ABOUT US

The unforgettable summer of London’s 2012 Olympics was a key milestone in the journey of establishing WOO architects. Kevin was Design Principal for the Games and went on to set up the practice in 2014. His work has included a wide range of international projects from sports and other large-scale events to public buildings and urban design.

The WOO ethos has always been to put people and experience first. This informs the approach by bringing a fresh eye to the design brief and its challenges, seeking out new and better solutions and possibilities, stretching skills and the imagination, and using the opportunity to be a catalyst for positive and lasting change.

For Kevin, creative collaboration and a strong storyline are key to delivering the broadest range of benefits in the completed project for its users, operators and for the client.

Driven by the power of great design, Emma is fascinated by the way environments can shape our collective experiences. She believes that the key to any project is in mixing great creativity with understanding the needs of clients and users, while also ensuring that every element and detail works – ‘delivering a seamless experience means that nothing inhibits visitors having fun.’

Having worked in a range of design disciplines from production design and theatre to public realm and masterplanning, Emma’s work has always been focussed on bringing people together. ‘Whether it’s the Olympics, a football match or an exhibition, precious memories are made when we are all part of a shared experience. The magic happens when we can set aside our everyday lives and be united in enjoying that special moment.’

Design hero: ‘Cesar Pelli stands out for me as an inspiring figure, not just for his incredible architecture, but also for his compassion and generosity, he has always been my inspiration both professionally and personally.’

Ruth is an architect with over two decades of expertise in the field of sport facilities architecture with a particular specialism in designing and constructing swimming pools. Her projects range in scale from pools for community use to those for major international events; her expertise spans the entire spectrum of the design process and encompasses permanent and temporary facilities.

Ruth’s prestigious projects include the Baku 2015 European Games, Rio 2016 Olympics and the Paris 2024 Olympics. She is currently leading the design team for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

‘Every project brings a new set of challenges, and the balance of functionality, flexibility and sustainability are the targets. To support the hard work of elite athletes, they need elite architecture and that means always combining innovation with excellence.’

Ruth actively participates in sports associations including the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS) and regularly speaks at congresses and conferences, particularly those involving swimming venues, where she shares her insights and contributes to the latest thinking and debates on sporting facilities.

Design hero: ‘Renzo Piano is one of my favorite architects. His architectural style is characterised by a harmonious blend of form and function. The excellence of his construction details and the respectful integration of his buildings into their surroundings always create a unique and cohesive landscape.’

From the Olympics to Eurovision and beyond, Helen’s work is about delivering spectacular, large-scale events. Her specialism in overlay design transforms venues for new and temporary uses, sometimes for just a few days. ‘Whether we are starting with a piece of land or an empty building, I love the magic of creating a venue and event from almost nothing.’ For the London 2012 Olympics for example, she transformed a field into the mountain biking venue.

Trained in interior design, Helen has always enjoyed the buzz of large-scale events that bring huge crowds together whether it’s for football matches or music concerts. Her work now stretches far beyond interior design to include project management, complex problem solving and a dash of diplomacy. ‘Listening is a big part of the job. It’s important to understand everyone’s needs from performers and spectators to the camera crews and TV viewers and then work out how to accommodate as much as possible.’

Design heroes: ‘For the breadth and depth of their work across so many fields, I’ll choose Charles and Ray Eames. Their cross-design discipline thinking is really compelling. And their pioneering work in modular construction is highly relevant for overlay – especially in how standard elements can be reconfigured and reused in different ways.’

Coming from a family of artists, including his father who worked as an architectural illustrator, Matthew’s keen eye for design is expressed through his work as an architect.

His expertise is in parametric architecture, using the digital tool to holistically manage the complexity of projects and find the most efficient and elegant design solutions. His work has included developing design and analysis tools for critical design elements including sight-line modelling to optimise seating bowl and auditorium designs. These techniques have been used on a variety of projects from masterplans and large-scale stadiums to theatres and other entertainment venues. ‘Taking care of the constraints through using parametric design enables beautiful designs to flourish.’

