List of panel members

The panel comprises of a chair and up to six others drawn from a pool of 30 highly qualified architects and other professionals in the built environment. The panel were selected through a competitive process and chosen based on their design experience, critical ability and understanding of development pressures facing Newham.

Panel Chair: Peter Ahrends

We are delighted that the eminent Peter Ahrends accepted the position of panel chair. Peter Ahrends is one of a group of architects who, in 1961, founded an architectural partnership known as Ahrends Burton and Koralek. From the outset the partners were convinced that the process of architectural design should be broadly and deeply inclusive of factors such as the environment, the context and, not least, the social frameworks in which buildings function to meet briefs, serve people and create new horizons. The experience of teaching at intervals at several schools of architecture over a period of thirty years has also been an essential part of Peter's professional life as have been the books published and the exhibitions held covering the work of the practise.

Panel Members

Amanda Baillieu

Amanda Baillieu has edited Building Design since 2006 and prior to that, RIBA Journal from 1999. She has been a Stirling Prize judge, and is an architectural commentator on both radio and TV. She was made an honorary member of RIBA in 2006.

Andrew Burns

Andrew is a director of urban design at Matrix Partnership and has 18 years experience in urban design, architecture and town planning. He has particular expertise in urban sustainability issues, large scale integrated urban development and masterplanning. Andrew holds lectureships at Oxford University (MSc in Sustainable Urban Development) and Oxford Brookes University (MA in Urban Design). Architecturally trained he also is a chartered member of the RTPI and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He is a Design Surgeon for Urban Design London and a Design Council CABE Enabler. Andrew's practice work benefits from a breadth of international experience that includes projects in Syria (Damascus Hills), Sierra Leone (Cape Sierra), The Netherlands (Venlo masterplan; Dordrecht waterfront masterplan), Ireland (Dublin Docklands) and New Zealand. In the UK Andrew was one of a team of four commissioned to re-write CABE's 'Creating Successful Masterplans' for online publication.

Philip Cave

Philip Cave heads up Philip Cave Associates, landscape architects and urban designers, with expertise in sustainability, ecology, public art, and public participation. His passion is to create places that give inspiration and enjoyment to the people that use them, but at the same time are logical and functional. Projects have ranged from regeneration and public realm designs commissioned by public authorities to commercial schemes where developers create or improve public spaces to environments that are constructed. Philip has been on the Newham Panel for 3 years and before that was on Southwark's Review Panel.

Simon Child

Simon Child is a founding director of Child Graddon Lewis with over 25 years experience in the commercial, residential, leisure and education sectors, both in the UK and internationally. Simon is currently overseeing projects, including a rolling programme of refurbishment to the five-star luxury Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, work on the William Sutton Estate in Chelsea, school refurbishments and a number of projects in the Brompton Quarter and Knightsbridge area. Recently completed projects include the new Hobbs Flagship store in Covent Garden, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's Town Hall Customer Service Centre and the headquarters building for The Restaurant Group in Southwark. Simon assists the charity Social Mobility, sharing his wealth of experience in the industry to students from disadvantaged backgrounds interested in architecture and design.

Alessandra Cianchetta

Alessandra is a partner at AWP and AWP-HHF, Paris and Basel. Her portfolio of award-winning designs ranges from major large scale projects to installations. Her latest projects include masterplan for the development of all urban spaces of the La Défense CBD, Paris and an iconic public space and follies just below the Grande Arche. She currently teaches Urban Design Studio at Columbia University (NY/P)and has also curated exhibitions for major cultural institutions, written books and essays, lectured and exhibited her work at many architectural venues worldwide. Awarded the French Ministry of Culture Young Architect Naja prize 2006, and the best Urban Planner award PJU in 2010, Alessandra was trained as an architect at "La Sapienza" Rome, Etsa Madrid and Etsa Barcelona, and later attended advanced studies on criticism and landscape theory.

Tom Coward

Tom Coward is an Architect, and a co-founding director of AOC Architecture, a design led practice located in Bethnal Green. AOC specialize in creating bespoke brief development to support the design process of better buildings. Tom has a strong interest in public community buildings and the urban realm, with recent experience in school design, housing and mixed use estate regeneration.

