Established in 1993 as Azman Owens, this architectural practice designs commercial and residential projects as well as specialist retail concepts, and has an established reputation for its sensitive approach to the architectural fabric of existing buildings. The groundbreaking concrete construction of a family house in Aberdeen Lane, London, won numerous awards in 2003. More recently, Azman Associates designed the Vivien Westwood retrospective at the V&A, and Communicate, a graphic design exhibition at the Barbican.

Block Architecture was founded in 1997 by partners Graeme Williamson and Zoe Smith. Projects so far have included the Hardcore exhibition for Scarlet Projects, the refurbishment of the Museum of Modern Art in Oxford, several bars in London, Hussein Chalayan’s clothing shop in Tokyo (see Blueprint June 2004), and the refurbishment of the Building Centre in London to create the Windows Gallery. The practice is particularly skilful at adapting unusual materials, and playing with texture and light.

Brand designer for Comme des Garçons, Kawakubo opened the first of her ‘guerilla stores’ in Berlin last February, followed by Barcelona in March. In contrast to most design of retail interiors, the aim is to move into vacant spaces and change very little about them. Dover Street Market, with her impressive design, opened in October.