While he’s always been fascinated by structures and making buildings that function well, his primary goals are also to ensure that spaces are comfortable and beautifully designed. Matthew leads the Digital Design Group, developing practice-based research projects and promoting innovation.

Design hero: ‘Frei Otto produced a series of beautiful designs that changed the way we look at architecture. He was forever pushing the boundaries of design, utilising the best technology available at the time to push his designs forward.’

Léa has always enjoyed the elegance and movement of ballet and has discovered that this passion has connections with her work. ‘Dance is not just an art, it’s a sport too and requires great discipline. Like engineering and architecture, you need to be aware of things like the physical loads of nature, detail and balance.’

After an early interest in pursuing a career in urban design, Léa changed direction to study structural engineering and then combined that with architecture. She has master’s degrees in both.

One of her favourite projects while working at WOO has been designing landmark entrance gates for Twickenham Stadium in west London. ‘The process was very enjoyable, researching materials, colours and the history of the place and then translating that into gates that are decorative, even theatrical, while also being functional in terms of safety and crowd control.’

Léa played a pivotal role in WOO’s work at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the Tokyo 2020 Games and has worked on a broad range of sports and culture projects.

Design hero: ‘The conceptual artist Daniel Buren is my choice. I love his playfulness and the fact that his work is site specific. He explores how we experience and respond to different locations be it by framing a view, building a colourful canopy, positioning flags along an avenue, applying a 2D pattern to a façade or designing a stage set.’

For Sean, beautiful detailing is at the heart of his passion for being an architect. ‘Every millimetre is important,’ he says. Whether he’s using the finest luxury materials or something for more modest budgets, it’s all about ensuring that great detailing produces a harmonious and pleasing result. He has a particular interest and expertise in fine joinery design. ‘People instinctively feel when the design has been completed with care and attention. My job is always to find the smartest solutions for any project.’

Brought up in Italy, Sean was always aware of the country’s world class product design and the wealth of natural materials. He trained as an architect in the UK and has worked on a broad range of projects from products such as lamps to homes and external landscaping, visitor attractions and sports stadiums.

Design hero: ‘It has to be the Italian architect Gio Ponti. Whether it’s a chair or a building, nothing is excessive or out of place. His designs are fresh, original and elegant.’

Having started out studying ceramic design, Rachealle’s career path followed a number of turns before she moved from exhibition design to working on the Commonwealth Games.

Since then, major sporting events have been at the heart of her work at WOO where she joined the 2024 Paris Olympics design team. With her specialism in temporary and overlay design, her main project for the Games was the basketball/handball venue in Lille.

The task was to transform the city’s football stadium to meet Olympic and sports federation requirements and standards. The first stage was to accommodate the basketball competition, and then undertake a 36-hour transformation to get the venue ready for the handball competition. And the highlight of this project? ‘Definitely that first basketball game. There’s always that moment of anticipation when you need to be reassured that the design works, and thankfully it did.’

Design hero: ‘When I am searching for inspiration, I look around me. I can’t name one design hero, because there’s inspiration everywhere. The photos on my phone say it all really, there are photos of chairs I like, some tents and scaffolding that have caught my eye, photos of friends and family, theatre sets, food and even areas of trackway surfacing. It’s a great mix.’

Paul is driven by the experience of places and spaces, he thrives at the concept stage, relishing the creative process and the opportunity to shape the bigger picture. ‘I’m particularly interested in how thoughtful architecture can create a positive, lasting impact for the people who use it.’

His work spans education, healthcare, heritage and residential projects, giving him a broad understanding of different users, constraints and contexts. To bring ideas to life and communicate design intent clearly, Paul likes to produce illustrated design responses that map the user journey through space. A lifelong love of drawing has evolved into a powerful and distinctive tool for explaining how people engage with buildings, spaces and their wider setting.

