Maber Architects

The difference maber made ⭐ In July 2024, Maber Architects became 100% employee owned. They've always aimed to be great to work with, great to work for, and this move strengthens their commitment to an equitable, sustainable workplace. This B Corp Month, we’re celebrating the power of actions that create lasting impact by highlighting how our members are making a difference with actions—big or small.

AI is the future - Not BIM. What a takeaway from the #BIMinLeicester conference that I had the pleasure of attending and speaking at yesterday. Thanks as always to Victoria Farrow for the invite and the whole team behind an event comparable in quality to the biggest Digital Construction events out there! It was a refreshing experience to talk & hear about many personal journeys in digital construction, include my own from student to Digital lead delivering BIM on a £300m New Build acute hospital. The big BIM debate was hotly contested - should BIM be taught as part of Architectural Education? I remain of the opinion that is a vital tool to be understood as part of a broader spectrum, but the focus must remain on the principles, people & processes behind BIM - not a particular piece of software! 👀

We are really pleased today to be able to publish our new 'Neurodiversity - Design and management guide for Higher Education environments'. We are so grateful to all participants in writing this report including Brendan Sexton of University of Nottingham Jean Hewitt and colleagues at Buro Happold and Nick Keightley and colleagues at Maber Architects. Find out more online, including a three-step toolkit of video, guide and checklist: https://lnkd.in/dVEJQ6mq Beginners to this theme are welcome to start here. Thinking about neurodiversity in detail for the first time from a neurotypical standpoint can feel like a string of ‘lightbulb moments’, as ideas around building layouts, sensitivity to light and noise are introduced. But for this document to be useful we needed it to quickly steer past ‘beginner status’ and towards a place where AUDE members can practically apply their learning. Design criteria that allow for neurodiversity tend to emphasise the importance of clarity in design (the purpose of the space), the need for elements of control to be available to users (including over choices of the type of space they can sit in, or the mix of social and collaborative options with calm or ‘retreat’ space for when sensory overload becomes too much). We know AUDE members are used to thinking about these issues as they work hard to make every new build and every refurbished building on campus adaptable and useful for as many purposes as possible. But seeing that design process through a neurodiversity lens is fascinating and immensely rewarding work that can only make our buildings better in serving the needs of the entire HE community. We hope the guide can be used by designers and contractors as well as those within universities commissioning work. Jane Harrison-White

I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to gain valuable experience alongside the architects at Maber Architects Nottingham. During my time there, I had the chance to shadow both architects and landscape architects, learning more about their work and approach. I was also given the chance to contribute to a live project, assisting with design ideas and exploring options, all while working with real floor plans and elevations. This experience has significantly advanced my skills in real-world projects and provided me with a deeper understanding of the design process. A big thank you to the team at Maber for making me feel so welcome throughout the placement.