From studying architecture together to directing feature films, winning a BAFTA with the BBC, earning Emmy Awards for our work on Sphere, and collaborating with some of the world’s leading architects.

Factory Fifteen was founded in 2011 by Kibwe Tavares, Jonathan Gales, and Paul Nicholls. Our name was inspired by the class we attended at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL—*Unit 15*—led by renowned educator and thinker Nick Clear alongside architectural photographer Simon Kennedy.

The provocative, political and technologically driven films we created during our studies challenged conventions within architectural representation and received widespread recognition, including the RIBA Silver Medal, multiple CG Awards, and selections at international festivals such as Sundance and the Vimeo Awards Festival.

After graduating, we established our first studio in an artist residency in Brixton. The bold and disruptive work we produced developed a distinctive voice that quickly attracted the attention of architects, advertising agencies, and film producers. Those early collaborations laid the foundations for the three pillars of work that define Factory Fifteen today.

Over the years, we have opened an arts and events gallery, founded a co-working space, organised large-scale exhibitions and music events, delivered workshops and educational programmes, and, above all, tried to have as much fun as possible with the friends, collaborators, and clients we are fortunate to work alongside.

In November 2022, our co-founder Jonathan Gales was tragically killed by a drunk driver in Los Angeles. Jonathan was not only a brilliant creative partner but a dear friend. His absence is deeply felt as we continue into the next chapter of the studio, yet his influence remains woven into our culture, our work, and the values that guide us every day.

Then, in what felt like a fitting twist of fate, fifteen years after our respective beginnings, we joined forces with our friends at Revenant. The merger brought together two studios with complementary histories, shared ambitions, and a combined thirty years of creative innovation. Alongside this new chapter, we welcomed Kev McCrae as Executive Creative Director—the first named director to join the collective since its founding.

Together, we look forward to building on everything that has come before and exploring everything that comes next.

Here’s to the next fifteen years.