Robin Cross

Robin Cross is an experienced design critic having Chaired Lewisham's Design Panel for four years and attended Newham's Design Panel since its inception. Robin is a practicing architect working in International Development and Disaster Relief and is Managing Director of Article 25, the specialist construction NGO. In this role Robin leads a multidisciplinary building design team specialising in post disaster and post war reconstruction. He is currently leading reconstruction programmes in Pakistan, Haiti, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Bangladesh and beyond. As a former London councillor Robin Cross has been active in local regeneration programmes in south east London, exploring the role of better urban design and community participation in regeneration programmes.

Neil Deely

Neil is a founding partner of Metropolitan Workshop Architects LLP. His experience as an architect also encompasses the disciplines of urban design and masterplanning and the design of buildings in sensitive heritage contexts such as Durham and Westminster and Cambridge. In recent years he has lead urban design commissions for the public sector including Oslo, Bergen and Dublin City Councils. The practice's current portfolio includes major architectural projects in the UK and mainland Europe including Bergen's new Conference and Exhibition Centre and a masterplan for the regeneration of Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Neil has led the design of several District Centres, and major cultural and mixed use building projects in Scandinavia and North Africa.

Tina Frost

Tina Frost leads Fluent Architecture, a client advisory consultancy providing design management, procurement advice and stakeholder consultation services in relation to significant or complex capital investment projects and programmes. She is a registered RIBA Client Adviser, with particular interest in social, education and regeneration projects. Tina is a member of the RIBA Validation Panel and an examiner at Westminster, De Montfort and Oxford Brookes universities.

Daisy Froud

Daisy Froud is Head of Participation at AOC, an architecture practice she co-founded in 2003. An experienced strategist and facilitator in the fields of planning and regeneration, she specialises in brokering communication about the built environment between professionals and non-professionals, and in creating tools and processes that allow diverse groups to establish shared priorities regarding local development. She is a CABE Enabler, a Lecturer at the Bartlett School of Architecture, has an MA with Distinction in Cultural Memory from the University of London, and will be a Visiting Assistant Professor at Yale in 2011.

Susannah Hagan

Susannah Hagan is Professor and Head of Research at the School of Architecture and Interiors, Royal College of Art, and Director of the independent research consultancy R_E_D (Research into Environment + Design). She studied architecture at Columbia University, New York, and the Architectural Association, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Forum for Urban Design, New York, and member of the International Development Network of the RTPI.

Tom Holbrook

Tom Holbrook is a founding Director of architecture and urban design practice 5th Studio. He qualified as an architect in 1995 having trained at the the University of Cambridge and Kingston Polytechnic. His work explores the dynamic between architecture and the scale of infrastructure and landscape. Tom is a Design Advisor for the Greater London Authority and a member of the National Design Review Panel for Design Council CABE. He is an External Examiner at London Metropolitan University and is a visiting practitioner at the London School of Economics Cities Programme.

Anthony Hoete

Premiated in numerous international competitions including the Venice Prize, an RIBA National Award, NZ House of the Year and the Prime Minister's Award for Better Public Building, Anthony Hoete is the founding partner of both WHAT_architecture and WHAT_developments. The office's design methodology has been underpinned by academic research, which Anthony has acquired through extensive teaching at the American University of Beirut, the Technical University of Delft, Sint Lucas Brussels and at both the Bartlett and the Architecture Association here in London. The critical skill which teaching develops has in turn sharpened his communicative ability, manifest in publications (such as ROAM the Reader on the Aesthetic of Mobility and blablablarchitecture) and in the curation of exhibitions (such as the public participation show Legobusier).

Olaf Kneer

Olaf Kneer trained at University of Dortmund and the Architectural Association in London. He worked with Ian Ritchie and Llewelyn-Davies before establishing Mueller Kneer Associates in 1997 and Casper Mueller Kneer in 2010. Olaf taught Urban Design with Colin Fournier at the UCL Bartlett and was Unit Master at the Architectural Association. He is currently co-directing the AA Berlin Laboratory. Since 2007 Olaf has been a panel member of the Newham Design Review Panel and the MADE Review Board where he provides professional design advice on key architectural developments, helping to improve the quality of urban design and architecture through the planning process. His practice focuses on projects for the arts and communities, and recently completed the new White Cube gallery in Bermondsey.

