Mat Barnes is director of CAN – and architecture and art studio which designs characterful buildings, places, objects and spaces that subvert and amplify their social and cultural contexts and respond to their physical bounds. CAN create idiosyncratic and striking projects, underwritten by cultural and historical research, and believe that architecture can and should make the city a more joyful, inclusive and exciting place to live and work.Prior to founding CAN, Mat was an Associate at Studio 54 Architecture where he was responsible for the award-winning Peabody infill housing projects delivered through the Small Projects Panel. He also delivered the complex Arlington Road housing scheme in Camden. He is a former member of STORE, a teaching and arts collective and has delivered lectures on CAN's work across Europe. He has been a guest critic at a number of universities including UCL and Westminster. He consolidated his various creative practices to form CAN in 2016.