People

Ben Russell

Ben is an architect with a focus on quality and materiality. He is experienced across a diverse range of building types, and enjoys all aspects of designing and delivering architecture. He has a key focus on creating architecture which has a sense of playfulness, responds intelligently to the environment, and dissolves the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces.

In a world increasingly dominated by technology, Ben loves making by hand, and can often be found in his workshop creating something out of concrete or wood. He brings this appreciation of material quality, craftsmanship and handmade objects to his work in the practice.

Siobhan Davitt

Siobhan is a highly experienced associate director, with over 20 years of wide-ranging experience. During this time, she has led a range of highly complex projects from inception to completion within the public sector.

Siobhan has expertise in designing clinical environments and major healthcare refurbishments. She has managed contracts for both traditional and NHS frameworks.

She has a particular interest in sustainable design, and brings these principles to all of her projects.

Claire Hunt

Claire is a senior landscape architect, and a chartered member of the Landscape Institute.

Her experience ranges from public realm projects to landscaping for schools and universities. Claire enjoys all aspects of her job role, but is particularly interested in biodiversity and sustainability – she loves getting other people enthused about these topics!

She is also a visiting tutor on the Landscape Architecture course at Birmingham City University.

In her spare time, Claire enjoys parkruns, playing the piano, working on her allotment and singing in her community choir. She also sits on the board of trustees at Moseley Park and Pool, a Humphry Repton landscape in Birmingham.

Matthew Spencer-Smith

Matthew is a project architect who works across the healthcare, education and residential sectors.

His particular strengths lie in solving site issues, as well as the technical delivery of projects.

Matthew was the project architect for the award-winning Macmillan Cove project, which provides a relaxed, non-clinical environment for those living with or affected by cancer.

Matthew is a Marvel fan – and although doesn’t claim to have the IQ of Tony Stark or Bruce Banner, he does aspire to bring the same ingenuity and problem-solving acumen to his projects!

Jade Sturmey

Jade is an architect with a particular interest in designing education buildings. She is passionate about providing pupils with a creative and supporting environment in order to transform their experience and positively impact their development.

During her career, Jade has worked on a number of primary schools from the initial project stages through to construction. She enjoys working within a collaborative environment, engaging with multiple stakeholders to develop a design that exceeds expectations for the people using the final building.

In her spare time, Jade enjoys travelling and uses these opportunities to practise her photography skills.

Nicola Cadogan

Nicola has worked on a range of projects in the residential, commercial and healthcare sectors, with a particular focus on education schemes. Her experience of education projects includes new university buildings, college campus redevelopments, school expansion programmes, and new nurseries.

Nicola enjoys taking projects from inception to completion, and is particularly interested in the early stages of concept design and the development of the client’s brief.

With a master’s degree in renewable energy, Nicola has a keen interest in sustainable design, which she incorporates into her projects. She is also qualified as a BREEAM Assessor, and is a member of ADP’s in-house sustainability and heritage teams.

Alison McKerracher

With 30 years’ experience since qualifying, Alison has a wealth of expertise, particularly in the education, research and commercial sectors.

As well as Alison’s responsibilities as company secretary, she leads on HR for the practice, supporting ADP’s ongoing commitment to our Investors in People accreditation and all aspects of staff welfare, training and development.

Alison is also a director of our collaborative company Corde, and a trustee of the Marudyan UK charity.

Outside of ADP, Alison is Vice Chair of Governors at King Edward VI Handsworth School, and a Trustee on the board of the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham.

Neil Lister

As an associate director at ADP, Neil has worked on many prestigious projects across multiple sectors. He is skilled in masterplanning and urban design, negotiating planning consents, and producing efficient and innovative technical design solutions with enthusiasm and design flair.

One of Neil’s greatest strengths is bringing his knowledge from both the public and private sectors. This allows him to design bespoke, high-quality solutions which add value.

Outside of work, Neil spends much of his time nurturing his two children, and is currently teaching them to play piano and tennis.

Stephen Miles

Stephen is ADP’s managing director. He leads the global business plan and operational management of the practice on behalf of the board. His practice-wide role involves supporting public sector and commercial projects, as well as business development and client liaison. He has significant experience in a range of sectors – particularly the education and residential sectors.

Stephen is a Fellow of the RIAS, and a nationally elected trustee of the incorporation. He is also one of the 25 accredited sustainable design architects in Scotland recognised by the RIAS.

Stephen enjoys spending time with his family and friends, and keeping fit. He can often be found on the tennis courts or golf course.