His move into sports architecture with WOO is a natural progression of his portfolio – he’s particularly enjoying the creative possibilities of working with temporary structures. And working here connects two of his passions – design and sport. He is an avid runner and has a marathon personal best of an impressive 2h 29mins. He has also introduced his dog Fez, a whippet x greyhound, to join the other dogs at WOO’s London studio.

Design hero:  The American designer Virgil Abloh has been a big influence on me. Trained in architecture, he later moved into fashion, incorporating architectural principles into his work. After being recognised by Fendi and Louis Vuitton, he developed his own labels and art projects. His versatility and diversity set him apart.

Following her childhood fascination with the Olympics, Mathilde’s wide range of sporting interests include horse riding and rugby. Along with sports, Mathilde had an early interest in design which led her to become an architect. ‘Architecture grabbed my attention because of the huge range of scales we can explore, from working on a masterplan to the detail of a handrail.’

As part of the WOO team at the Paris 2024 Games, Mathilde worked on the Aquatics Centre, host to the water polo, diving and artistic swimming competitions.

‘The design challenges were really interesting, making the venue work for everyone from athletes and media to the operations team and spectators inside this new building which will ultimately become a community pool. Then on top of this, we had to factor in how to transition the venue overnight, and within the spatial constraints, from water polo to artistic swimming by adapting the surroundings of the pools and making the necessary adjustments for the next phase. It was a good lesson in the importance of thinking through every detail to integrate the building, maintenance and dismantling phases in the design.’

Design hero: ‘The Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has an approach I admire and which inspires me, with his sensitive handling of landscapes and using natural materials, particularly wood. His design for the National Stadium for the Tokyo Games is particularly elegant.’

Driven by a fascination with how people interact with and inhabit spaces, Zhuoping pursued a career in design. ‘I’m constantly aware of the power of design to shape people’s experiences, and the connection to the spaces we create. Great design can elevate enjoyment and enhance functionality, making it easier and more intuitive for people to navigate and experience a place.’

At WOO, Zhuoping has worked on an impressive range of projects from stadiums, concert venues, boats and exhibition pavilions. And at the heart of his work is his meticulous attention to detail in technical drawings and project coordination.

Zhuoping is passionate about innovation, especially in concept design. ‘I enjoy exploring new approaches and tools to improve efficiency and bring fresh perspectives to each project, including the use of parametric design when it enhances the creative process.’

Outside of work, Zhuoping’s favourite sport is snowboarding, where the thrill of speed and the beauty of the mountains inspire him.  This sport also hones his ability to react quickly and stay agile, skills he brings to high-speed, dynamic work environments.

Design hero: ‘With his philosophy of “less, but better”, the Industrial designer Dieter Rams is my choice. He advocates for designing in harmony with how people live and was an early champion of sustainability. His elegant work for Braun set a timeless standard and has influenced generations of designers, including those at Apple and Sony.’

‘Creating great spaces is powerful and exciting – I’ve always been fascinated by how the design can impact quality of life and mood.’

Ella is in the happy position of being able to combine her two passions of sport and architecture. She is a member of the GB Lacrosse squad and brings her sporting knowledge and experience to work in the studio every day. Her love of sport started early and even her PE teacher at primary school was in no doubt about her sporting future, she simply said ‘one day I’ll see you at the Olympics.’ And it’s a dream that may come true for Ella who has her eye on the LA28 Games where her sport – Lacrosse Sixes – will feature for the first time.

Her approach to design is to pursue a thoughtful approach that makes the everyday more enjoyable. ‘Good design doesn’t need to cost a fortune, and carefully thought through spaces could help encourage more young girls and boys into playing and enjoying sports. It’s no exaggeration to say that good quality facilities could make all the difference between a girl wanting to take up sport or staying at home.’

Design hero:
‘My design hero is Frank Lloyd Wright. I remember watching a documentary on him when I was first deciding what university degree to take, and I loved how seamlessly he blended architecture and nature to create organic spaces that are a joy to be in.’