David Kohn

David Kohn is director of David Kohn Architects. The practice works across a range of scales from urban design to interiors. Recent projects include an urban strategy for the future of Deptford Creek in collaboration with Design for London, the Skyroom, a rooftop venue for the Architecture Foundation and 'Tutti a Tavola!', the opening event of the 2010 Milan Furniture Fair. The practice was awarded Young Architect of the Year 2009. David studied architecture at the University of Cambridge and at Columbia University, New York, as a Fulbright Scholar.

Alistair Lathe

A graduate of the Waterloo School of Architecture in Canada, Alistair began his professional career in Toronto before moving to Hong Kong where he developed his experience on major projects in Hong Kong, China and Thailand. In 2001 he moved to London to work for the renowned architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, where as an Associate he was responsible for landmark projects in Canary Wharf and the Docklands. More recently he joined mossessian & partners in London, and is engaged on a major civic development in Doha, Qatar. Alistair has a particular expertise in sustainable design, being a LEED Accredited Professional and having contributed to a BRE task force on the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Julian Lewis

Julian is co-founder and director of East. He has extensive experience of developing ideas, design and research, as well as project implementation, on a wide range of building, landscape and urban design projects. He is Urban Design Advisor to the London Development Agency and has been teaching and lecturing since 1992, having held a Diploma Unit teaching post at London Metropolitan University for 10 years. Julian led the implementation of Acton Town Square, which won the London Planning Award for Best Community Initiative, and the improvements to Sutton High Street, which are part of the Mayor of London's 'Great Spaces Initiative'. He led the design of a reconfigured Market Place at Bermondsey Square in Southwark, two School Projects in Islington and Tonbridge and is currently leading a multi-disciplinary team for a masterplan in Harrow.

Sally Lewis

Sally Lewis is the founding director of Stitch, a design studio specialising in masterplanning, regeneration and housing. She is a published author (Front to back : a design agenda for urban housing) and has built an excellent reputation in the UK over the last 10 years for delivering design excellence in urban design and masterplanning, and being a strong voice in the pursuance of high quality urban housing. She has led several large regeneration projects including at South Acton in Ealing, where the bid winning masterplan for 2500 homes is now being delivered.

CJ Lim

CJ Lim is the founding director of Studio 8 Architects - a multi- disciplinary and international award-winning practice in architecture, landscape and urban design. In addition to practice, he is the Professor of Architecture and Cultural Design at the Bartlett UCL, and the Pro-Provost of University College London.

Claire McDonald

Claire McDonald studied architecture at the Mackintosh School of Architecture and the University of East London. She worked with John Lyall Architects and Michael Squire and Partners, before joining the architectural studio DSDHA in 2001, where she is now one of three Directors. Claire's recently completed projects include the Christ's College & Pond Meadow Special Needs School Redevelopment, in Guildford, which is currently shortlisted for the Stirling Prize. DSDHA's current projects include a gateway residential building for London's Olympic Village; a new building for a jewellers studio and shop in Bermondsey, and provision of Special Needs facilities for Guildford College. Claire is an appointed RIBA Client Design Advisor, member of the RIBAJ Editorial panel, has taken part in various judging panels, and has been a speaker at numerous conferences.

Lucy Musgrave

Lucy Musgrave is the Director of Publica, a planning and regeneration consultancy that advise developers, planners and communities on public realm issues and what makes successful and sustainable neighbourhoods. Lucy has over twenty years experience in architecture and planning. Her particular expertise lies in the social, cultural and spatial integration of new development. She has played a key advisory role in policy recommendations, strategic planning and urban design frameworks, and in the advocacy of design quality. As Director of the Architecture Foundation, she was responsible for the publication of two UK government sponsored directories on the best young architects in Britain and she subsequently co-authored the Thames and Hudson book 'Design and Landscape for People - New Approaches to Renewal'. Amongst many advisory and board roles, Lucy has been a member of the UK government's Urban Sounding Board; the Greater London Authority's Public Realm Advisory Group; the Mies van der Rohe European Prize for Public Space; a jury member of the Holcim Sustainability Awards and is an honorary fellow of the RIBA.

Richard Partington

Richard Partington is a co-founder and principal of Richards Partington Architects a multi disciplinary practice involved in urban housing and regeneration. Richard is a CABE enabler and architect advisor to the Zero Carbon Hub. Richard has expertise in low-energy design and is sustainability expert for the Ministerial Advisory Group in Northern Ireland. Recent projects include work on an equitable new community in York for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and a low-energy headquarters for a newly formed community housing association.

