The architectural firm WORK Architecture Company (WORKac) was founded by Amale Andraos and Dan Wood in 2002. The company is based in New York, has 16 employees, and undertakes projects of all sizes. Wood and Andraos previously worked in the Netherlands at Rem Koolhaas’ Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), where they were involved in large-scale projects such as the Seattle Public Library and Prada luxury stores.

“We are interested in the world of ideas,” says Wood, adding, “but ideas that materialize.” This emphasis on putting ideas into practice — and not just theory — is reflected in the company’s name: WORK. “We wanted to define our essence through our activity, through the work itself.”

In their studio in lower east Manhattan, Wood and Andraos work with colleagues from Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Korea, Spain, and Australia. Wood says, “Diversity is our strength; it is a source of ideas.” In addition to their work in the office, Wood and Andraos teach at the elite Princeton University and see their academic work as a key part of their practice. This allows them to use the classroom to explore topics such as eco-urbanism, which they then apply in practice. It also keeps them in touch with other young architects who are also teaching.

“Our work focuses on the development of architectural and urban projects that incorporate culture and consciousness, nature and artificiality, surrealism and practicality. For us, the concept of diversity is an inspiration that we try to illuminate as much as possible — from explaining distant contexts to reanalyzing the simplicity of everyday life.”