The global recession caught many by surprise, as it did these two young architects who had practically just set up a practice of their own, forcing them to rechannel the experience they had acquired with Chipperfield and explore less trodden paths: mostly temporary structures that nevertheless gave Kevin Carmody (Canberra, 1974) and Andy Groarke (Manchester, 1971) the opportunity to consider users’ perceptions or how materials weather the passage of time. Now firmly established, the London-based duo has expanded its register of scales without sacrificing the subtlety of small works, as we can see in the five cultural buildings that Arquitectura Viva presents here.