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6a architects is a British architectural practice, which was established in 2001 by Stephanie Macdonald and Tom Emerson.^[1] It is based in London, United Kingdom.^[2]

The practice won the RIBA National Award in 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and it was awarded the Erich Schelling Medal for Architecture in 2012.^[3][4]  

Established in 2001, 6a architects is associated with projects for cultural institutions such as art galleries, collaborations with artists and residential buildings.^[5][2] It was founded by life and business partners Stephanie Macdonald and Tom Emerson, who met at the Royal College of Art in 1994.^[3] Speaking on why they decided to form the practice, Macdonald has said that it was as a way to balance the responsibilities of childcare and work, after their son was born in 1999.^[6][7]

The practice's first project was a showroom in Mayfair for the online fashion retailer Oki-ni.^[8] This was followed by several projects involving art galleries including Raven Row gallery in East London in 2009 and the expansion of the South London Gallery in 2010.^[9] The practice was enlisted to work on the South London Gallery Fire Station, completed in 2018.^[10] Subsequently, the practice designed the new MK Gallery in Milton Keynes, which opened in 2019.^[1][11][12] The gallery was listed in second place in The Guardian's top ten architecture 2019 list and at number one in Rowan Moore's 'top 5 buildings of 2019' in The Observer.^[12][13] International projects have included multi-use towers in the Hafen district of Hamburg, Germany, completed in 2020.^[7]

The practice has received several awards, nominations and been on various shortlists.^[14][4] For Juergen Teller's studio, the practice was awarded the RIBA London Building of the Year 2017, a RIBA National Award, a RIBA regional award and it was shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling prize.^[15][16] It was awarded the Woods Award for Coastal House in Devon.^[9] There have also been three nominations for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies Van der Rohe Award, in 2011, 2013 and 2015.^[14] The Evening Standard listed Macdonald and Emerson on London's most influential people in 2018 in the category of architecture.^[9] The practice was cited as one of Domus's best architecture firms in 2020.^[17]

Founders Macdonald and Emerson were both appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2021 New Years Honours for their services to architecture.^[18][19]

• Oki-ni, Savile Row, London, 2001
• Raven Row, Contemporary Art Exhibition Centre, Spitalfields, London, 2009
• South London Gallery, London, 2010
• Fashion Galleries, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2012
• Romney's House, Hampstead, London, 2012
• Tree House, London, London, 2013
• Façade for Paul Smith, Albemarle Street, London, 2013
• Studio for Juergen Teller, London, 2016
• Cowan Court, Churchill College Cambridge, 2015–16
• Black Stone Building, London, 2017
• Coastal House, Devon, 2017
• Blue Mountain School, London, 2018
• MK Gallery, Milton Keynes, 2019
• Housing, Hafen City, Hamburg, 2020
• A2-B2, Design District London, 2021
• Bedford House Community Centre, London 2021

• Never Modern by 6a architects and Irénée Scalbert, Park Books, Zurich, 2013, ISBN 978-3-906027-24-1
• 6a architects 2009–17, El Croquis, no. 192, 2017, ISBN 978-84-947754-0-6
• 6a architects 2001–22, A+U, no. 623, 2022, ISBN 978-4900212800

• List of architecture firms
• List of architects

• Practice website