JRA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Associate Director
- Director
Angela is an Associate Director spearheading the interiors department, having joined JRA in 2011. She specialises in workplace consultancy and fit-out of interiors for a range of educational and commercial occupiers. Her portfolio includes both new-build and the renovation of historic buildings and she has experience of practice in the UK and United States. Angela is adept at visually communicating brands and translating client's ideas into bespoke spaces, designed for functionality and longevity.
Angela has led on a number of high profile interior fit-out projects including the new Strand Campus for King's College London, a 30,000m 2 university campus encompassing grade II listed Bush House, four adjoining period buildings and an extensive courtyard. Other key projects include the design of YUM! Brands' UK headquarters and delivery of WeWork Spitalfields, a creative co-working space. Alongside this, Angela designs extensively for co-working companies and provides feasibility and space plan studies to a prestigious list of clients.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director
- in 2023 As an Associate Director
Anja joined JRA in 2023 as an Associate Director. She has extensive experience in the design and delivery of technically complex, large-scale and high-rise projects, leading teams through the planning, design development and construction stages and has built lasting relationships with external teams to bring projects to a successful conclusion.
David Magyar has been a Director of John Robertson Architects since 2012 and acts as the practice's Design Champion, overseeing the visual expression of the studio's work.
He is adept at visually communicating concept designs and draws in an expressive and fluid manner to illustrate competition winning entries and client proposals. He frequently works collaboratively with consultants and artists, taking a holistic approach to the design of buildings and works featured within them. He has applied these skills across residential, workplace, retail and cultural sectors both nationally and internationally over 30 years professional practice. David is responsible for overseeing a number of prominent projects at JRA including BankMed, Beirut, a new build headquarters tower for Med Properties and the refurbishment of grade II* listed Bracken House in the City of London.
Alongside his project work, David holds close ties to academia, with visiting critic and teaching roles at The Bartlett School of Architecture at UCL and the Welsh School of Architecture. Within the practice he takes responsibility for JRA's mentorship support for Part 3 architecture students, a key part of our staff development programme. He is also a committee member of the City Architecture Forum and leads JRA's annual involvement with the London Festival of Architecture.
Etain is a Director who joined JRA in 2016 and has over 25 years' international experience across sectors including office, residential; mixed use and education, as well as a track record for taking projects from inception to completion.
Prior to joining JRA, Etain worked at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and Renzo Piano Building Workshop. She can organise and execute ambitious projects, as evidenced on a number of large and complex schemes covering mixed use office developments in constrained locations. Etain has worked on projects in both a design and delivery capacity, including The News Building at London Bridge, a new build office headquarters as part of the Shard Quarter, an area redevelopment covering public realm, mixed-use and integrated transport hubs.
Etain completed the refurbishment of the Grade II listed The Northcliffe in the City of London and was responsible for oversight and management of the project on a day to day basis. She recently completed 10 Park Drive and 8 Water Street, a residential delivery project comprising of two buildings and 520 apartments. The project was carried out to BIM Level 2 and Etain was responsible for overseeing all technical elements of the design and delivery. Etain is also coordinating JRA's collaboration with UNS, as local architects, for the UCA Epsom Business School for the Creative Industries.
Etain takes an active role in the American Institute of Architects in the UK and has served on the Board for 15 years. As of May 2022, she also serves on the Board of Governors for Marymount International School on the Estates Committee. She is a member of City Architecture Forum, BCO and HEDQF.
Festus has been a Director of John Robertson Architects since 1996 and has continuously played a leading role in the direction, development and output of the practice: helping JRA become one of the most respected and trusted architecture studios in the hugely competitive Central London market.
Festus' approach to architecture begins with the emphasis that he places on maintaining consistency of the design concept from the large scale through to that of detail. This has led him to develop a rarely-matched expertise in construction techniques and consultant relations in order to repeatedly deliver buildings that answer complex and challenging architectural briefs across a range of sectors, including offices, education and residential. In particular, Festus' understanding of envelope design and energy use within buildings has enabled JRA to deliver market-leading sustainability performance in both new-build and challenging retrofit projects. Festus also oversees the work of JRA's workspace fit-out team.
