DESIGN MIDLANDS - Key Persons
Alan is a civil engineer who has worked in the water industry for over 35 years covering drainage design, flood risk and treatment, specialising in sustainable drainage for over 20 years. He is Head of Engineering and Flood Risk at Hydro-Logic Services where he runs the hydrology, hydraulic modelling, flood risk and engineering design teams. A member of British water SuDS Focus Group from 2005-2012, he also assisted DEFRA on the 2011 National SuDS Standards and CIRIA on the 2015 SuDS Manual.
Alison has extensive experience working on all elements of project delivery, from master planning to construction in both private and public sectors; providing technical advice to local authorities, developers, designers, planners and others involved in the planning and design of the built environment with respect to flood risk and drainage matters, at strategic, regional and local scales.
She has proficiency in flood risk and surface water management, drainage design, sustainable drainage, green infrastructure, master planning, integrated water management, resiliency studies, flood risk assessments and flood modelling projects. Alison has undertaken lead roles at all stages of development from concept to delivery.
Alison is an award-winning architect, educator and creative practitioner with over 25 years' post-qualification experience. A former CABE Enabler, her experience is in community and voluntary sector projects, with a particular specialism in arts and play.
Amy is an urban designer and masterplanner at Homes England, where she heads the Design and Master Development team which is a small team working across England, focused on improving design quality of Homes England's projects and acting as client support to the regional teams who manage the projects. Her particular interests range from strategic urban design at a settlement scale, to detailed street design, but are all about better placemaking for happier, healthier places. Amy also sits on the Cambridge Quality Panel. She is by background an archaeologist and historic conservation specialist before moving into the world of urban design and masterplanning.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of the Birmingham Architectural Association
Amy Francis-Smith is the Vice President of the Birmingham Architectural Association, an Architectural Designer for Pinnegar Hayward Design and a passionate advocate for Inclusive Design. With her work and research focused on providing decent housing and accommodations across the Built Environment for people with disabilities.
Named as a Design Council Specialist, she has also been shortlisted from 64,000 for the National Diversity Award Positive Disability Role Model, featured in the Architects' Journal, on the Shaw Trust's Power 100 list alongside the UK's top most influential Disabled people in the UK and as a UK Construction Week Role Model.
Campaigning for legislative change, she gives talks/lectures to educate students and professionals of their social responsibility, advises on accessible environments, sits on Habinteg's advisory board (an accessible housing association), lobbies the government to improve the Part M Building Regulations and has had numerous articles published.
Job Titles:
- Engineer and Transport Planner
Andrew Saffrey is a highways engineer and transport planner who has experience across both public and private sectors, from long-term strategic plans right down to detailed design. He has always deployed his technical expertise to the objective of serving the end user, and not simply minded achieving arbitrary outcomes set by standards. Andrew has eight years' experience in consultancy and eight years in local government. His probably most significant project is the Mollison Way street improvement scheme in Harrow, which was shortlisted alongside Exhibition Road in the 2012 National Transport Awards. Andrew also undertook initial concept designs for the successful Mini-Holland bid in Waltham Forest. He also contributed to the DfT's Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan technical process guidance and the Leicester City Council Street Design Guide. Andrew is currently employed by Waterman Aspen, but has previously worked for PJA, John Potter Architect, Fairhurst & Partners, and Waltham Forest, Harrow and Sunderland councils.
Andy is an award-winning architect and a founding director at Thread Architects working on array of residential, commercial, education and community projects at different scales.
Angus Walker manages Design Midlands' finances and provides support for funding and grant applications. Angus is a qualified accountant with a background in housing, training, education, youth work, health, criminal justice, the arts and the community.
An urban designer and transport planner with a background in architecture with 18 years' of practical experience specialising in the delivery of design-led projects both within the public and private sector. READ MORE
Having spent numerous years as an architect, Carl founded his own practice Holloway Foo architects in 2003 and has been a design review member since 2009.
He has considerable experience in designing and managing sensitive projects and over numerous years his practice has gone on to be recognised for their work.
Carl's personal expertise in low energy design solutions has seen him offering his support to both Birmingham and Oxford Brookes schools of architecture and has sat on the RIBA regional awards judging panel on more than one occasion.
