Giving away design work is not unusual in architecture. Unpaid early-stage input is often the norm, particularly when practices are competing for commercial clients. 

But for Alma-nac, the motivation has sometimes been different. From its early days setting up a market stall with a sign offering “Free architecture”, the practice has experimented with ways to make architectural thinking accessible to those who might not ordinarily seek it out.

That ethos has now been channelled into a more structured initiative. In 2021, the team based in Waterloo, south London, launched Design For All, a scheme offering pro bono design advice to small charities and community groups. The idea was to offer early-stage support to organisations that often struggle to access professional services or get a project off the ground.

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