Richard Portchmouth

Richard Portchmouth became a founding member of Birds Portchmouth Russum Architects in 1989 having formerly worked for James Stirling. Richard has been responsible for many significant award winning infrastructure, educational and cultural projects. These include Southwark Park Primary School, Plashet School Footbridge and the Stonehenge Visitors Centre proposals. Richard served for 5 years as a CABE Design Review Committee Member, and has assisted with the judging of prestigious international competitions. Richard currently advises the South East Regional Design Panel, and the West Sussex Design Surgery.

Amanda Reynolds

Amanda is an architect and urban designer, founding director of her design practice AR Urbanism - specialising in large-scale master planning, urban design and streetscape projects - having previously been Director of Urban Design for Llewelyn Davies. Amanda is Chair of the Urban Design Group and a CABE Enabler, she regularly chairs and speaks at conferences on master planning and urban design and is a guest lecturer and critic at several London universities. Amanda is also a member of Hackney's Design Review Panel and TfL's Major Projects Review Panel. Amanda is a registered architect in the UK and New Zealand.

Sebastien Ricard

Sebastien is a Director of Wilkinson Eyre Architects, his specific sensibility focuses around urban projects developed in sensitive areas, such as world heritage sites or historic sites, where a good balance needs to be kept between contemporary landmark architecture and respect for the existing urban fabric. Having studied at the McGill University in Canada, and the Paris la Defense University, he then went on to work for the leading French firm RFR. Sebastien currently oversees a series of high profile projects across a number of sectors, including the Crystal for Siemens in the Royal Docks, London, the Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre in Oxford; the Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria, Canada, a leisure centre on the Sea front of Worthing and the Bath Transport Interchange. Previously, he was responsible for the Audi Regional Headquarters in West London, The Dyson School of Design Innovation in Bath, a mixed use development project in the London Borough of Hammersmith and was involved with Magna Steel Museum.

Anthony Rifkin

Antony Rifkin is Joint Managing Director of Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners, based in London and Liverpool, and is an urban designer and chartered town planner. Antony studied at the University of Cape Town and Oxford Brookes University and has 20 years experience in masterplanning and urban design. Antony has worked on a wide range of projects in locations including Greenwich, Brixton, Stratford, Walthamstow and Bath.

Tim Ronalds

Tim Ronalds is founding Director of Tim Ronalds Architects, a practice best known for its arts, education and public projects. He has taught and examined architecture at various schools, including the Architectural Association and Harvard. He is a member of CABE's National Design Review Panel.

Robert Sakula

Robert Sakula is founder partner of Ash Sakula, an award-winning architectural practice whose projects include prototype housing in Silvertown for the Peabody Trust, which the Guardian described as 'some of the most imaginative and thoughtfully planned low-cost housing in London.' Prior to setting up Ash Sakula, Robert Sakula worked for DEGW, David Lea and Clough Williams-Ellis. He teaches and lectures on architecture internationally, and is a RIBA Competitions Advisor, a Civic Trust Awards Assessor and a UDL Design Surgeon.


Amir Sanei

Amir Sanei studied architecture at Edinburgh University and The Architectural Association where he graduated with Honours in 1994. He worked at Michael Hopkins and Partners on a number of prestigious projects and left in 2002 to set up their private practice with his wife, Abigail Hopkins. He has lectured at the AA, the Royal College of Art & The School of Architecture in Graz and has been a visiting critic at the Architectural Association and at Westminster University. He has been an international competition judge, and was an RIBA awards 2008 assessor.

Theresa Smith

Theresa Smith founded Mooch in 2002, a company specialising in public realm creative projects. The company won the East London and Essex Best New Company award in 2003 and was shortlisted for the Business Link for London Best New Business award in the same year. Theresa has 20 years experience of living in Newham and Mooch has delivered numerous projects in the Borough including hoardings, a school memorial garden to the Blitz bombings and a kinetic sculpture in West Ham which weaves together the fascinating histories of the Memorial Park site.

