Office Approach
We are an urban design and research practice based in Amsterdam. We focus on public space design, community-led projects and documentary based urban research.
We believe that good design of the public realm is essential for healthy urban environments and citizens. Public spaces are our common grounds, they are the spaces we share as such they need to be created in an open and collaborative process. Within this we strive to make great, playful spaces where people can meet to; play, hang out, exercise, learn, have fun and connect with each other.
Our working process follows four-steps
Observe - Research - Engage - Design
We observe the characteristics of a place, it’s patterns of use, the rhythm of its daily life. We use both photography and film alongside traditional fieldwork techniques of mapping and drawing. Filmmaking is integral to the way we capture, understand and visually communicate how cities and places work.
We research to understand the latest challenges cities, urban areas and their communities are facing. Part of the research work is carried out the courses TU Eindhoven and Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam
We engage and listen to the local communities in the places where we work. Urban research and public engagement go hand in hand to develop context aware solutions to the latest challenges for urban areas and their communities.
We design based on a clear brief defined with our clients and communities. Our focus is on creating high quality people-centred public spaces. Over the past years we have realised a number of playscapes in the Netherlands where play is integrated into every aspect of the design.
Studio dmau was founded in 2012 by Daryl Mulvihill an architect with an MA in documentary film. Daryl has extensive experience in urban design and strategy projects and with his documentary experience he brings a multidisciplinary approach to public space design, urban research and community engagement.
Daryl is a university lecturer at the chair of Urbanism and Urban Architecture at the TU Eindhoven where he co-ordinates; Theory and Practise of the Public Domain, a Masters Studio in High-Density Urban Housing and the Bachelor introduction to Urbanism. Next to this he lectures and co-ordinates the History of Urbanism module at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture. He has previously been a tutor at TU Delft and the Rotterdam Academy of Architecture.
Lola Elisa Cauneac is an architect, recently graduated from TU/e. She enjoys applying architectural thinking on different levels of abstraction. In her master thesis “REZERO: Architecture”, she takes a dive into the design process, questioning how creative thinking can find autonomy in an industry of standardization and uniformity. Her approach is characterized by wholistic understanding, critical thinking, and visual explorations. Lola’s participation in the “The Just City” open call is another important step in her exploration of complexity.
Awards
2021 - 3rd Place - Kiosk of the Future - Slovenia
2020 - 1st Place - Panorama Lokaal, Haarlem Schalkwijk
2019 - Gridgrounds shortlisted in Residential parks award Landezine
2018 - 1st Place - Walk DVRC Design Competition - Hong Kong
2017 - 2nd Place - Homes for Smart Ageing Universal Design Competition
2015 - 2nd Place - Ballyfermot Play Park
2013 - 1st Place - Into the Wild - Duurzame Speeltuin
2008 - 2nd Place - Europan 9 Dublin
Publications, Exhibitions & Screenings
2021 - Gridgrounds - Exhibition at Habitar Portugal, Lisbon
2021 - Exhibition - ABC Architectuur Centrum Haarlem
2020 - Interview - Blauwe Kamer
2019 - Gridgrounds - Jaarboek Landschapsarchitectuur en Stedenbouw in Nederland
2019 - Gridgrounds - Monocle Issue 125
2019 - Gridgrounds - Landezine
2018 - High-5 In the Sky - Publication and Interview, South China Morning Post.
2018 - High-5 In the Sky - Exhibition and Presentation, Business of Design Week, Hong Kong
2018 - Playtime Festival - Ho Chi Minh Vietnam Exhibition, Lecture & Screening of A10 Film
2018 - Herdenking in mijn Buurt - AT5, RTV Noord Holland
2017 - Herdenking in mijn Buurt - Screening Rialto Amsterdam
2017 - Gridgrounds - Archined
2017 - Gridgrounds - Domus
2015 - Ring Film - Budapest Architecture Film Days
2015 - Into the Wild - Domus
2015 - Into the Wild - Landezine
2014 - Speeltuin van de Toekomst - De Volkskrant
2013 - Into the Wild - C3 Journal - South Korea
