Office Still Life: From Renzo Piano to MAD Architects, Marc Goodwin captures the inner worlds of architecture firms – Archinect

Archi5, Paris office. In present location since: 2006. Staff: 4 partners, 30 employees. Former use of building: Printer of vinyl record sleeves. Size: 900 m. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Mathieu Fiol.

For many architecture practices, the office is their second home a reflection of who they collectively are as a firm. Depicting the atmosphere of a firm's office space is an ideal subject for architectural photographer Marc Goodwin of Archmospheres, who previously shared his work approach with Archinect. Since acquiring a Ph.D. in architectural photography, Goodwin has embarked on a global tour to capture the assortment of architecture studio offices that are out there, including those of MAD Architects, Foster +Partners, Snhetta, and Renzo Piano.

Frozen in time through Goodwin's camera lens and with his keen attention to the lighting of the space, snapshots of these everyday office scenes become atmospheric, personalized portraits of each firm that are fascinating to peruse. Mundane details become a significant part in telling the story, whether it's a sign written in the local language, shelves of architectural models, potted plants, snow-covered streets outside a window in Scandinavia, or the brick details in a London office.

Peering through shelves or from the opposite side of the building, Goodwin's photos take on an observant and sometimes almost voyeuristic perspective. Employees appear unaware of the photographer's presence as they hunch over their desks and stare into computer screens, share a meal with their colleagues, or are in the middle of a meeting in a closed conference room. This sense of intimate observation is present even in large, established offices that accommodate hundreds of employees, such as an empty windowed room in Foster + Partners' Riverside office, which has approximately 1,200 employees.

It's also a treat to know the previous lives of the firms' offices, and how much they have grown into the space since moving in. The firms work in former schools and breweries, a printer of vinyl record sleeves, or in a space tucked inside a building that used to house diplomats.

Altogether, Goodwin's photos showcase the diversity of each firm's workspace just as they are in that point in time. As Goodwin continues to travel around the world, have a look at some of his office photos of architecture practices inLondon, Scandinavia,Beijing,Paris, and Seoul.

M. In present location for: 6 years. Staff: 40. Former use of building/studio: School. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Foster + Partners. In present location since: 1990. Number of employees: 1,200 at Riverside, 1,450 globally. Use: Designed by the firm as a mixed-use. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Erect Architecture. In present location since: 2010. Staff: 6. Former use of building / studio: workshops. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

IMAGINATION. In present location since: 1989. Staff: 360. Former use of building: school. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Zaha Hadid Architects. Staff: 400 globally. In present location since: 2013. Former use of building/studio: Zaha Hadid Design Gallery was previously home to a pop-up hair salon designed by Hadid. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Grimshaw. In present location since: January 2007. Staff: 130 (in office), 180 total in London (co-located teams). Former use of building: Headquarters of The Big Issue. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

BDP (Building Design Partnership). In present location since: 2003. Staff: London: approx. 300 / total approx. 903. Former use of building / studio: Brewery. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Henning Larsen Architects. In present location since: 2001. Staff: 170 in Copenhagen. Former use of building: Department store completed in 1939 by H. Ortmann and V. Berner Nielsen. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Studio Puisto. In current location since: 2014. Staff: 6. Former use of building: Fabric store, supermarket. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Jgneflt Milton. Staff: 7. Former use of building/studio: Stables. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Snhetta. Staff: 119. Former use of building: Storage area for harbor deliveries. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Elding Oscarson Arkitekter. In present location since: 2014. Staff: 8. Former use of building: Brewery. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

C.F. Mller Architects. In present location since: 1981. Staff: 80 in Copenhagen. Building's former use: Part of the School of Architecture. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

3xn. In present location since: 2014. Staff: 85. Former use of building: Boat houses from 1813 used to store naval ships. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

MAD Architects. Staff: 105. In present location for: 9 years. Previous use of building: printing works. Size of office: 660m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

Crossboundaries. Staff: 20-25. In present location for: 2 years. Former use of building: auditorium, bar, showroom. Size of office: 350 m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

anySCALE (Beijing) Architecture Design Consultants Co., Ltd. Staff: 25. Time spent in current space: 3 years. Previous use of building: Apartments for diplomats. Size of office: 250. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

LISPACE Design Limited. Staff: 10 people. Time spent in current space: 3.7 years. Previous use of building: boiler room in factory. Size: showroom downstairs 100m2, office upstairs 80m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

WAY Studio and PU Architects. Staff: 8 each. In present location since: 2015. Previous use of building: Arsenal, RenMin University student dormitories, Library & reading room. Size: 220 m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

ZAO/standardarchitecture. Staff: 25-30. Time spent in current space: less than 2 years. Previous use of building: warehouse. Size: 580. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres.

LAN. Staff: 27. In present location since: 2009. Former use of building: Clothing workshop. Size: 150 m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Mathieu Fiol.

Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Staff: 95. In present location since: 1992. Former use of building: art gallery. Size: 1,500m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Mathieu Fiol.

Architecture-Studio. In present location since: 1973. Staff: 150. Former use of building: Herbalist. Size: 2650 m. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Mathieu Fiol.

Martinez Barat Lafore architectes. In present location since: 2014. Staff: 2. Former use of building: private dwelling. Size: 100m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Mathieu Fiol.

Philippe Rizzotti Architecte. Staff: 6. In present location since: April 2016. Former use: CIAT (Centre International des Arts de la Table) Showroom. Size: 110 m2. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Mathieu Fiol.

OFFICE ARCHITEKTON. In present location since: 2012. Staff: 6. Building's former use: Industrial Wire Mesh Store. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Felix Nybergh.

IROJE architects & planners. In present location since: March 2002. Staff: 29. Building's use: Designed by and built for the firm's own use. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Felix Nybergh.

KYWC Architects. In present location since: June 2014. Staff: 8. Building's use: Designed by the firm for their own use. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Felix Nybergh.

Moonbalsso. In present location since: 2011. Staff: 5. Building's former use: Commercial Facility. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Felix Nybergh.

UnSangDong Architects. In present location since: 2014. Staff: 15. Building's former use: Private residence. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Felix Nybergh.

WGNB. In present location since: 2014. Staff: 12. Building's former use: Private residence. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Felix Nybergh.

studio_GAON. In present location since: 2009. Staff: 8. Building's former use: Trading company. Photo credit: Marc Goodwin/Archmospheres + Felix Nybergh.

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Office Still Life: From Renzo Piano to MAD Architects, Marc Goodwin captures the inner worlds of architecture firms - Archinect