Building culture, together: in conversation with dMFK’s Julian de Metz

This article first appeared in Mix Interiors #228

Words by: Harry McKinley

We’re only a few minutes into the working day when I arrive at dMFK’s Charlotte Street HQ. It’s a relatively new home for the much-accoladed architectural practice, the result of condensing its two previous London offices into one. Formerly the home of Channel 4, it’s a nimble, ultra-tailored space with floor-to-ceiling windows; views across to an Italian sandwich bar and an elegant coffee shop. With cyclists and cappuccino-toting workers skirting by, there’s a sense the surroundings are as much a part of the fabric of the place as the interiors.

Julian de Metz, dMFK’s Founding Director, is propped up at a conference table near the door when I arrive, his tee wet in patches. He’s darted to the office fresh from a morning swim nearby, part of a regular routine that sees his days start early. The office is already busy. Banks of architects are industriously tapping at keyboards, chatting to colleagues or prodding at the coffee machine. In the era of hybrid working, it’s an uncommon sight. Then again, it’s what the practice’s workplace was devised for: a full house, or close to it.