Naomi Simon

Naomi works closely with our marketing and bids team, bringing 20 years’ experience of marketing and graphic design.

She supports directors, sector specialists and the marketing team in the creation of bespoke bid submissions, and on a wide range of graphic design tasks. Naomi’s role also involves the administration and running of our busy Sherborne studio.

When not working or juggling a busy family life, she loves all things design, including graphic design, sculpting cakes and interior design. She also enjoys cooking, spending time in the country and going on coastal walks.

Jon Roylance

Jon leads our higher education and science and research sectors.

He has advised 30+ university clients, delivering sector-leading facilities. His projects have won awards including the Guardian Higher Education “Facility of the Year”, the CUBO “Student Project of the Year”, S-Lab, SCONUL University Library of the Year, the Higher Education Academy, and several RIBA awards.

Jon promotes knowledge share amongst universities, science and research institutions, and our own technical teams. Jon’s role involves chairing best practice groups, and offering new ideas in space optimisation, project social values, teaching and learning environments, sustainability and wellbeing, student experience, and the smart campus of the future.

Helen O’Curry

Helen leads our successful Manchester studio team.

Through consultation and attention, she delivers designs for the people who live, work, play and study in our buildings. This approach was brought to the RIBA National Award-winning Laidlaw Library at the University of Leeds.

Helen spends time mentoring and supporting others in achieving their potential, and is a member of Women in Property.

She also has an acute interest in how we can all deliver on the country’s carbon-zero aspiration, and is working with the practice to move this forward.

Outside of work, and around raising a family, Helen rides bikes and runs in her local Peak District hills.

Wayne Dobbins

As a studio director, Wayne is primarily responsible for managing the Oxford studio. He is also involved in the continuous development of the practice BIM strategy and our integrated design joint venture, Corde, as well as being a lead support for our India studio. Wayne’s key strengths are in the education and community sectors, and his expertise ranges from developing school briefs through to managing higher education frameworks.

Outside of work, Wayne is a school governor, captains a squash team, and occasionally shows glimpses of his former county-standard golfing. He juggles these with being a father of two amazing daughters while building a new house with SIPs.

Chris Thornton

Chris leads our healthcare sector work. He has completed over 130 projects for Macmillan Cancer Support, and built many strong relationships with public and private healthcare providers across the country.

His understanding of patient needs and the clinical challenges that face many healthcare institutions is extensive. As a result, Chris is an important practice-wide resource for furthering our work in the healthcare sector. He is on the executive board for Architects for Health and is an active member of IHEEM and the DiMH network, often participating in speaking slots at conferences.

The majority of his healthcare work has involved remodelling projects with technically demanding requirements, while maintaining a strong patient focus.

Graeme Feechan

As commercial director, Graeme has responsibility for ADP’s commercial work, strategy and business development. He manages a number of private sector clients while guiding high quality design work nationwide.

With over 25 years working across office, retail, industrial, residential and hospitality sectors, Graeme’s approach to urban design and architecture places commercial value centre stage -recognising that excellent design underpins viable long-term investment and sensible investment is sustainable and provides real social benefits.

His experience helps our project teams to quickly get to a critical understanding of the physical and commercial context so that energy is spent on viable options which, through an established process, cleverly unlock value for ADP’s clients.  At every stage Graeme will ensure that design proposals are understood in terms of clear cost versus benefits and will only promote design decisions that are backed up by quantifiable evidence. Graeme adheres to no prescriptive style or theoretical agenda but instead believes that buildings should represent the values of those who have invested in them and the people and places they serve.  This approach values client relationships and recognises that the best way to generate new commissions is to exceed expectations and develop trust.

Zainab Malik

Zainab is a studio administrator who supports our London studio and central marketing team.

With a qualification in Interior and Spatial Design, she understands the design process well, and has a keen interest in the design element of every project she helps with.

She also supports our marketing team, working on tender submissions and organising client events. Zainab has developed excellent customer service skills; she can work on multiple studio tasks very well under pressure, and thrives on working to deadlines.

Outside of ADP, she loves to travel, and plans to adventure out to some exciting places in the future.

Torsten Bauszus

Torsten has worked on a wide range of projects, and has considerable experience in the higher education and science and research sectors.

He has acted as a lead designer on many large and complex projects, and understands the proactive role of design coordination.

Torsten has current experience of designing specialist laboratory environments at the Universities of Leeds and Lancaster, and for Daresbury Laboratories.