Alexander & CO is a Sydney-based architectural and interior design firm specializing in commercial and residential projects, which was founded in 2013 at a local coffee shop.    

Yinjispace：In what condition do you start your own business?

Alexander&Co：I had worked in several practices for around 11 years, the last role for 4 years. Feeling quite unprepared and very naive, I decided to step out into practice by myself to see if I could run my own business. It started tentatively working from various desk share spaces and then on to our own offices as we grew, and has continued from there. It has been a very challenging and immensely important period of my life, and although very difficult I would do it all again if I had to.

Yinjispace：What else designers, architects or artists do you admire? what do you learn from them?

Alexander&Co：I am obsessed with literature and read fanatically. I love fashion, architecture, interior design, art, really every medium which is underpinned by something utopian. I love that people use the arts to try and communicate intention and energy. I love that shapes can hold memory and story. I love that object and form is the result of consciousness in some form. Oh, and I just really love modernist architecture; Le Corbusier, Kahn, Mies, Wright….

Yinjispace：What are the common characters of Australia design as you think? What are the factors for these characters?

Alexander&Co：There are tones and people who have embodied ‘Australian’ design in the past and until now, from Peter Stutchbury to Glenn Murcutt and Rick Leplastrier working with our light and landform, with stories of big skies and water. I think it is our climate, our heat, our light, which describes best our design. 

Yinjispace：How do you present the spirit of place through spacial elements? How do you deliver these spirits and emotions to your clients?

Alexander&Co：I believe that places and people have stories, stories which make them uniquely valuable. Finding these artefacts, and then telling these stories is part of finding the places’ spirit. A story is the bedrock which underpins what might be week and months of practical and technical work which follows, but without the story, without this authentic part, it is all a bit meaningless.

Yinjispace：We sincerely congratulate the 10th anniversary of your studio! What are the changes of your design idea comparing to 10 years ago?

Alexander&Co：Oh wow, nothing is the same, except maybe just my intention! We really weren’t much of a studio ten years ago, it was all a bit ad-hoc. Lots of passion but no structure. But I have always wanted the studio to play an important role for the people who worked within it. That hasn’t changed, but now we are really an organisation.

Yinjispace：In the art piece selection and color matching part, which one do you prefer:intuition and inspiration or certain rules?

Alexander&Co：I guess we make whatever rules we wish, so that only leaves intuition!

Yinjispace：What are the project that give you a deep impression? Why?

Alexander&Co：The ones that make you feel, or see differently. The ones that open up your consciousness a little. They are the only ones.