Signy Svalastoga

Signy graduated in architecture from the Norwegian Institute of Technology and the Architectural Association School of Architecture, London, She has worked for the Norwegian practices Lund & Slaatto and LPO Architects and in London for Marks Barfield Architects and Zaha Hadid. She has been teaching at the Architectural Association, Cambridge University and University of East London, where she was the BSc Hons in Architecture Course Leader, the Diploma in Architecture Course Leader and from 2004-2008, the Director of Architecture. Signy joined the London Metropolitan University as Postgraduate Academic Leader, in 2008.
Signy is a member of the the RIBA Visiting Board Panel and a Norwegian registered Architect.

Andrew Taylor

Andrew Taylor established Patel Taylor with Pankaj Patel in 1989, since when the practice has completed numerous significant and award-winning projects. Current projects include the Athlete's Village in Stratford, East Side City Park in Birmingham and the redevelopment of Earls Court in London. He has been a visiting critic and lecturer at various schools of architecture. Andrew is a member of CABE's Design Review Panel, and is an assessor for the Civic Trust and the RIBA Awards.

Ken Taylor

Ken graduated from the Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow after gaining his undergraduate degree at the Polytechnic of Central London. Previously working as a freelance architect in Scotland and London, Ken set up Quay 2c with the artist Julia Manheim in January 2000 as a vehicle for multi disciplinary projects, with a specialist interest in sustainability. Quay 2c has been responsible for Fairmule House and Chancery Court in London that have been flag bearers for the use of highly sustainable solid timber laminated panel systems. Ken has taught and lectured extensively in the USA, India, and Europe and had a part time lectureship at the Oxford School of Architecture for many years. He was a trustee and chair of Artpoint Trust, a Public Arts Commissioning Agency in Oxford and is currently chair of m2gallery on the front of Quay House in Peckham.

Stephen Taylor

Stephen Taylor is the founding Director of Stephen Taylor Architects. The practice has been responsible for several award winning projects, covering a wide spectrum of work in both the commercial and private sector. Projects include urban design strategies, masterplanning, buildings and interiors for education, the arts, housing, offices, and healthcare services. Stephen is currently responsible for all work carried out within the office and is closely involved with each member of his team in the development of projects from inception through to completion. His work has been the subject of major architectural exhibitions in London and Canada (CCA). Stephen serves as a CABE enabler for education and as a Unit tutor at London Metropolitan University.

Chris Williamson

Chris Williamson studied architecture at the City of Leicester Polytechnic School of Architecture (now known as De Montford University) where he met and collaborated with his current business partners Andrew Weston and Steve Humphreys and developed an interest in low energy, sustainable buildings. On leaving Leicester with a Post Graduate Diploma with Merit, Williamson worked at Welton Becket in New York and then Michael Hopkins Architects before founding Weston Williamson Architects. Williamson has taught at North London University and Leicester De Montford University and lectured widely. He was a member of the RIBA Council from 1998-2004 where he was chairman of the Events Committee and also of the RIBA Premises Committee.

Albert Williamson-Taylor

Albert Williamson-Taylor co-founded Adams Kara Taylor (AKT II Limited) in 1995. He combines his practice-wide role of overseeing design and technical direction in the office with his passion of infusive cutting edge technology into new and remodelled projects. Recent and completed projects include the British Pavilion at EXPO 2010 in Shanghai, the National Maritime Museum, part of the World Heritage complex, Carpenters Lock footbridge on the Olympic Part for the ODA, Sheikh Zayed National Museum with Foster & Partners and a number of projects with Zaha Hadid. Albert studied at Bradford University and attained a Masters Degree in Structures and is an Honorary Fellow of the RIBA. He heads up the Sustainability Group at AKT and is a regular speaker at a variety of Higher Education Institutions.

Robert Wood

Rob is the Head of Architecture at WHAM. He is a graduate of UCL and Cambridge, and was a Kennedy Scholar at Harvard GSD and a Prix de Rome Scholar at the British School at Rome. He worked with Terry Farrell, Will Alsop, Eric Parry, Nick Grimshaw, Roland Paoletti and Wolff Olins before striking out on his own to run a successful multi-disciplinary design agency. From 2009-2011 Rob jointly led the Crossrail design team responsible for the interior design of the seven new central London stations, and built the foundations for Crossrail's public art program. He has a deep interest in sustainable architecture and urbanism, combined with a broad view of the cultural disciplines that combine to produce great places.