Surface is run by Richard Scott and Andy MacFee, who were born in Hull and Manchester and both graduated with distinctions from the Bartlett (UCL) in 1993. Having both worked for Will Alsop in the 1990’s, Surface was formed by Richard in 1996, with philosopher Jeremy Weate and architect Kristen Whittle. Andy, who was the project architect for Will Alsop’s Peckham Library, joined Surface in 2001 as director. Surface won first prize in the Shinkenchiku-Sha Residential Design Award in Japan in 1996 and ‘Aquaphilia’ was one of the ‘Ideal Rooms’ exhibited at the RIBA in 1997. At this time Richard taught History & Theory at the Bartlett and the AA with Jeremy Weate. Since then Surface have gone on to be a leading practice of their generation; twice runners up for the Young Architect of the Year Award (2004, 2005) and included in the 40under40 exhibition at the V&A in 2005. Significant built projects for London University have brought the practice critical recognition, receiving RIBA Awards for the Lock-keeper’s Graduate Centre at Queen Mary and the Centre for Film & Media at Birkbeck.