Charles is an award-winning landscape architect and masterplanner with 25 years' experience leading design and environmental work on projects at all scales. As a Director of LDA Design, he leads multi-disciplinary teams working on major infrastructure projects such as HS2 and Swansea Tidal Lagoon, as well as new settlements, urban extensions, regeneration schemes and individual bespoke houses in the countryside.
Charles qualified as a Landscape Architect in 1984 and has been working in private practice since then.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Architect
- Risk Engineer
Chris is a chartered architect with 30 years' experience, including a year in practice in Australia. A Director of Lathams (architecture and urban design),he runs the Derby office, where he is responsible for a team of architects and design professionals, delivering a wide range of development, conservation and regeneration projects large and small, across the region.
He is currently leading on a variety of housing, leisure and creative re-use projects in the midlands and the south east.
Chris chairs the Design Review Panel for the East Midlands (OPUN), providing advice and guidance and promoting best practice and exemplary design throughout the region. He is also a member of Nottingham's Design Review Panel and an architect assessor for the Civic Trust.
Chris is a flood risk engineer specialising in sustainable drainage, Lead Local Flood Authority planning application reviews and hydraulic modelling.
Clive is a geographer/planner/regeneration practitioner, with 40 years of experience in the in the public and private sectors. I now work through Clive Keble Consulting based in Derby, specialising in Neighbourhood Planning, landscape related regeneration and general planning advice, working across the East and West Midlands. I am currently working on a suite of Neighbourhood Plans, acting as a professional planning advisor to several Parish/Town Councils and I am undertaking a site-based landscape assessment for potential development sites in North Nottinghamshire.
Dan is a chartered town planner with over 25 years' experience in local government, working in planning policy and development management, but primarily in building conservation and urban design. During this time, he was also a part time senior lecture in the School of the Built Environment at Birmingham City University, and has been a visiting teacher at the University of Birmingham for 25 years. He now works for Homes England as a senior specialist in the Planning, Enabling & Development team. He is involved, principally, in the agency's design quality assessment and master planning work.
Job Titles:
- Architect With over 25years
Darren is an architect with over 25years' experience in private practice and across a diverse range of building sectors, with particular strengths in urban regeneration projects, site assessments, options appraisals, concept design and visualisation. As well as his architectural skills, Darren is something of a local historian and is a published author having researched and written on the Nottinghamshire architect Watson Fothergill
As a creative architect David has a passion for good sustainable designs exploiting space and light.
Dharmista manages Design:Midlands' Design Review Panel specialising in the promotion and recognition of design quality, providing timely design and engagement interventions across a range of projects. Dharmista is a Chartered Town Planner (MRTPI) with experience in development management, conservation, regeneration and urban design.
Doug is passionate about sustainable construction. A chartered environmentalist, physicist and engineer, he brings robust science and environmental sensitivity to projects. For over 30 years he has contributed to award winning projects, heritage and new build, across the world. He has held visiting/guest professorships in sustainable design in China, Russia and the Middle East in addition to the UK. Doug has been involved in Design Review for over fifteen years.
Ramona is a self-employed built heritage specialist with over 15 years' experience in the public, private, charitable and higher education sectors. Her expertise includes analysing the significance of listed buildings and conservation areas, and assessing the setting of heritage assets. Her work routinely involves the production of heritage statements, Environmental Impact Assessments, building recording and the provision of design advice. Ramona recently joined the Institute of Historic Building Conservation as their Professional Development Officer.
Stefan is an urban designer and co-author of Building for Life 12 - the government endorsed design tool for creating better designed residential developments. Stefan completed the first doctoral thesis in Building for Life 12. The majority of his work is focused on advising local authorities and developers on how to improve the design quality of new development. Stefan runs his own company called Urban Design Doctor.
Dryden qualified as an Architect in 1997 and worked in this discipline predominantly in the residential, industrial and education sectors in private practice in Macclesfield, Liverpool and Stoke on Trent. In 2007 he gained a PG Dip in Urban Design and led this discipline at Hulme Upright Manning. He was lead designer for several community led estate renewal masterplans and mixed-use urban renewal and public realm proposals, notably for Keele University and Hanley city centre. Since 2011 Dryden has worked in an architectural and urban design advisor role for Local Authorities in Gloucestershire and Staffordshire on a very wide range of development typologies including many Paragraph 80 dwellings, but with a particular focus on strategic planning, residential masterplans, and urban extensions. Since 2017 he has been a member of the Project Delivery Team for Stafford Borough's Garden Town programme at Meecebrook, several Future High Street funded regeneration projects and more recently on the preparatory work for the future delivery of Design Coding. Always a passionate advocate for design excellence, since 2005 Dryden was a panel member of the Urban Vision North Staffordshire, Gloucestershire and MADE Design Review Panels.
