FAT (Fashion Architecture Taste)

Established 1995; based in London
Sean Griffiths, Charles Holland, and Sam Jacob, principals

Although FAT describes itself as “purveyors of architecture of character and distinction,” it might more accurately be described as the perpetrator of an architecture of wit and guileless accessibility that challenges the profession’s notions of acceptable taste. Operating from the premise that architecture is a form of communication and that it should speak the language of its users, FAT has developed a reputation for making buildings that are memorable, engaging, and responsive to contemporary culture. FAT seeks to avoid what it considers the elitist attitude of many architects toward the creation of space with a capital S in favor of a populist sensibility that is manifest in easily recognizable forms and a vibrant palette. The now-iconic Blue House (London, 2002), with its billboardlike expression of the building’s home and office components, exemplifies this approach. FAT’s design for the Sint Lucas Art Academy (Boxtel, the Netherlands, 2006) received the prestigious European Award from the Royal Institute of British Architects and was also nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award. In 2003, FAT was unanimously chosen by the future inhabitants of Woodward Place Social Housing (New Islington, Manchester) in a competition sponsored by the Royal Institute of British Architects, and its proposal for refurbishment and expansion of a 1960s high-rise housing block was selected in a competition sponsored by the London Borough of Newham. The firm was awarded second place in Building Design’s Architect of the Year program in 2003 and was included in the Architects’ Journal’s 40 Under 40 exhibition in 2005.