6a architects was founded by Tom Emerson and Stephanie Macdonald in 2001. The practice is best known for its contemporary art galleries, educational buildings, artists’ studios and residential projects, often in sensitive historic environments. 

6a architects' public works emerged with the completion of two critically acclaimed public art galleries, Raven Row (2009), which won an riba Award in 2011, and the expanded South London Gallery (2010) which was followed by a collaboration with artist Gabriel Orozco on the Orozco Garden (2013) and the South London Gallery Fire Station (2018). Coastal House in Devon was awarded an riba National Award 2018 and shortlisted for House of the Year. 6a has recently completed Black Stone Building (2017), a new apartment building in North London, arts and fashion centre Blue Mountain School (2018) and the Perimeter Gallery, a warehouse conversion for storage and display of a private art collection.

Cowan Court , a 68-room hall of residence at Churchill College, University of Cambridge (2016) won an riba East Award (2017), and a new studio complex for photographer Juergen Teller (2016) was winner of several riba awards and was shortlisted for the Stirling Prize 2017. 

The new mk Gallery, Milton Keynes will open in March 2019. The practice is currently involved in major cultural projects internationally, including buildings in Melbourne, New York and Hamburg. 

6a architects has received multiple nominations for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture –  Mies Van der Rohe Award (2011, 2013 & 2015) and in 2012 was awarded the Erich Schelling Medal for Architecture. Tom Emerson was recently awarded the Conrad Ferdinand Meyer Prize 2018 for his work with eth in Zürich, only the second architect to receive the prize since its inaugural year of 1938.