121 Collective is a London-based design practice fusing architecture, craft, and community engagement. We embrace a hands-on approach to design and making, transcending traditional architectural boundaries.
Our foundation lies in a shared passion for cultural exchange and exploration, and a deep appreciation for craft, community, and shaping futures through hands-on experiences. This led us to focus on "1:1 builds" – the design and construction of real-world objects – emphasizing collaborative thinking, mutual learning, and the joy of creation.
We believe in a deeply collaborative approach, working with a diverse range of clients, consultants, and organisations. This includes public bodies such as the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, cultural institutions like the London Design Museum and Young V&A, as well as organisations like South Western Railway, ITV, and various community and biodiversity groups such as Citizen Zoo.
We strive to create projects that empower our clients and users, designing with a focus on people’s access to nature, light, and sensory experiences. Healthy architecture and design, at all scales, is central to our philosophy. Our design process is material-driven, emphasizing making and prototyping. We actively engage end users throughout all stages, blending our design skills with our construction knowledge.
Our Headquarters
We’re based at the Farm of Futures, a community space on Tolworth Main Allotments where we design, build, grow, and collaborate. Set in a repurposed allotment building, the Farm has been shaped using mostly reclaimed materials and supports upcycling, craft-led activities, and hands-on workshops for the local community.
It’s also the heart of our ongoing partnership with The Community Brain, a creative organisation helping communities imagine and shape the future of where they live. Together, we’ve delivered everything from public art and installations to community furniture and playful wayfinding—projects that turn overlooked spaces into places full of pride, participation, and creativity.
Meet the Team
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Madoka Ellis
FOUNDER/DIRECTOR
Madoka is a founding director of 121 Collective. He enjoys exploring material-driven processes influenced by different cultures and traditions through design, craft, and social activities. In between his architectural studies, Madoka worked as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant at Grimshaw Architects where he was part of a range of projects including the London Bridge Station.
Since founding 121 Collective in 2018, Madoka has led a range of design and build projects that have further developed his interests in making and fabrication, ranging from community-led landscape interventions to the designing and fabrication of well crafted public furniture.
Madoka is a 1st year lecturer on the BA Interior and Spatial Design course at UAL, a course that explores climate, social, and racial justice in relation to the discipline.
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Salah Krichen
FOUNDER/DIRECTOR
Salah is a founding director of 121 Collective, a practice established in 2018 specialising in participatory design and the integration of social culture within the built environment. His work focuses on community-led projects, leading design, engagement, and delivery across diverse scales.
Notable projects include The Gateway to New Malden (LFA competition winning proposal), the ongoing rewilding of Tolworth Court Farm Fields (with Citizen Zoo, The Community Brain, and the Royal Borough of Kingston), community-designed public art and street furniture for South Western Railway, and annual installations at the RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival (in collaboration with The Community Brain).
Alongside practice, Salah Co-tutors MArch design unit 5 at Kingston School of Art, Kingston University London led by Takeshi Hayatsu (Hayatsu Architects) emphasising community-led design and participation through a hands-on approach to architectural education.
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Pablo Feito Boirac
FOUNDER/DIRECTOR
Pablo Feito Boirac is a founding director of 121 Collective. His work explores the relationship between making, materials, and environmental responsibility, often drawing on his Spanish and French heritage. He is particularly interested in upcycling as a design approach to address waste and climate change, and in fostering connections to nature through hands-on engagement.
Since co-founding 121 Collective in 2018, Pablo has been essential in establishing the practice’s headquarters, the Farm of Futures, in collaboration with The Community Brain. He has led large-scale architectural projects across Europe and is currently renovating a historic building in the countryside of Madrid, focusing on natural materials, retrofit and reuse, and blending traditional and contemporary crafts.
Pablo continues to expand his skills in making and fabrication, often experimenting with new material processes, tending his garden, and finding creative ways to connect people with the natural environment. -
Francesca Merton
DESIGN, RESEARCH & COMMUNITY LEAD
Francesca joined 121 Collective in August 2020 as Design and Engagement Lead, bringing a background in structural engineering and architecture. Following accelerated Part 1 studies at Kingston University and Part 2 at the London School of Architecture, she practiced as a Part 2 Architectural Designer at AOC before joining 121.
At the Collective, Francesca leads community engagement, design, research, and project management, focusing on regenerative materials and a human-centric approach to the built environment. This approach has been influentian towards the collective’s research into refugee housing and what makes a home. Her interests span London’s food culture, Grayson Perry, Barry Dierks, photography, printmaking, and life drawing.
Concurrent with practice, Francesca lectures on the BA Interior and Spatial Design course at UAL, fostering the development of ethical and socially engaged practice among students.
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Mark Fox
RESIDENTIAL & CONSTRUCTION LEAD
Mark has 40 years of previous experience in construction. He has held many positions in the industry, and consequently has a large catalogue of previous projects to his name. These include schemes of large scale social housing, office and retail.
Mark has spent the last 20 years designing domestic refurbishments, extensions and new build housing schemes. Mark recently went on to qualify in architecture in order to further his research into design, sustainability, building lifespans, renewable energy and embodied carbon.
Mark Fox originally began collaborating with 121 Collective in 2018 before fusing with the practice in 2021 leading the practice’s residential and project management services.
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Reuben Truman
DESIGNER, MAKER & RESEARCHER
Reuben is a designer whose work moves between architecture, craft, and community. His practice combines hands-on making, from live builds to detailed models, with research into circular economy practices, exploring how industrial waste and natural materials can find new life through built interventions.
Since joining 121 Collective in 2023, Reuben has contributed to a range of public realm and community-led projects, adapting and reimagining underused public spaces in close collaboration with local stakeholders and partners. His work draws on a breadth of experience in material research, fabrication, and the management of blue and green infrastructure, with a focus on creating sustainable and socially responsive design solutions.
Alongside his project work, Reuben continues to expand his research into craft and reuse, seeking ways to connect communities with the making process and to challenge traditional boundaries between design, construction, and environmental stewardship.
Our trusted Clients & Collaborators:
121 Collective would not be what it is today without our wider 121 family. A special shout out and thank you to:
Ana Rose Layosa Delmo
The Community Brain CIC
Josie Brogan
William Himpe
Yasir Ibrahim
Arjun Singh
Benrico Stripe
Stefan Necula
Himali Patil
Georgia Neesham
Pamela Lawson
Farah Anwar
Testimonials
“I have been deeply impressed by 121 Collective’s unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality work. They are exceptional problem-solvers, always approach challenges with a positive attitude, and have an engaging and approachable demeanour that makes them a pleasure to work with.”
— Elliot Newton, Biodiversity Officer at Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
“The team at 121 were extremely engaging throughout the process of our residential renovation, they not only helped us reimagine our home and create a holistic vision for our property, but they were extremely friendly and helpful throughout the whole process from start to delivery.”
— Benjamin Oakford, private residential client
“121 Collective is one of our highly promising start-ups, and have shown great commitment to developing and growing their business. They were recently finalists at our £10k Enterprise Circle pitch event where they left a very positive impression on the judges. I am confident that 121 have the skill and ambition to become successful, striving to create a positive social and environmental impact through their business.”