Takero Shimazaki Architects

t-sa is an architectural atelier focused on producing work of enduring tactile quality. Its methodology deeply engages with each character of the specific context and materiality of each project. Context meaning the existing built fabric, its details, city, landscape as well as the stories and the narratives of the client and the inhabitants. Social, cultural, economical and political aspects of the background context also play important roles regardless of the scale of the project. t-sa believes in working with what already exists on site in the most economical means, delivering enriched and renewed built-life to each project. The notion of renewal is researched and investigated within the practice and through teaching at t-sa forum, our own independently run research school. Through materials and each specific context, t-sa has an interest in emotional qualities in the textures and tactility as well as connecting to the past and the future for each project environment.
From refurbishment of small spaces to new build projects, t-sa seeks for the core essence of each architectural challenge for our clients and aims to create timeless architecture with clarity and sensitive subtleties. It is helping to construct the future heritage of our built environment and landscapes.

t-sa was set up in 1996, founded by Yuli Toh and Takero Shimazaki. Formerly known as Toh Shimazaki Architecture, it works as a team discipline, often collaborating with designers, researchers and photographers on projects.

The Team and Collaborators

Takero Shimazaki — Director

Takero graduated from the University of Wales, Cardiff and The Bartlett School of Architecture, London. Having previously worked for Itsuko Hasegawa Atelier, Richard Rogers Partnership and Alison and Peter Smithson, he co-founded t-sa with Yuli Toh in 1996. He taught at the Architectural Association between 2010 and 2015 and is an external examiner at Cambridge and Cardiff. He currently runs Diploma Unit 8 at The Cass, London Metropolitan University.

takero@t-sa.co.uk

Jennifer Frewen — BArch (hons) ARB, Associate Director

Jennifer having graduated from Dublin Institute of Technology, worked for an architecture and masterplanning practice in Dublin. She has been an integral part of t-sa since participating in t-sa’s research workshop, t-sa forum following her degree. She is involved with guiding the direction and delivery of t-sa’s ongoing works, bringing a strong aesthetic, precision and detail to each project. She has become a lead designer in the team and a credit in the development of the practice.

jennifer@t-sa.co.uk

Cécile David — DiplArch ARB, Associate

Cécile graduated from École d’Architecture in Marne-la-Vallée, France before moving to the UK in 2011. She completed her professional qualifications at the University of Westminster. Prior to joining t-sa in 2018 she worked in several practices in Switzerland and London, where she worked on the delivery of several projects, ranging from residential extensions, retail refurbishment and a large student halls of residence in Cambridge. She is currently leading the development and delivery of cultural, commercial and heritage projects, focusing on their materiality and detailed expression.

cecile@t-sa.co.uk

Paolo Emilio Pisano — BArch AADipl ARB, Associate

Paolo studied at Univeristà degli Studi di Cagliari and Architectural Association before joining t-sa. He has been awarded a RIBA President’s Medal Commendation for his work at the AA and the first prize in the Zagreb Society of Architect’s competition Think Public Space.

paolo@t-sa.co.uk

Joshua King — BA (hons) DipArch ARB, Senior Architect

Joshua graduated from the University of Manchester before completing his diploma at the Cass School of Architecture. Prior to joining t-sa he worked on a number of residential developments, office buildings and educational facilities across the UK. Joshua continues to consider material culture within architectural design through his on-going contribution to projects within the office.

josh@t-sa.co.uk

Daniel Hayes — BSc MArch PGDip ARB

Daniel completed his BSc, MArch, and PGDip at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University. Before joining t-sa, Daniel contributed to a variety of significant cultural, public, and residential projects, gaining expertise in concept design, technical delivery, and low-carbon design. At t-sa, Daniel continues to explore his interest in an architectural material language that is tactile, evocative, and bio-based.

daniel@t-sa.co.uk

Joshua Bristow — MA (Cantab) MArch

Joshua graduated from the University of Cambridge before completing a postgraduate scholarship at the Royal Drawing School and his masters at the London Metropolitan University. He has specialised experience working on the delivery of projects in listed and historically sensitive contexts. Alongside practice he maintains a practice of drawing and printmaking which informs his design approach.

joshua.b@t-sa.co.uk

Jonathan Mortlock — MA (Cantab) MArch

Jonathan graduated from the University of Cambridge before completing his master’s degree at London Metropolitan University, where his work received the RIBA London Postgraduate Award for Best Architectural Detail, Best History and Theory Essay Prize and a nomination for the AJ Student Prize. Prior to joining t-sa, Jonathan worked on a range of public and private schemes in rural Wales, including national cultural institution projects.

jonathan@t-sa.co.uk

Anton Gorlenko — Collaborative Photographer

Anton completed a Masters Degree on the history of European Neoclassical architecture at Moscow State University. He has worked as an art critic for various magazines and in 2008 launched 1064 ° Goldsmiths Guild, a creative agency working on book design, installations, films and jewellery. Since moving to London in 2012 he studied architecture at the Architectural Association and is currently working as a freelance architectural designer, collaborating with Strelka Institute.

Fern Murphy — Bookkeeper

Doll Knowles — Hospitality

Past team and collaborators

Yuli Toh

John Ahern, Tomoyo Arimoto, Neringa Aliksandraviciute, Louisa Barfoot, Jason Bechtle, Oli Brenner, Simon Davison, Emmanuel Dupont, Angie Foong, Jon Errazti De Miguel, Tom Gibson, David Giera, Tanya Goknel, Isabell Gonzaga, Egon Hansen, Emily Harland, Steve Harley, Aki Hiraoka, Takehiko Iseki, Yeewan Iu, Risa Iwashita, James Kitson, Stefan Kogler, Ricky Kwok, James Lloyd-Mostyn, Charlie Luxton, Kate Luxton, Anna Mansfield, Monika Marinova, Lily Markey, Alasdair Mckenzie, Rosie McLaren, Craig Mitchell, Carin Nakanishi, Haruka Nogami, Antonio Otero, Ian Parlane, Giacomo Pelizzari, Edward Pepper, Colin Priest, Oliver Reynolds, Ben Rogers, Keyura Alva Samson, Mami Sayo, Wee-Liam Seow, Meiri Shinohara, Sarah Smith, Erika Suzuki, Kenji Suzuki, Take Suzuki, Kirsty Taylor, Anna Maria Trauttmansdorff, Karabo Turner, Franziska Wagner, Samuel Walton, Yu Hsiang Wang, Yoko Watanabe, Christine White, Ceri Williams.

Photographers

Valerie Bennett

Hélène Binet

Richard Brine

Anton Gorlenko

Katsuhisa Kida

Felix Koch

Franck Robert

Edmund Sumner

Graphic Designer and Screen print artists

James McCarthy

Luma Studio – Lucie Murtagh and Mark Stonehouse

Selected publications

Exhibitions

t-sa forum architecture school

t-sa is actively involved in education. t-sa forum, an independent school run by the practice was set up in 2006 and is now running annual workshops. t-sa forum aims to bridge the gap between academia and practice, teaching students to test creative working methods in professional environments. t-sa forum is a research wing to t-sa and has been investigating the idea of renewal in our built environment, focusing on ‘refurbishment’ as a theme in buildings in the UK. Takero Shimazaki taught at Architectural Association (2010-2015) and is currently an external examiner at Cardiff and Cambridge.