Konishi Gaffney architects is led by Kieran Gaffney a Scottish architect and Makiko Konishi a Japanese designer.

Makiko met Kieran while they were working for Thomas Heatherwick in London. Kieran spent six years at Heatherwick studio helping to develop that practice out of a live-work space, to be an internationally acclaimed practice with more than 30 staff.

Since graduating from Strathclyde University [1992] with the school design prize, Kieran has worked in Zimbabwe, Germany, London and Japan. His studies were completed at the Bartlett, University College London in 1998.

Makiko comes from Tokyo. An English literature graduate [1990], she left her business career in Japan in 1996 to follow her ambition to be a designer and maker. She spent 6 months working on the V&A exhibition Brand.New in 2000 and after gaining a BA in design from Brighton University [2001], continued work as designer and assistant at Heatherwick studio. 

Makiko and Kieran left London for rural Japan in 2004, before moving to Scotland in 2007.

Kieran has taught Diploma and MA architecture students at Strathclyde University in 2008 & 2009 and they have both been invited critics at Edinburgh College of Art since 2009. Kieran has given talks on their work at Edinburgh University, the EAA and Pecha Kucha events.