The core challenge in today’s architectural scene is balancing innovation with integrity—it's about pushing boundaries without cutting corners, and that's exactly what Apricot Square stands for. But here’s where it gets interesting: this studio isn’t just about designing buildings—it’s about redefining how we think about architecture itself.
Introducing Apricot Square: a fresh approach rooted in London’s Hackney district, founded in 2025 by Juan Guilmar Baldoni, whose vision is to blend multidisciplinary creativity with thoughtful craftsmanship.
Background and Philosophy
Apricot Square didn’t emerge from a conventional architectural background alone. Its founder, Juan, originally from Argentina, spent years at Common Ground Workshop in London, working across sectors like hospitality, retail, and residential architecture. This varied experience gave him an insightful understanding of the diverse motivations and societal pressures influencing different types of projects.
But what truly shapes his approach is his rich background in fine arts and music—disciplines that teach intuition, patience, and a focus on craftsmanship over rigid formalism. These influences inspire a design philosophy that values attentiveness and judgment, allowing space for uncertainty and experimentation.
Juan established Apricot Square to channel those artistic and musical sensibilities into architecture, creating a studio environment that embraces collaboration across disciplines. The firm’s core aim isn’t just to produce built forms but to foster a culture of curiosity, shared purpose, and cultural engagement—an ethos rooted in professional rigor, but driven by genuine curiosity and collective inquiry.
Type of Work and Project Approach
Currently, Apricot Square collaborates with a select group of clients on residential projects as well as pop-up spaces and cultural initiatives, often navigating the delicate space between private and public use. The studio values working with clients who see architecture as an evolving process rather than a fixed blueprint. They prefer projects that grow through dialogue, testing, and adaptation—believing that clarity and meaning emerge from collaboration rather than pre-set plans.
For them, process is an integral part of architecture itself. Success isn’t solely determined by budget or size but by shared intent, exploratory attitudes, and mutual trust. It’s within these collaborative zones that architecture gains its unique character and richness.
Rather than defining the studio by specific project types, Apricot Square focuses on a method of working. Their designs often blur boundaries: a domestic space might take on gallery-like qualities, or commercial environments could feel unexpectedly intimate and informal. These overlaps enable projects to surpass initial expectations and evolve into something more meaningful.
The studio’s growth is driven more by relationships and conversations than by competitive bids or rigid commissions. They seek clients who resonate with this mindset—those eager to co-create and see the process as a shared artistic venture.
Retrofitting: A Vital Strategy
In a city like London, most architecture involves reworking existing structures—something Apricot Square views as an exciting challenge. Working with vintage buildings allows the studio to explore spatial richness, aesthetic depth, and sustainability. It’s about working with what already exists to produce something thoughtfully renewed.
The idea of retrofit aligns with broader trends in creative fields like music, fashion, and visual arts—where reinterpreting and reframing existing material fosters new meanings. For architecture, this is less about limitation and more about attentive transformation, emphasizing the value of context, history, and materiality.
Future Aspirations
Juan envisions a flexible, ever-evolving studio structure that can adapt by involving different creatives and specialists depending on project needs. This dynamic model reflects a larger shift towards collaborative, multidisciplinary approaches in contemporary architecture.
Though currently London-centric, Juan is eager to expand internationally. Past projects in Shanghai, though small, exemplify this vision—cultural exchanges that enrich local practices and inspire new ideas. Ultimately, Apricot Square aims to create architecture that sparks questions as much as it provides solutions—designs that deepen our engagement with space, material, and atmosphere, always responding thoughtfully to place and the realities of life today.
The Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
Starting its own practice comes with hurdles—chief among them financial concerns, especially in cities like London where project costs are rising and expectations grow. Juan credits support from his previous experience at Common Ground Workshop for easing this transition.
More broadly, the increasing complexity of regulations, planning, and costs means projects are often shrinking in scope while demands intensify. Both architects and clients need to adopt a more strategic, creative approach—working within constraints rather than against them. This shift calls for lateral thinking and a willingness to work with limitations as a source of innovation.
Looking forward, the emphasis is shifting towards building work with distinct character and authenticity—small, adaptable studios like Apricot Square are well-positioned to deliver distinctive, resonant designs in this new landscape.
Inspirations and Tech
Rather than fixating on individual projects, Juan finds inspiration in the qualities they challenge or evoke. For instance, the 'Studio for a Composer' by Mary Duggan Architects captivated him with its ambiguity and relationship to place, blurring lines between architecture and art. Similarly, the restoration of the Catford Constitutional Club by Hayatsu Architects exemplifies how new interventions can layer onto history, enhancing rather than erasing it.
Over time, older buildings and spaces continue to reveal new meanings—like Tony Fretton’s Lisson Gallery, which, through its spatial qualities and DIY aesthetic, remains remarkably fresh and relevant.
Embracing New Tools
Juan is optimistic about the role of AI in architecture. Rather than using AI to cut corners or streamline processes for efficiency’s sake, he sees it as a creative workspace—akin to a cutting mat—where ideas can be laid out, tested, and iterated freely. AI is another material—like sketching or modeling—that supports slow, attentive, and experiential making. Unlike traditional expectations of certainty in technology, Juan values AI’s capacity to introduce productive instability—encouraging architects to work thoughtfully and patiently.
Marketing and Community
Most of Apricot Square’s opportunities emerge from casual, genuine conversations rather than formal pitches. The studio thrives on spontaneous encounters at exhibitions, pop-up events, and cultural exchanges—spaces where multidisciplinary creativity naturally overlaps. Sharing work through their website, journal, and Instagram is a reflection of their open, collaborative spirit. They invite curious observers to follow their journey, making 2026 an exciting year of exploration and growth.
In summary, Apricot Square embodies a new wave of architecture that values process, collaboration, and contextual sensitivity. It challenges conventional notions of scale and typology, embracing experimentation and cultural dialogue. As the studio grows, its purpose remains clear: to craft architecture that questions, engages, and redefines our experience of space. Are you ready to question what architecture can be, too? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