Emily is a Transport Planner and Urban Designer at SYSTRA where she leads a team who work at all scales to plan and design transport and streets to enhance places.
Before joining SYSTRA she worked in local government as an Engineer, Transport Planner and Urban Designer working at local and regional scales on transport strategy development, master-planning, transport capital programme development and delivery.
Emily is passionate about the positive role well designed transport infrastructure and streets can play in shaping liveable economically successful places. She applies a ‘place' and ‘people' led approach to transport planning and design; frequently working collaboratively with stakeholders and local communities to do this.
Job Titles:
- Architect
- Unit Head at the University of Nottingham
Farida Makki is an architect urban designer educator and creative practitioner. Farida is a studio unit head at the University of Nottingham. Farida was an external examiner at Oxford Brookes Univeristy on the MA in Urban Design and is currently an external examiner for Architecture at Demontfort University, and a portfolio reviewer for the RIBA.
Farida works collaboratively with other artists and has recently set up a studio and community interest company with Dizzy Ink and Martin Rayment. The new studio, The Carousel in Hockley is uniquely placed to promote collaborative projects and support for artists designers and makers.
A landscape architect with over 25 years' strategic and detailed design experience in public and private sectors, Fiona has won urban design awards and international garden design competitions. Several of her articles have featured in the Landscape Institute Journal and she has been a regular university tutor. Her particular focus is on promoting quality external design with a specific interest in Paragraph 79 houses. Fiona is a member of the Landscape Institute CPD Committee and a Trustee and Design Review Panel Member for Urban Vision North Staffs.
Job Titles:
- Designer
- Member of the Design
Garry Hall is an urban designer with extensive experience in master planning, design coding and developing design guidance. He is an editor of Building for Life 12 and has been involved in a number of flagship schemes across the country including new settlements and large-scale urban extensions.
He specialises in spatial analysis, movement frameworks and developing systems to control design quality over time. He has developed design guides for Suffolk County, the High Weald AONB and for numerous towns and villages across the country. Other recent projects include Tresham Garden Village, Corby West SUE, and Upper Heyford New Village.
Garry is a member of the Design:Midlands, D:SE, and Creating Excellence Design SW Review Panels, delivers training and facilitates workshops, chairs design review panels.
Heather is a Conservation Planner and Urban Designer with over 30 years experience in Local and Regional Government. She has been a Panel Member since the beginning Opun and is a Consultant on heritage, conservation and urban design matters and has been involved ion writing and advising on Neighbourhood Plans. She is currently part of a team at Haddon Hall providing advice on heritage and giving informative talks and tours.
Ian is a landscape architect and archaeologist and leads LDA Design's Environmental Planning Service. He is an expert in green infrastructure planning and design, landscape character assessment and landscape and visual impact assessment and advises on landscape strategies and masterplans for development in sensitive and protected landscapes. He has developed national guidance for seascape and townscape character assessment for Natural England and the Landscape Institute and is regularly invited to speak on the topic of strategic landscape planning to students and professional audiences.
Jim Fox is an urban designer, planner and regeneration specialist with over 30 years experience in the public, private and third sectors - with Hyas, Gillespies, Taylor Young, Northamptonshire County Council and Urbed. Clients have included Leicester City Council and Homes England, Sheffield Hallam University and Onward Homes. He is Director of Jim Fox Placemaking and a High Streets Task Force Expert.
Jim has championed design, led projects and built consensus in the fields of garden communities, estate regeneration and high street transformation. He understands both strategy and delivery having seen masterplans and design codes through to delivery.
Jo steps in to help wherever and whenever needed. She has over 35 years experience in administration/secretarial and customer service roles and believes that communication is the key to running a successful business.
As Design Administrator with Design Midlands, Jo works closely with Dharmista to organise the Design Review Panels and ensures that the details are communicated to all involved as well as helping with other administration tasks within the team.
Jo is a planning consultant and chartered town planner with extensive experience in the preparation of neighbourhood plans, with particular expertise in development management and engaging with local communities, to help shape and influence their places.