Festus is an expert in sustainability and has an in-depth knowledge of the BREEAM bench marking system and represents JRA as members of the UK Green Building Council. Festus also leads JRA's contribution to Land Aid's charitable work.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Project Associate
Harshini joined JRA in 2014, with over 8 years of experience in the UK and India. Her experience spans commercial, residential, and mixed-use developments, covering both new build and retrofit. She also has a strong academic background in sustainability within the built environment and is an advocate for sustainability both inside and outside the practice.
At JRA, Harshini has worked on listed buildings and retrofit commercial schemes. She is adept at enhancing the character of existing buildings through the introduction of new materials and technologies, as well as leading on delivery of new-builds and increasing the value of the existing structures by adding well designed spaces. These skills have been employed at the Spice Building, a commercial development for Blackstone where she led the internal packages. She was also responsible for the facade and external packages for Procession House, a high-profile commercial redevelopment next to St. Paul's Cathedral for Greycoat and Goldman Sachs. During these projects, she collaborated closely with the principal contractor and subcontractors, preparing tender drawings, managing design packages in both development and delivery of the design intent.
Harshini is currently Project Associate on the shell and core fit-out of the grade II listed Building 9, at the Devonshire Square Estate. She is leading the team on the refurbishment of an ex-East India Company warehouse building for Nuveen. The project is expected to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent' rating.
Imogen is an Associate with an exceptional breadth of knowledge across sectors, having worked on residential, commercial, education and mixed use projects in both a design and delivery capacity.
Her extensive experience in the later stages of projects, including high end delivery for Burlington Gate and former Victorian pump house, Campsbourne Well, have contributed to Imogen's detailed technical knowledge, which informs her design and problem solving at the earlier stages.
Most recently, Imogen worked on the fit out for grade II listed Bush House, the central block of King's College London's new university campus and is currently part of the team carrying out the commercial retrofit at 51 Moorgate, leading on the internal packages. She is an active member of JRA's Environmental Working Group, promoting sustainability inside and outside of the practice.
Irek joined John Robertson Architects in 2004 after gaining considerable experience in his native Poland. He is a Project Director with an extensive knowledge of external envelopes of buildings, cladding and technical detailing. This has been applied across residential, largescale commercial and mixed use projects as well as developing JRA CAD standards.
Irek has a demonstrable track record in the delivery of complex, high-end projects on behalf of architects including Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. These projects include his role as Technical Co-ordinator of the compliance team for The Leadenhall Building and Project Director at Burlington Gate, a new-build residential building with retail and art galleries in the heart of Mayfair. Irek is currently engaged at Farringdon West, working on the designs of the Crossrail Oversite Development for developer HB Reavis. The scheme will comprise retail and office space across 12,000m 2.
James is an experienced IT Manager, he has created IT strategies for clients ranging from 10 to 9000+ users and has particular expertise in planning, implementation, and delivery of IT projects.
James is responsible for the implementation of technology infrastructures within the organisation, providing technical support and developing systems specifically for JRA, allowing the London and Polish offices to collaborate seamlessly using BIM.
Kamel is a Project Director with an excellent understanding of building construction, working closely with other consultants to ensure client requirements, design intentions and budgetary constraints are met. He leads teams on developments across the residential and commercial sectors at all design stages from inception to completion.
