Higher education gave me both breadth and respect for evidence – Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford, early training in architecture at the graduate school in the University of Pennsylvania, and three more years of architecture including a Masters degree at the Bartlett with exceptional tutors such as Reyner Banham, Duccio Turin (building economist), Bob Maxwell, Peter Hall etc.

This influenced how I perceive the role of an Architect. The profession is responsible for meeting the long term needs of society through the built environment, and its interaction with the ‘natural environment’, using the opportunities given through a client’s project. This means providing the client, designer, deliverer, user and visitor /observer with some help to make the most of the opportunity presented by new and renovated buildings and places.

Among other activities I have worked since the late 1970s: • creating briefs, based on evidence gathering of building use patterns as well as client and users aspirations, • acting as intermediary between client and design team during the design and construction, • assessing evidence for how the process worked to deliver the project and how the project works to serve client and users • writing books, articles and client guidance documents.