Founded by Michel Da Costa Goncalves and Amrita Mahindroo, DROO Architecture is a RIBA and RICS Award-winning practice operating worldwide from our offices in London, Paris and Melbourne. Da Costa Mahindroo, or DROO takes a wholistic approach to design from the object to the urban, each project is a culmination of the complex network of conditions, which are distilled into a singular poetic statement, which valorises its context – both physical and intellectual.
Find out more about our latest contributions as well as latest publications about our work on the Press and Publications sections.
DROO Architecture actively explore the implications of macro-economics and emerging technologies on aesthetic and formal undercurrents in contemporary design, and aims to situate this discourse in the environment through tangible, user oriented design solutions. Our research explores the evolution of historical spatial and formal typologies as they are put the tests of contemporary markets, environmental extremes and societal/cultural differences. We seek to generate new layers of richness in our work, by perpetually challenging ‘type’ in architecture, and subsequently allowing us to speculate on the evolution of the future city as an amalgam of these individual architectural products. Each project is at once a tailored solution to the design problem at hand, but also apart of our over arching body of research which engages the community and is an armature for social and environmental agency.
Our work spans Europe, North America, Australia and South East Asia with a strong research focus on cities. We’re committed to developing and promoting architectural creativity to the world. We take part in leading-edge events such as the London Design Festival and our work has been recognised by the Custerion Award, FEIDAD awards, Wallpaper* Design awards, FX awards and in international publications including Architect’s Journal (AJ), RIBA Journal and Blueprint. Our work has also been exhibited at London’s prestigious Royal Academy of the Arts. In addition, we have been teaching at esteemed architectural schools and bodies across the world since 2004, including at the Architectural Association.
Essentiafluous: Semantic Design by DROO’s director Michel da Costa Gonçalves. This speculative exercise through terminologies questions how the current pandemic might influence design in the coming months or years. Thanks to Inst_inst_inst and mapa arq for the collaboration
Da Costa Mahindroo Architects are delighted to be shortlisted as finalist for the Architect of the year Award. Finalist DROO architecture
Very excited to share that we have just received planning for our Apartment Low Carbon scheme in Melbourne, Australia.
Italian Magazine, The Plan features on DROO’s Paintworks project.
DROO’s ‘crumpled paper’ project in east London featured in AJ.
DROO’s Smithfield market competition entry for Landlease reflects on the future of Birmingham tying to its historical trades as a civic place of gathering. Under a single roof, it carefully unearths historical layers to seek new paradigms and inform new “virtuous cycles”.
Dezeen features DROO’s Castel lane project. Curved bow windows animate the facades of VI Castle Lane, a housing block in London designed by architecture studios Da Costa Mahindroo Architects.
A glass prism has appeared in an East London back garden. Geometric, transparent and glistening, it is the work of emerging London studio DROO – Da Costa Mahindroo Architects. More
DROO’s City Approach project underway in Shoreditch, London. The “maisonettes” project by Da Costa Mahindroo architects is there by absence, illustrated by the vast void in waiting of the temporary scaffolding cathedral. More …
DOMUS magazine features DROO architect’s VI Castle Lane in Westminster, London. “While following strict constraints to respect the historical heritage, London studio Droo has created an apartment building with markedly contemporary forms.” For this project, Da Costa Mahindroo architects “carefully examined the composition and details of the surrounding facades and interpret a classic element of…
Portuguese Attitude magazine features DROO’s Harrington project “Pure Tranquility”. For this project, Michel Da Costa Goncalves and Amrita Mahindroo created a “spaces of meditative calm”, characterised by “the chiaroscuro effect of light and shade”. More …
New year, new name, RARE architecture becomes DROO short for Da Costa Mahindroo Architects. Expanding now into the southern hemisphere with Melbourne joining our main offices in London and Paris.