Kamel's expertise lies in technical design development, producing award winning refurbishments including 199 Bishopsgate and 39 Victoria Street, for British Land; both exemplar BCO compliant office buildings with exacting environmental standards. Kamel is currently leading the team on the delivery of 10 Park Drive, a largescale residential project comprising two towers of 43 and 13 storeys designed by Stanton Williams and executed using BIM. The project will form part of the Wood Wharf masterplan for client Canary Wharf.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director
- Associate Director in Charge of Bermondsey Yards
Kerri is an Associate Director at John Robertson Architects. Since joining the practice in 2001 she has led on brief, design development and client liaison across sectors. She has particular expertise in workplace refurbishment, with over 20 years' experience in reuse, transforming tired buildings into leading contemporary spaces. Her portfolio includes the flagship headquarters for Saipem and One Southampton Street, an environmentally outstanding refurbishment of a neo-classical building for Aviva Investors. She also led the team on client monitoring for Blackstone at Devonshire Square and the new TJX Headquarters.
Her project work is backed up by her extensive knowledge of architectural legal and technical requirements. She is leading JRA's research on fire reform and also participates in the practice's Quality Management Systems and Construction Design and Management.
Kerri is currently Associate Director in charge of Bermondsey Yards, a mixed use development comprising new build offices, retail and public realm, and the conversion of an 18 th century warehouse, adjacent to London Bridge station.
Kuros is a Project Director with over 20 years' experience leading office, residential, hospitality and transportation schemes for clients in the public and private sector. He brings a wealth of design, project management and technical delivery experience to the practice and is a member of the senior design and technical leadership teams.
Leonardo has been working as an architect with JRA since 2015.
Since then he has worked on a wide range of London based projects. He was Project Architect on several key project, including the regeneration of office buildings and the public realm at Devonshire Square with Blackstone and the repositioning of Procession House with Greycoat. He worked on Bloom/ Farringdon West with HBReavis and most recently he has been leading the regeneration of Johnson Gardens with Arax.
He is currently responsible among the others for the redevelopment and refurbishment of Tavistock House in London and Foundry in Birmingham.
Prior to JRA, Leonardo worked in a number of design led practices across different sectors and ran his own firm. He has worked on several major project, include the Stirling Prize-shortlisted Angel Building, 1 Oxford Street and the 2012 Olympic Village master plan.
Alongside his work as an architect, Leonardo founded and directed Open House Roma - the largest architectural showcase in Rome.
In 2021, he was promoted to the position of Project Director at JRA.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director
- Director
Mark is an Associate Director who joined JRA in 2012. He has 30 years' experience on new-build and refurbishment projects across residential, commercial, retail and education sectors. He is an expert in Client Monitoring (CMT), a role in which he uses his extensive knowledge and project experience to ensure that the technical requirements on projects are contract compliant in terms of design and throughout construction.
He has been responsible for leading the JRA teams overseeing many highly complex residential, commercial, retail and leisure developments on behalf of prominent developers. Major projects Mark has completed include his role in Technical Compliance for British Land at the Clarges Estate. The project is situated in Mayfair and incorporates high-end residential apartments, a commercial building, The Kennel Club offices and affordable housing. He also led on monitoring at 100 Liverpool Street, a 69,000m 2 mixed use development with public realm designed by Hopkins Architects.
Mark is currently overseeing a broad portfolio of CMT projects in central London for leading clients, including 1 Broadgate, Broadgate Exchange Square, 1 Triton Square, Northcliffe House, 65 Davies Street and 19-35 Baker Street.
Mateusz joined JRA in January 2007 after gaining international experience in practices in Poland, Russia, Spain and Argentina. Mat has worked independently on diverse stages of residential and commercial projects and leads the way in use of BIM technology.
Since 2013 Mat has been leading a branch office in Lodz, Poland. With his team, he works with colleagues in London on preparation of BIM models and technical production drawings for the firm's office and residential delivery projects in London.
Michael has over 10 years' experience in architecture on a variety of projects both in the UK and abroad, ranging from private high-end residential developments to affordable housing, place making, and cultural schemes. Michael has developed his knowledge and expertise in architecture with a focus on sustainability to help deliver schemes in a climate conscious manner. Prior to joining JRA, his work involved defining company visions, sustainability strategies and KPIs, producing ESGs, providing building material and system audits, and Circular Economy initiatives.