Jo has a keen interest in design, place-making and championing planning, and she recently became a member of the RTPI South West Awards for Planning Excellence Judging Panel.
As Planning and Learning Manager with Design Midlands, Jo has developed and coordinated the delivery of training events to Members and professionals alike, on a range of topics including the Design Companion, SuDs, Building for Life 12, Manual for Streets and Green Landscaping. She is always looking for ideas and opportunities to empower people and develop their knowledge in the field of planning policy and practice.
Joe is an architect and urban designer, and has experience of masterplanning, regeneration, and community engagement. He was previously Director of the MA (Urban Design) course at Birmingham City University. He was the coordinator of the Balsall Heath Neighbourhood Plan, the first in Birmingham. He is also a conservationist and is Chair of Birmingham City Council's Conservation and Heritage Panel. He also does casework for both the Victorian Society and the Twentieth Century Society.
John is a landscape architect and urban designer with over 40 years experience in an extensive range and scale of development types.
Job Titles:
- Architect Jonathan Hendry Has a Wide - Ranging Body of Work Including Residential ( Both Large and Small Scale ) Arts, Heritage and Coastal Projects
Architect Jonathan Hendry has a wide-ranging body of work including residential (both large and small scale) arts, heritage and coastal projects.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive of Design
Chief Executive of Design:Midlands, Julie Tanner combines a passion for architecture and urban design with a specialism in place making.
Juliet Bidgood is an architect/urban designer who works at a range of scales from the tactical to the material to create or shape places.
Justin is a planner, urban designer and building conservation specialist. Having previously worked as a planner with particular focus on urban design and policy
Laura is the East Midlands Convenor for the Urban Design Group and was amongst the first recognised urban design practitioners in the UK.
Lisa has worked in both public and private sector before setting up as a freelance consultant in 2019.
Job Titles:
- Design Director at Barton Willmore
Luke Hillson is the design director at Barton Willmore, a UK-wide design and planning consultancy.
Matthew is an architect with over 35 years experience in practice including 25 years as co-director of Letts Wheeler Architects.
Originally trained as an architect, Meredith also specialises in urban design and planning. Formerly Assistant Director of Planning at Leicester City Council and a Corporate Director at Telford and Wrekin Council.
As an urbanist, Neha is passionate about the planet, its cities and the urban cultures that are interwoven with the social and natural fabric of a place.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chairman of Igloo Regeneration Ltd
Nick Ebbs is a Chartered Surveyor and Vice Chairman of igloo Regeneration Ltd, specialists in the development of sustainable places and buildings.
Nils is an award-winning architect and the principal of Feldmann Architects with professional experience in Germany and the UK and projects across Europe.
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner of Studio Spicer Architects
Oliver is the Founding Partner of Studio Spicer Architects; an award-winning practice based in Stratford-upon-Avon and the Cotswold's.
Paul is an independent planning & urban design consultant who advises major players in the development industry
Penny is a Chartered Landscape Architect with a love of plants and a passion for promoting biodiversity in a range of applications, such as for commercial settings, transport route networks, caravan parks, housing developments, or smaller garden units.
Philip has worked successfully across the private, public and third sectors as an architect and client.
Phoebe is a flood risk consultant who has specialised in sustainable drainage, providing technical support to both Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) and SuDS Approval Bodies (SABs)
Richard Shaw is an urban designer with a background in sustainable travel.
Richard is a Masterplanner and Landscape Architect with 25 years' professional experience.
I am an urban designer/urbanist with over 25 years' experience in both local government and private practice. READ MORE
Robert founded Matlock-based Evans Vettori with Mariangela Vettori in 1995, after working with Norman Foster and Will Alsop, as well as a period in Italy.
Shilpa is a town planner and economist with over 30 years experience in both public and private sector.
Simon is an architect, planner and urban designer with over 40 years experience in public and private practice. Simon has experience at all scales from individual buildings to master planning in towns and in the country. Simon is an active design review panel member in London, across the south of England and in Wales and Scotland. Simon was the client for public realm design at the City of Westminster and has been a RIBA client design advisor
Sue is an urban designer with particular expertise in strategic design frameworks and masterplanning for new settlements.
Warren Lever is an urban designer and heritage professional with extensive experience in master planning, design advice, design guidance and the design of public realm schemes.