BA in Architecture from Kingston University London, an MSc in Development and Planning: Building and Urban Design in Development from the University College London, an AA Diploma from the Architecture Association London, and a Master’s in Business for Architecture and Design from IE University Madrid. She is a 2025 Loeb Fellow at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.
Registration at: https://www.architectsnotarchitecture.com/event/london-2025/
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