Author: Cornish Architects

We are excited to extend a warm welcome to the newest addition of the Cornish team. Giovanni is a qualified Architect bringing over 14 years of architectural expertise across a wide range of sectors, to the practice.

As Giovanni settles in to the Farringdon office, we are all looking forward to see how his past experience can influence and enrich our current and future projects.

After completing two weeks of work experience with us here at Cornish Architects, the big question is; does Dillon, a third year student of Westminster University, still aspire to become a fully qualified architect? Has stepping out of the study room and into a working practice affirmed his expectations or cast doubt?

This is what he had to say:

“As a part 1 student it’s easy, when you think of architecture, to think of someone in a room all day with nothing but a computer and mouse or in some cases a pencil, protractor and drawing board, creating endless plans and sections. However, the past 2 weeks have taught me that it’s much more than that, and my time at Cornish Architects confirmed that in ways one simple paragraph won’t do justice.

The main thing that was highlighted was that the skill and dedication involved is second to none. Intricate details that otherwise wouldn’t be noticed when looking at a building would need to be refined and redrawn until they were of the standard being demanded from this practice. However, more than that, the teamwork and feeling of community in the office environment for example, make being an architect that much more rewarding. Collective tasks such as working to send off a tender package in time, whilst also ensuring the high standards are kept, were all experiences that taught me what it was actually like to be in this industry.

It was clear to me that the reality of being a practising architect is much more challenging then I had imagined, from the directors to the architects everyone is always occupied, leaving no dull moment in this career. These past two weeks have allowed me to see the more technical aspects of architecture, moving away from the more creative and unhinged approach to architecture in part 1.

Being able to see the different stages of a building, from a concept to a fully built structure, have allowed me to see how rewarding being an architect can be, despite the workload and responsibility that comes with it. Having said that, this makes my ambition to continue to pursue architecture even more apparent. The feeling of seeing your work go through these different stages and finally seeing something you worked on come to fruition is something I aspire to achieve in the future.

So, to everyone I met at Cornish Architects, thank you for the great experience. I have learnt so much regarding what is involved in being a practising architect and will take this new found knowledge onwards as I continue to develop in this industry.”

With the new year often comes new beginnings, and so we are delighted to announce the appointment of our two new directors Simon Mascarenhas and Rebecca Phythian. Simon and Rebecca have been integral members of the practice throughout their time at Cornish Architects and we are pleased to congratulate them as they settle into their new roles.

Over his 7 years at the practice and throughout his career, Simon has developed a wealth of experience within the construction industry. His profound knowledge and attention to detail has led to the smooth running of many of our successful projects. Simon’s infectious personality is also at the heart of the Cornish office culture, he has already shown promising leadership skills and inspires the design team on a daily basis with his dynamic ideas/creative thinking.

Rebecca has been with the practice since her final placement year and has a strong understanding of Cornish values and principles. Throughout her time with Cornish, she has developed robust client and consultant relationships. Rebecca has been pivotal in pushing innovative design and has been instrumental in the development of practice’ marketing and design software.

After many years with Cornish Architects, Chris Smith and Liz Dabell are retiring from their director duties but will continue to be involved with the practice as consultants. Their experience, expertise and personal touch have proven invaluable at Cornish and we are grateful to them for building the practice up to what it is today and for all of the guidance they have provided along the way. We are pleased to say they will continue to maintain contact and provide support moving forward.

We are excited to see where the new leadership takes us as we continue to deliver high quality projects for all our current and future clients.