My strongest influence comes from Manchester where I studied Architecture. The school had a strong historical and practical bias, both of which have remained with me.

I built my early career in London, working in the offices of Sir Basil Spence, Trevor Dannatt and Chapman Taylor before working at Pentagram Design, where I spent eleven years. I enjoyed the comprehensive design approach at Pentagram, sharing studio space with some of the world’s best graphic and industrial designers, and I became highly influenced by the architect Theo Crosby. I was project architect for the Globe Theatre reconstruction until Theo’s death in 1994, after which I took the architectural lead. My involvement with the Globe continues.

Pentagram consolidated my two great professional loves – simple, pure modern design and historic buildings; an unusual combination, but one that I find very fertile and full of creative resonances which I pursued with my own London practice Parameta Architects for a decade.

In 2005 I joined NPS, an innovative Local Authority Trading Company which encompasses Local Authority Joint Ventures across the UK. I relished the challenge of improving design quality in the public sector, particularly for education buildings, and of creating excellent community environments with limited budgets. I spent ten years as a Director on the Operations Board for the 1000 strong multi-discipline company and was Head of Discipline for Architecture. During this time I was a director of Barron and Smith Architects and was a founding director of Hamson Barron Smith, both subsidiary companies of NPS.

Having completed work in Massachusetts, USA, I am now enjoying working in the unique City of Venice.

I am a strong believer in low energy design and I am very proud of the work the teams I had at HBS achieved in this field, particularly the work on Passivhaus projects. I believe that Climate Change is the most important issue of our time and that architects have a leading role to play creating a sustainable future.

An external examiner and on the Industrial Liaison Board for two schools of architecture, I also represent RIBA East on the RIBA National Council.