From building a new community centre in an area of urban deprivation to the conservation of a neglected 18th Century castle and landscape – Stephen is a multi-faceted architect who combines design flair with strong technical ability. He is now developing his new role as Technical Manager for the practice and is an integral part of the technical panel that is presently creating a practice wide skills database of specialist expertise.
Before joining the practice, Stephen spent two decades working in Scotland on a broad range of building conservation projects new build design and construction including housing, offices, retail development, sports and community regeneration projects. Seeking a change in direction, he studied for an MA in Conservation.
As project architect in charge of a major project at Wentworth Castle in Yorkshire, Stephen virtually lived on site for over two years, co-ordinating and overseeing the repair and conservation of this neglected castle and its surrounding landscape. This typically intense level of involvement on Stephen’s part enabled the project to be delivered on time and on budget. As a natural team player, he enjoys the contact with clients, other consultants and contractors. Stephen particularly looks forward to the challenge of designing new build within the historic environment. His freehand architectural drawings have been exhibited at both the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh and the Royal Academy, London, winning awards at both.
‘One of the most rewarding parts of the job is to involve the end-users in the process from the earliest stages and really to get to understand their needs.’