Tim Lambert, Associate Director at Dunwoodie Swift Architects outlines how returning to Newcastle has provided an exciting new challenge.
After three enjoyable and eventful years working as an associate at SPA Architects in Stokesley, North Yorkshire a new opportunity was presented to me. Joining Peter Swift and the team at Dunwoodie Swift Architects at the start of 2023, a practice with a growing reputation, has injected fresh impetus to my career. I have previously worked with Peter at a large North East based Practice and once he approached me he made it very clear that this was a Practice very rapidly evolving and going places with some very exciting projects on the books and he wanted me to play a significant part going forward.
My recent work has been spread across the sports & leisure, extra care, and commercial sectors. Having previously worked for both large and small practices in the North East and Yorkshire, I have experience and knowledge of many sectors within the construction industry but it is perhaps the skills gained whilst working within the Sports and Leisure sector where my ethos has been defined the most. The marrying of complex technical solutions with more artistic and conceptual ideas is a wonderful thing if it is carried out competently. It is perhaps why fitting in with the team at Dunwoodie Swift has been so easy to do.
I have had the good fortune to work on projects of all scales. The most significant projects, and those with the highest profile, were carried out with a Local Authority client and had several stakeholders. This did not have the effect of ‘too many cooks’ but quite the opposite; successfully managing people (design development and expectations) and making important decisions at key stages in a project can tip the balance towards a successful scheme. Projects such as Graves Health & Sports Centre in Sheffield, Sedbergh Sports & Leisure Centre in Bradford and Wyke Community Sports Village, also in Bradford, where the concept remained strong, visible and effective.
You should be prepared to carry out a fair amount of research and development work while working on complex sports buildings and this can sometimes ignite interest that you didn’t realise you had. An example would be when researching and comparing possible cladding materials for a leisure centre in Bradford I began investigating the development of sustainable and innovative materials for use on construction projects, following closely the manufacturing process and how these develop into products that can be implemented across the industry. These new products will form the staples of construction in years to come as they replace traditional materials, and we continue to work towards a zero carbon (and negative) built environment.
A dedication to the rigorous application of high design standards and positive attitude towards collaborative working provides a good platform for starting new projects and of course new challenges – I trust that these skills will serve me well and become an important part of contributing to both our projects and the practice at Dunwoodie Swift.
My latest challenge is the remodel and refurbishment of a well-known listed building in the North East with a view to bringing the building back to life to accommodate a new leisure provision. All will soon be revealed!
Should you have your own challenges within the construction industry then we would certainly like to hear about it. To find out more go to www.dunwoodieswift.com
