DEGW Archive – the research project
DEGW Archive – The Research Project
DEGW was founded as an architectural and space planning consultancy specialising in workplace design an became a prominent actor in shaping the field of office space planning, internationally, by enriching architectural knowledge through their research. The legacy is alive globally and is flourishing across the built environment sectors. Especially in AECOM, as Strategy Plus, the legacy practice continues to evolve
The archive of the first 25 years of DEGW’s work is held with the Special Collections. Spanning the years 1971 to 1997, the archive comprises about 800 documents: project reports, presentations and drawings, research reports and the firm’s business reports. The items in the archive were part of the ‘DEGW Knowledge Centre’, an in-house library of the firm which might have been continuously referred to during the course of the firm’s operations.
The DEGW archive is further complemented by the collections of two of the firm’s founders: Frank Duffy and Luigi Giffone. The Frank Duffy Collection is an exhaustive compilation of publications authored by him and includes monographs, edited books and articles. The Luigi Giffone Collection is eclectic and contains office brochures and newsletters, along with his sketches, project drawings and presentations.
Building on the strength of the archive, this ongoing research project aims to understand the development of DEGW’s design methods linking:
- organisations to the built environment
- research and practice
- workplace to various urban scales.
Taking a ‘living archive’ approach, further research will explore adaptations of DEGW concepts within the work of current researchers and practitioners. We are also examining the classification issues presented by these archival materials.
NEW PODCAST RELEASED
A new episode of the “Purpose of Place” podcast, hosted by Despina Katsikakis celebrates the enduring legacy of DEGW. Recorded in 2023, Professor John Worthington MBE and Dr Hiral Patel reflect on that legacy, and explore the ongoing significance of flexibility, technology, experience and intentionality.
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/ed3be2DC
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ekK5dE9j
YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eGU2G4kk
Other Platforms: https://lnkd.in/eiXN7KCu
PAST EVENTS
ESRC Festival of Social Science, October 2025 – two events (were hosted by Cardiff University under the title “Places for work we want to work in”
DEGW Lecture 10 October 2018 Part 1: Work and the Future Office Nicola Gillen, Director and Global Practice Leader, Strategy+ at AECOM
Part 2: Work and the City: Directions for Change Andrew Laing, PhD, Principal of Andrew Laing Consulting LLC, and Visiting Lecturer at Princeton University, School of Architecture
DEGW Foundation Lecture 5 October 2017 Transforming the workplace Despina Katsikakis with accompanying display at Special Collections
DEGW Symposium 5 October 2017 A living archive: Possibilities for/through the DEGW archive
An exploration through the DEGW archive 16 June 2017 Archive, memory and materiality As part of the London Festival of Architecture 2017 with events at Broadgate and Aldgate Tower
The DEGW Archive workshop 26 April 2017 with accompanying display at Special Collections
Architecture Public Lecture Series: Foundation Lecture 27 October 2016 DEGW: Five Decades and a Glimpse of the Future – Practice by Learning, Learning through Practice John Worthington MBE