The all-female firm vPPR (an anomaly in a field known for its gender imbalance) was founded in London in 2009 by Tatiana von Preussen (London, 1980), Catherine Pease (London, 1982) and Jessica Reynolds (Brussels, 1982). They met while studying at the University of Cambridge and came back together following stints at Field Operations, SOM and Front respectively. Their first decade has seen a focus on UK homes, but their work includes co-working spaces, cafes, cultural centres and exhibition design.

Their first major project, a pair of wedge-shaped homes designed for Pease and von Preussen (Ott’s Yard, 2013), put the studio on the map. The houses are an homage to the awkward angles of an infill site in north London, taking its elongated triangular outline as inspiration for both form and decoration. Triangular skylights in the two green roofs draw light in from above the surrounding Victorian properties. Bright generous spaces inside belie their footprint. The strong geometry is carried over to the boxing for the staircase and the tiling in the kitchens and bathrooms. The houses won a RIBA London Award in 2014.

Undeterred by tricky sites, vPPR consolidated its reputation with the west London conversion of an overlooked taxi depot into a family home (Vaulted House, 2014). Blinkering the residence with opaque brick walls, a stripe of clerestory glazing peeping above it and six vaulted roof lights funnel light down into the property. A mixed housing and retail development inside an east London warehouse (Redchurch Street, 2016) again offered privacy where it was least expected to be found, and enhanced the cut-through street with a suite of small shopfronts that enliven the area. Reynolds, von Preussen and Pease lecture regularly on the practice’s work, and teach at the Architectural Association and Columbia University. Their focus on inner-city housing saw the trio contribute a shortlisted proposal (a survey of housing for artists) for the British pavilion at the upcoming Venice Architecture Biennale.