LONDON.- Land Architecture People is a major exhibition which offers behind-the-scenes insights into how buildings are made – from the mysterious rules and conditions of land ownership through to the symbiotic relationship between architect and client. Conceived by award-winning architects Pierre d’Avoine and Andrew Houlton and anthropologist Clare Melhuish, the show dispels some of the mystique around the architectural design process. Land Architecture People opens in the vast subterranean gallery Ambika P3 in central London on 25 June and runs until 1 August 2010.

The exhibition explores the scope of the ‘one off’, as well as the potential for repetition and serial production, both within and beyond the realm of domestic architecture. It shows a selection of built and unbuilt projects of different scales by Pierre d’Avoine Architects and Houlton Architects, including some collaborations. At the centre of the show is a striking group of twelve large floor-mounted architectural models. They are complemented by drawings, pattern books, maquettes, writings, photographs and films. Clare Melhuish has specially interviewed a number of clients about their aims and aspirations for their projects and their relationship with the architect. Transcripts of the interviews will be shown alongside photo portraits of the clients, uniquely emphasizing the significance of the relationship between the different players in the design process.

Pierre d’Avoine
Pierre d’Avoine is principal of Pierre d’Avoine Architects based in London. He practises internationally, with work currently on site in Italy and Mozambique, where he is designing a crèche for street children with Article 25. The practice is well known for innovative residential design. In November 2009 their house in Greenwich won the national Brick Development Association Refurbishment Award. Pierre is currently Velux Guest Professor at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture in Copenhagen and external examiner and critic at several architecture schools in the UK and Europe. His work has been widely published and exhibited.

Andrew Houlton
Andrew Houlton is principal of Houlton Architects based in London and was previously in partnership with Stephen Taylor as Houlton Taylor Architects.The practice has established a reputation designing for special needs environments and educational buildings for children. He is a CABE enabler (Commission for Architecture & the Built Environment) advising upon Children’s Centres and Schools. Andrew has taught and lectured at many schools of architecture and is now regularly invited as visiting critic in Britain and abroad. His work has been published internationally.

Clare Melhuish
Dr Clare Melhuish is Visiting Research Fellow in Anthropology at Brunel University working on the study of the modern built environment as social setting, and an architecture critic and writer with a wide range of publications to her name. She was Reviews Editor of Building Design during the 1990s and ran the newly-founded cross-disciplinary journal Home Cultures (Berg) from 2004 to 2008. She is co-author with Pierre d’Avoine of the influential book Housey Housey: a Pattern Book of Ideal Homes (2005) and collaborated with the practice on the exhibition of the same name at the RIBA that year as well as on a number of other projects.