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Block House (3 & 4)
The ceramic block units that comprise the facade of this house, currently under construction, were inspired by Anni Albers’s typewriter drawings. The firm is working with ceramists in Jingdezhen, China, to develop custom cast elements that create a dynamic and textured patchwork effect that plays with light and shadow. Photo & image © Current Interests

Though Henry and Au taught at SCI-Arc at the same time, their complementary sensibilities first became apparent while the two were serving as guest reviewers at the University of Michigan in 2018. “Our similar backgrounds gave us a vocabulary to talk about architecture in an expanded way, from more squarely disciplinary to the cultural and political spheres,” explains Henry. “After two days of talking alongside one another, we thought we should do something together.” Two months later, Current Interests was born.

The firm’s methodology centers on physical model-making at 1:8 scale, which allows the duo to use (when possible) the same materials as those intended for construction. “We aim for the smallest version of what you can build without actually making the full thing,” says Au. The bulk of their portfolio is residential work in Los Angeles, where they’ve found a clientele—often artists or adjacent to the art world—who appreciate this craft-centered sensibility.

Also, says Henry, their hands-on approach enables more productive conversations with those who help realize their vision. “It’s not just about us and the client,” she says, “It’s a collaboration with the fabricators and craftspeople—there’s a broader socioeconomic and cultural politics around material itself.”

For Terracotta House, they partnered with one of America’s few remaining manufacturers of structural terra-cotta to develop a custom rainscreen comprising modules made by wire-cutting hollow blocks lengthwise after extrusion. The resulting deep green crenellated clay tiles, mounted on aluminum frames, create a distinctive facade that artfully elevates a simple building material.

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Terracotta House (5 & 6)
For this residential project, the firm worked with an Ohio-based terra-cotta manufacturer to develop a new method of tile fabrication by splitting a standard three-chamber hollow block. The resulting clay tiles were coated in a deep green masonry pigment and then fixed to the house’s lapped aluminum frame. Photo © Franco Zuleta (5), Current Interests (6)

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Print Ready Drawings
Designed for an exhibition at the MAK Center’s Schindler House in West Hollywood, these custom wood vitrines displayed archival materials that explored architectural print media in the mid-20th century. The pigmented Danish wood-oil finishes used in this small-scale endeavor were later implemented in other projects of the firm. Photo © Joshua Schaedel

Now, Henry and Au hope to engage broader audiences with their work. Their first public-facing commission is to design the plaza for Sister Dreamer, an ambitious 10,000-square-foot sculpture park, in South Central Los Angeles, by the artist Lauren Halsey. Comprising a park with native plants and fruit trees, the landscape project will frame large-scale works by the artist. They’ve also undertaken two rebuilds in Altadena following this winter’s destructive wildfires. Au and Henry are exploring the use of fire-resistant terra-cotta to quickly rebuild here and in other high-risk areas. “We’re thinking about how our material interests can dovetail with sensitive and sensible responses,” says Au.

With their eyes set on this next chapter, the pair isn’t focused on growth. Instead, Henry and Au hope to maintain their small studio and continue fostering relationships with makers and clients. Says Henry, “It’s not so much about becoming a large office but a very strong one—with a strong community.”

Matthew Au and Mira Henry. Photo © Franco Zuleta

FOUNDED: 2018

DESIGN STAFF: 5

PRINCIPALS: Matthew Au, Mira Henry

EDUCATION:
Au: Southern California Institute of Architecture, M.Arch., 2011; University of California, San Diego, BA in studio art & art history, 2003
Henry: University of California, Los Angeles, M.Arch., 2010; University of Chicago, BA in art history, 2000

WORK HISTORY:
Au: Zago Bouwman Architecture, 2011–15; Michael Maltzan Architecture, 2010–11; Fritz Haeg Studio, 2006–07
Henry: Talbot McLanahan Architecture, 2013–16; Mónica Ponce de León Studio, 2011–13; Office dA, 2010–11

KEY COMPLETED PROJECTS:
Rough House, 2025; Dub Platforms, 2025; Terracotta House, 2024; Print Ready Drawings, 2023; Hedge Curtain, 2022; Two Tone House, 2020 (all in Los Angeles)

KEY CURRENT PROJECTS:
Sister Dreamer; Block House; Hillside Studio (all in Los Angeles)

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