Child Graddon Lewis

Over the past couple of weeks, we have had "Allyship and the Built Environment Training" and "Inclusive Leadership Training" hosted by Danna Walker from Built By Us . The sessions were enjoyed by the whole office covering themes including conscious and unconscious bias, allyship, employment rights and responsibilities, the Equality Act and workplace culture. Built By Us offered training with a specific relevance to working within the built environment and architectural sector.   This training underpins CGL's commitment to improving EDI within our own workplace culture, and a desire to push for a better, more diverse and inclusive built environment sector. Built By Us were invited to provide these sessions by our inhouse Diversity and Inclusion Group. The group has previously published the first edition of the Diversity and Inclusion Manifesto: "A manifesto for a better industry, to enable a representative body of architectural professionals, and to ultimately enrich the profession and architectural discourse."   The manifesto’s 7 key themes to improve the industry: Celebrate Represent Enable Impact Challenge Embed Reflect   CGL have also committed to the NLA Diverse Leaders Pledge, a programme developed specifically for Built Environment sector companies to address EDI across three key themes: Recruitment, Progression and Advocacy.   We look forward to publishing more about the work that we are doing to tackle issues relating to Diversity, Inclusion and Equity in the coming months, as well as outlining more of what we do to provide Social Impact through the work that we do, and to support the communities we have the responsibility to design for.

A landmark moment at Westmead, a 100% affordable housing scheme for Westminster City Council designed to achieve AECB CarbonLite sustainability standards providing a low-energy building, minimising bills for future residents. Westmead will provide 65 homes including family homes and homes for the borough's key workers. The scheme follows on from successful schemes working with Willmott Dixon to deliver homes to meet Westminster's Fairer Houssing commitments at 300 Harrow Road and Dudley House. https://lnkd.in/eJDncper

We are thrilled to announce a number of promotions within the Child Graddon Lewis team that were made in January.   Following the promotion of Aaron Down and Andrew Lum to Associate in 2024, we are excited to announce the promotion of Alex Solomon, Dani Reed, David Kay, and Michelle Jeremiah to the Associate team. We are also delighted to see Giorgia Davini promoted to the position of Senior Architect and Joanna Szumilas to Financial Controller. They bring a wealth of varied and valuable experience to our senior team. Congratulations to all of the newly promoted members of the team for this milestone achievement.

We are thrilled to announce a number of promotions within the Child Graddon Lewis team that were made in January.   Following the promotion of Aaron Down and Andrew Lum to Associate in 2024, we are excited to announce the promotion of Alex Solomon, Dani Reed, David Kay, and Michelle Jeremiah to the Associate team. We are also delighted to see Giorgia Davini promoted to the position of Senior Architect and Joanna Szumilas to Financial Controller. They bring a wealth of varied and valuable experience to our senior team. Congratulations to all of the newly promoted members of the team for this milestone achievement.

The ATLG board is delighted to welcome five new public member practices to the group. Welcome to: Woods Bagot Child Graddon Lewis dla architecture Darling Associates Architects Goldline Architectural Limited

What an exciting opportunity! I am delighted to join the NLA Expert Panel on High Streets 2025. We’ll be exploring one of the sectors most affected by COVID-19 and how the built environment sector can adapt successfully. https://lnkd.in/eEfxjkqH Thank you to my colleagues at Child Graddon Lewis for the support! #NLAHighStreets

A few weeks ago, we had a fascinating and thought-provoking discussion about the Grenfell Inquiry recommendations and the impact of implementing the Building Safety Act (BSA). Huge thanks to Dr Barbara Lane CEng FREng FRSE David Stronge Shorena Gudzhabidze for sharing their valuable insights: - The government should tread carefully with further changes—like consolidating all regulatory and fire safety responsibilities under a single regulator. The industry, including the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), is still adapting to new processes and procedures. It will take time for these changes to settle and trickle down the supply chain. Any premature adjustments could risk confusion and uncertainty. - The industry is already evolving, with significant shifts in how buildings are delivered over the past two years. - The BSA’s gateway processes pose challenges, especially with the approval process itself. The BSR is under-resourced to handle the volume of applications, creating delays and increasing delivery risks for projects. It has been suggested the most significant current 'blockers' in the system are application quality and the availability of suitably qualified technical resources to assess the information in detail. A significant bottleneck is caused by rejected submissions with little guidance available in the public domain. Should there be more emphasis on pre application meetings to help formulate exact, complete and concise demonstrations of compliance instead of volume of information. - While the supply chain for new developments is adjusting, there’s a knowledge gap among upgrade and maintenance teams working on existing high-risk buildings (HRBs). - Access to accurate and retrievable information is critical. Ironically, historical plans are often more accessible than today’s digital records. The BSR has emphasized the importance of a clear ‘narrative’ when submitting Gateway information—could Design and Access Statements (DAS) play a bigger role in this? The government’s decision to limit Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) to very specific circumstances falls short of the Grenfell Inquiry’s recommendation for an equitable plan for all residents. Is there a hybrid solution that involves neighbours assisting one another? The conversation could have gone on much longer, underscoring just how much is being impacted by Grenfell and the BSA. The key takeaway? Wholesale cultural change takes time—but the industry is committed to improving safety even though it doesn't always look that way!

Gingerbread City has been a brilliant experience to be part of, but more importantly, it has given me and my colleagues at Child Graddon Lewis the opportunity to spark a conversation around the future and re-use of industrial structures. Recently in the press, we have seen news and petitions surrounding the closure and demolition of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar cooling towers in Nottinghamshire. It is clear these towers have a huge impact on the landscape of Nottingham and are deeply ingrained in the DNA of the area. As an architect and individual who values heritage, the importance of retaining and reimagining these historic structures is profound—not only to the architectural world but also to the people of Nottinghamshire who experience the view of these iconic towers daily. The Sweet Gingerbread Creation. Our Thinking: The UK is home to thousands of disused industrial buildings, each a testament to its rich industrial heritage. Recent estimates show that over 86 sites have been added to the Buildings at Risk register in 2024 alone, highlighting the precarious future of many of these structures. Despite their resilience and historical importance, many are deemed obsolete and face demolition instead of reinvention. Our Vision: From Obsolescence to Opportunity: Our exhibition piece addresses this critical issue by demonstrating the potential of repurposing disused industrial spaces. By carefully defining new uses through innovative programming, we can minimize interventions, reduce costs, and unlock viable solutions for reusing these structures, preserving both their legacy and our environment. I’d also like to share an article I came across in connection to the Ratcliffe-on-Soar cooling towers mentioned above, the article and photographs truly depict how beautiful such structures can be. https://lnkd.in/eXK4J-CU Credits go to Adam Pickering and Steve Cole. LeftLion Magazine Nottingham Finally, a huge thanks to Lizzie Higham, who helped me co-lead a team of architectural bakers to deliver this sweet vision, and to Melissa Woolford and Luke O'Donovan for the professional photography. Many thanks also to the Museum of Architecture for organizing this magnificent event. Full baking team: Elizabeth Dent, Lizzie Higham, Aaron Down, Jessica Raynsford. Child Graddon Lewis #thegingerbreadcity2024 #Nottinghamshire #RatcliffeOnSoar #IndustrialHeritage #HeritageArchitecture #ChildGraddonLewisArchitects

Our Christmas exhibition/ competition shows what a talented bunch of architects I work with. This year the entries were exceptional. #architecture #drawing @cgluk