O’Brien Van der Steen Studies CIC

O’Brien Van der Steen Studies is a non-profit organisation (CIC) which serves as the research arm of O’Brien Van der Steen Workshops. In a time when we must respond to the stark social issues raised by the pandemic and to the climate emergency, the need for in depth, rigorous and critical thinking is as important as ever. The practical application of such critical thinking to urban and rural issues is of fundamental importance to all of the projects we undertake.

O’Brien Van der Steen Studies was established as a formal part of our practice to address some of the broader social, environmental and material issues that are latent in all our architectural work through funded research. As such O’Brien Van der Steen Studies approaches broader themes surrounding architecture, urbanism, construction and society using individual projects as case studies or to provide information and data to broader research topics that inform our development and the critical discourse of the studio. Likewise independent research projects – such as Las Casas de Vecindad – are conducted through this entity.

The Community Interest Company (CIC) is its own legal entity (UK Reg. 13296256) of which James and Joseph are both directors. The CIC operates as a part of O’Brien Van der Steen Workshops, allowing the knowledge and expertise gained from the research to be absorbed and applied within the company, ensuring that the two entities complement one another.