JDDK

Tony Reynolds - Senior Associate

After nurturing a love of buildings during seven years with the Sunderland and South Shields Water Company, County Durham-born Tony joined Sunderland Council Architect’s Department in 1967, moving to the Washington Development  Corporation in 1973. Studying Architecture at Newcastle University Evening School, Tony graduated in 1982, joining Jane Darbyshire in 1983 and her new practice in 1987, where he has been Project Architect on several award winning schemes across all sectors.

Angela Cowens - Office Manager/PA

Angela joined the practice at its inception in 1987 when it was housed in two rooms with three drawing boards and a typewriter. Angela leads our team of three administrative staff whilst acting as Director’s PA and undertaking the day to day administration of the practice’s finances.

David Kendall - Director

David graduated with First Class Honours from Newcastle University in 1983 after also studying Urban Design at the Royal Academy of Fine Art in Copenhagen and working for a year in the Newcastle office of Ralph Erskine Arkitectkonter AB. After gaining experience with Ryder Nicklin, he joined the practice in 1990 and has been nationally recognised for numerous projects. David acts as an Assessor for Civic Trust Awards.

Romanda Jobson - PA

In 1990 at the tender age of 16 Romanda joined the practice as a trainee administrative assistant on the Youth Training Scheme of the time.  Romanda now acts as a Directors’ PA.

Ian Clarke - Director

Ian graduated with a Distinction in Design from Sheffield University where he won the RIBA President’s Dissertation Award in 1986, resulting in a scholarship to study architecture in Scandinavia. Joining JDDK in 1990 and becoming a Director in 2000, Ian’s work centres around schemes for client organisations with specific needs, especially within the healthcare sector, particularly involving hospices. Ian sits on the NHS Design Review Panel and is a CABE Enabler.

Alison Thornton-Sykes - Principal Architect

Alison undertook her architectural training at Newcastle University, working in London between her two degrees and both graduating and joining JDDK in 1991. She has worked across many sectors, often in historically or environmentally sensitive locations across the North East Region and further afield. Community consultation has also been a key area in Alison’s work while her design for the RSPB’s hugely successful Saltholme Visitors’ Centre swept the board for architectural awards.

Nicola Hodgson - Senior Associate

Nicky joined JDDK in 1992 after graduating from Newcastle University in the same year, having worked for the practice for 12 months  and spent  three months at  “L’Ecole d’Architecture de Nancy” in France as part of her training. Nicky became an Associate of the Practice in 2000 and has worked as Project Architect on a wide range of projects, from small rural developments to a number of large scale and complex schemes such as the 36million € Curraheen Hospital and Hospice in Cork and the £20million redevelopment of St Colomba’s Hospice in Edinburgh.

Kevin Turnbull - Director

A native of Sunderland, Kevin gained both an ONC and HNC in Building Studies from Newcastle Polytechnic whilst working for Douglas Wise & Partners in Newcastle. After gaining experience with Powell Moya on the Wansbeck General Hospital project, he joined JDDK in 1992, becoming a Director in 2003. In addition to being a hands on member of the practice’s technical team, Kevin has particular responsibility for Health and Safety matters, and technical documentation. (NEBOSH Qualified in 2008).

Ann Wannop - Senior Clerk

Ann has provided invaluable administrative support to the practice’s technical team since joining the practice in 1993

Katherine Bridger - Landscape Architect

Kate graduated from Manchester Polytechnic in 1977, becoming a Member of the Landscape Institute in 1979. Her work experience includes 12 months for Brian Clouston & Partners in Durham and two spells with Local Authorities before being appointed regional Landscape Architect for Wimpey Homes in the NE. Kate joined JDDK in 1993, bringing important landscape expertise to the practice’s projects across all sectors.

Nicola Watson - Director

Nicky graduated from Newcastle University in 1992. During her training she studied in both France and Italy and worked for a spell in Botswana. Nicky was awarded the year prize for her part III Examination.  Nicky joined JDDK in 1993, becoming a Director in 2000, and works across a number of sectors, particularly within the community, education and childcare fields. She takes part in teaching at both of Newcastle’s architecture schools where she has also acted as External Examiner. Nicky is vice-chair of the Board of Northern Architecture.

Stuart Franklin - Associate

Stuart worked as an Architectural Technician with Conservation Architects Arrol & Snell whilst gaining distinctions in ONC and HND in Building Studies at Stoke-on-Trent College. In 1999 he graduated from Newcastle University with 1st Class Honours and joined JDDK. Stuart has been especially involved in many of the practice’s Education and Healthcare projects, particularly as Project Architect for over 15 Early Years projects in the region and for the award winning latest phase of St Oswald’s Hospice. Stuart has involvement in studio teaching at Newcastle University.

Mura Mullan - Director

Mura graduated with distinctions from Manchester University in 1994, gaining her Part III qualification in 1996 after working for Buttress Fuller Alsop Williams. Following a further period of working in Manchester, for Michael Hyde & Associates, Mura moved to Newcastle and joined JDDK in 2000.  Mura has been project architect on schemes across a number of sectors, focusing recently on work in the affordable and specialist housing field as well as major health projects including the Marie Curie Hospices in both Glasgow and the West Midlands. Mura takes part in studio teaching at the Northumbria University.

Andrew Rutherford - Associate

Andy gained his OND in Construction & Land Use at Newcastle College followed by an HND in Building Studies at Northumbria University in 1994. His work for the Alan J Smith partnership and later Summers & Partners, involved extensive on-site supervisory roles. Andy joined JDDK in 2000 and in the proceeding years has acted as project technician on numerous projects including the £16m Marie Curie Hospice in Glasgow.

Adam Vaughan - Associate

Adam’s first experience of Architecture was a Site Engineer prior to studying Architecture at Sheffield University, completing his first degree in 1995. A year working in Paris followed before returning to Sheffield where he completed his Diploma in 1998 and extended his dissertation to gain an MA. After extensive work in Ireland, Adam returned to his native Newcastle to join JDDK in 2005 where his work has been in a number of development sectors whilst his particular interest in environmentally sustainable architecture has flourished.

Matthew Holmes - Associate

Matt completed his Architecture BA Honours degree at Oxford Brookes University in 1996. Having then worked in the south of England and Australia for a number of years, Matt joined JDDK in 2004 when he returned to his native Newcastle. Matt’s work has covered a number of development sectors from one-off houses to the large scale projects in the office such as the internal works to the 36million € Curraheen Hospital and Hospice in Cork. Matt is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists.

Tristan Cooper - Technologist

Tristan joined JDDK in 2005 following completion of his A-levels and acceptance on Northumbria University’s day release Architectural Technology BSc Hons degree course, from which he graduated in 2010. Whilst studying on this course Tristan has also completed an NVQ in Technical Design.

Clair Mawston - Architectural Assistant

Clair worked for JDDK for two years between her two architectural degree courses at Newcastle University, returning to the practice following completion of her second degree.

Russell Clewlow - Architect

Since graduating from Newcastle University in 1994 Russell has worked in both the private a public sector. Russell joined JDDK in 2010 and has worked on housing projects for both RSLs and private developers, most notably the redevelopment of the Stannington Hospital site for Bellway Homes Ltd and the flagship refurbishment scheme at Holborn House for Isos Housing.

Billy & Zoe Readman - Caretakers

Billy and Zoe have played an important part of the JDDK “family” since 1991 when they took on the role of live-in caretakers at the practice’s home “Millmount”.