Since joining JRA, Michael has been involved in reviewing and advising on sustainability strategies for Bermondsey Yards, Weybridge Health Campus and Tavistock Square. He is also responsible for the ongoing expansion of JRA's sustainability offering by developing the practice's overall strategy. Michael completed the first course of its kind for Circular Economy and Sustainability Strategies at the University of Cambridge and is an active member of the Architects' Climate Action Network Circular Economy group.
Nathalie Bergvall is a Director with over 20 years' experience leading teams on master planning, educational, residential, mixed use, cultural and high-end retail projects. She is adept in the development of new-build, large-scale conversions and exclusive fit-out projects, translating client's ideas into functional and beautiful developments using her expertise in design and strategy. She has worked closely with a wide range of well-known clients including London Developers, cultural institutions, universities, and high-end department stores and retail environments in London and globally.
Major developments where Nathalie has illustrated her expertise at JRA include leading the interior design and space planning of Aldwych Quarter to convert a large complex of 1920s office buildings into a single educational campus for Kings College London. She currently oversees design across the practice's projects, as well as bids and competitions. Natalie is currently working on several large ‘Adaptive reuse' projects in Mayfair and the City of London.
Rossella joined JRA in 2019 with over ten years post qualification experience. She has worked across residential and commercial projects through all design stages in London and the Southeast. She is keenly aware of the cultural and social context of projects and carries this design sensitivity through developments at all scales.
At JRA, Rossella was part of the team at Bloom, Clerkenwell, a new wellbeing-focused office building above the Farringdon Crossrail station. She also worked on the CAT A refurbishment at 30 Golden Square, a large-scale office refurbishment and extension. Her experience on these projects, among others, has developed her in-depth understanding of office design, space planning and client and employee requirements for the future of the workplace.
Rossella is currently leading the project for the new Skanska UK headquarters in Watford. JRA is responsible for the interior design of the scheme, incorporating a wellbeing focus and the distinctive Skanska brand and design language. Her interior design skills have been honed through previous projects including developing the initial interior concepts for Northcliffe House, a large office refurbishment at a former newspaper headquarters in the City of London and delivering the refurbishment of the office space of an international legal firm in Weybridge. She has been part of the JRA team developing feasibility studies for a range of office buildings, most notably designing co-working space in a grade II* listed former courthouse.
Shigenobu joined John Robertson Architects in 2010. He is a skilled designer with experience working with buildings and interiors in sensitive locations. He is regularly involved in architectural design competitions and leads on the production of concept designs on behalf of the practice.
His expertise spans office, high density residential and infrastructure projects in complex urban environments. Most recently he has used these skills at the prominent Crossrail Oversite Development, 101 Moorgate and the new headquarters for BankMed in Beirut, Lebanon.
Shigenobu is currently working on the extension and refurbishment of two central London residential schemes, Coniston Court and 25 Porchester Place. The works are being carried out on behalf of the Church Commissioners.
Job Titles:
- Finance Director
- HR Director
Smita joined JRA in 2006, and is a member of the board as Finance & HR Director and a Chartered Accountant with membership to ACCA. She is DipArch, RIBA Part II qualified from The Bartlett and has worked in industry within both Architectural design and practice management.
As HR Director, Smita drives our recruitment campaign as well as analysing staff levels and resourcing for individual projects. She is responsible for training, maintaining staff records and ensuring that JRA is compliant with current employment legislation.
Tien joined JRA as an Associate in February 2016. Prior to this he gained more than eight years experience across healthcare, residential, commercial and mixed-use schemes including retail and stadiums.
Tien's portfolio includes No. 1 New Ludgate, a large mixed use project in the City of London, the Fetal Medicine Research Institute King's College Hospital and sports stadium developments, including the London 2012 Olympics Copper Box Arena and Wimbledon Centre Court.
Tien is currently working on the refurbishment of Bracken House, a grade II* listed building in the City of London where JRA is using BIM extensively.