About

Steve Hawkins

Design Director

My interest in life is design. Specifically designing better places to live. The built and natural fabrics that define our daily lives, influence not only the aesthetics of a place or appearance of a building, but play a significant role in defining us and our behaviour. My aim is to design and/or manage the process of design that enable the built and natural environments to positively impact its users, thus promoting an enhanced quality of life. Achieving this requires a team approach, an approach that embodies inclusive design, a solution that is underpinned by joined-up thinking. Efficiency and quality are attributes that must remain at the forefront of decision-making and design in order to achieve viability and successful places.

Charley Burrough

Technical Design Director

As a designer my aims are to deliver projects that work for the user, express modern construction techniques and include the sustainable performance of the latest building systems. Our built environment has to reflect the requirements of the user, be built to adapt and be free to express modern design within its context. My experience in Urban Design, Architecture, modern sustainable construction methods and refurbishment projects enables me to bring an all-inclusive approach to each project.

Olcay Cottrell

Urban Design Director

I am a strategically minded designer and an innovative thinker with an enthusiastic approach to everything I do. Having a strong educational and professional background in art, urban design and masterplanning I aim to ensure that the environments we create communicate the vision of the city, town or neighbourhood as well as being useful, enjoyable and sustainable. I believe that ‘quality of space’ forms an essential element in any ‘Sustainable Design’ and could be best achieved with collaborative working, proper planning and forward-thinking. I value the community as experts in co-designing places they want to live, work and play and provide support promoting urban design principles, and sustainable development practices.

Michelle Goodfellow

Office Manager

Michelle has worked for number of large companies acting as Operations Manager and HR manager. She has a wealth of experience in financial sectors. She has an eye for detail, yet remains aware of the big picture. Her time-management and organisational skills are excellent, with an ability to keep adjusting priorities to cope with the shifting requirements of a small business.

Sebastian Baran

Associate Urban Designer

City enthusiast, passionate about working towards sustainable future, bringing communities together and helping revive forgotten places, by also adding creative solutions to people’s everyday life.

My specialisation within urban design is green infrastructure as a form of increasing robustness, development density, place identity and sense of community. My multi-disciplinary background and experience with delivering urban design workshops both locally and internationally allows achieving more responsive designs.

David Goncalves

Associate Designer

My experience branches from working for one of the UK largest multidisciplinary consultancies in the early days of my career to working for one of the UK largest premium housebuilders as a Design Manager. Having worked on the consultancy and client side, I have gained invaluable knowledge in the Design and Planning process whist also gaining experience of the processes within the developer industry in Sales, Commercial and Land departments. I always strive to be proficient and look to achieve the best results for a site at all stages of the project.

Catharine Tucker

Senior Architect

As an Architect, my passion lies in shaping the world and the buildings that we live and work in. My experience in public sector architecture has taught me the importance of collaboration and the commercial aspect of design. I also believe in the value of careful integration between the old and the new, creating places that people feel proud to live or work in that are not alienated from the surrounding areas. These principles are all key to providing a successful scheme within both architecture and urban design, keeping all parties happy from the Client to the Local Planning Authority and ultimately the Homeowner/building Users.

In essence, my ambition is to create contemporary and thoughtful schemes, improving lives and the environment through good design.

Paula Martinez

Senior Architect

I am an Architect with a creative spirit who had the opportunity to work and study in different countries such as Spain, Germany and the UK. This has given me the chance to learn different ways to create spaces. I completed my Masters in Architecture at the University of Granada, Spain, in 2015. I have over five years experience working on different building types, including University student accommodation and commercial projects. I have also worked on several community architecture projects during my internship at Granada Provincial Council as well as on an International competition ‘Architectural Studio’ a small practice based in Spain.

Tom Knowles

Senior Technician

I enjoy creating spaces that have a positive influence on social and environmental aspects of peoples lives. It is interesting to see good spaces and thoughtful developments, and then to learn from them and replicate key ideas and principles on projects I am a part of. My main focus is Layout design. I enjoy being responsive to a clients changing needs, and problem solving as further information informs how we piece together the layout.

Sarah Webster

Senior Technician

It has always fascinated me how buildings and spaces can evoke emotion and awe regardless of scale or grandeur. Living in and travelling various parts of the world has sparked and fed my passion for architecture and the built environment. Working in the field of design has allowed me to implement my passion. Helping to create better places and an improved environment which makes our communities better.

Being involved with planning and working drawings on a diverse range of projects including single houses, infill developments, and masterplans for large scale residential led housing schemes has developed and grown my knowledge. I am confident working on project deliverables and liaising with clients and consultants to overcome the complex issues faced on every project and working out solutions that are deliverable.

Beth Coppard

Architectural Assistant

As an architectural designer, my passion lies in the creation of beautiful yet functional architecture through a high level of detail, raw materials, analysis of context and sustainable design. I have a keen interest in designing Architecture and spaces to improve physical and mental health, through the belief that well thought out design facilitates a more enjoyable life.

Studying Architecture at Plymouth University gave me a huge respect for the history of a place. The historical context of a site plays a large role in my design decisions, to not only respect the existing vernacular, but also insert modern concepts to enhance spatial design.

Joseph Plant

Urban Designer

As an Urban Designer, my interest comes from my own experiences of the cities I have been to and lived in. Studying Urban Design at Oxford Brookes developed my understanding of how spaces can be crafted for positive identity, and how built form affects the way we live our lives. Through my own research my studies shaped my ambition to create greener urban environments that reflect the shift towards sustainable developments that prioritises well-being.

I believe that master-planning and creative forward-thinking design, can create new places that better respond to a site and the needs of the user.

Nick Humphries

Urban Designer

I am an urban designer passionate with understanding how people interact with their everyday environment and how problems regarding this might be solved with fresh approaches. Throughout my career, I will always be striving to create places in which cars are not the dominant form of travel, but where people have greater freedoms to access amenities by other sustainable means with ease.

I’m further developing my skill sets and knowledge base of contemporary global issues by studying an MA in Urban Design.