Having spent over 10 years working at a large practice which specialises in Healthcare, Education and Research buildings i found a way to fly the nest and set up my own practice. The ten years at Anshen Allen had taught me so many things about the industry and, in many ways, a less romantic side than the one I envisioned while at university. The role of the architect is changing, the pressure of changes in the whole building industry are making the role of being an architect very difficult. Sadly it seems that few people really believe that great design can enhance our lives. Healthcare buildings at times seem daunting to design. I think its interesting that most of the best know architects have never designed a full hospital. I have a great passion for buildings which exist to make peoples lives better. Designing healthcare buildings seem at times a bit of a thankless job, but one which i found drove me to want to make something better, and get me out of bed early and to bed late. Working on what i believe to be the most complicated of building types is fantastic. Its also a great way to learn about how you as an architect can adapt and evolve your skills. Our NHS is one of the great institutions the world has ever seen, its future is unsure and probably private, but what i do know is that well designed hospitals are better for patients and staff. They are buildings which should be thought provoking but ultimately understand what they are meant to do, and do it well, at not just a design level but a scientific one too.In 10 years i worked on 7 large hospital projects, on 3 continents and i really think we came up with some fantastic architecture. Its not the shape playing stuff which seems to litter the pages of the magazines but i would much prefer to design buildings which made someones worst day a little better than to spend my career playing with shapes for architects.In 2006 i started designing in the education field, on the Westminster BSF. I was project architect for both Westminster City School as well as the Grey Coat Hospital School. These projects opened my eyes- this time to understand the politics involved in 2 quite different schools right in the centre of London and what the school itself means to its community. What was quite sad about these 2 projects is that although geographically they we close, in many ways they were a million miles apart. It became obvious that poor performing schools have such an uphill struggle not just to achieve better results but that groups of people will actually prefer not to see them exist at all and even vocally obstruct any effort to better their situation, not caring about the children who attend these places of learning.We delivered both these schools. My greatest memory was at Westminster City School, which to many was a poor performing school with no future. After hearing their results had increased dramatically the year after it opened due in part to some simple things that we achieved was immensely satisfying. They renamed their Design and Technology classroom ‘Weatherhead’, which i will always think is pretty cool.With dwindling cuts in the NHS, a change of government rethinking the value of education buildings and a little matter of a recession i decided that although these building types are a passion of mine, i really wanted to work on some other building types , the success of which were a bit less fragile.

0 buildings

No posting