Practice

Andy Hedger BA (Hons), MArch
Assistant Architect Pt II

Beginning his working life as an Engineer, Andy was inspired to work with buildings after travelling through Europe and Asia and becoming fascinated with vernacular architecture.

Andy has worked on a diverse range of projects throughout his career beginning with ecologically attentive schemes within Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the South West, before moving onto improving the performance of older buildings in and around London.

Most recently he has worked on several farm diversification projects across the country and subsequently co-authored a Design Guide detailing sustainable design principles for the development of tourist accommodation within the National Forest.

Andy’s interests lie in exceeding modern regulation standards for the performance of existing buildings, primarily using natural materials and traditional building techniques. In addition to improving historic buildings, he aims to demonstrate that cutting edge contemporary architecture, which looks to meet the needs of future generations, can be developed considerately without relying on proprietary building products and ecologically destructive construction methods.

Andy is currently undertaking his Part 3 qualifications with The Bartlett School of Architecture to become a Chartered Architect.

Charlie Matheson BA (Hons)
Part I Architectural Assistant

Charlie studied at Arts University Bournemouth before joining Jonathan Rhind Architects in Autumn 2023.

Charlie’s final project was called ‘Spaces that Thrive’ based around courtyards to benefit the local community in different ways such as allotments, markets and an urban forest; and the correlation between these and a linear building. The brief for it to be an environmental hub, was reflected in the design, with the use of local breathable materials and a focus on sustainability.

While doing research for a project on how contemporary timber churches recreate the same atmosphere as traditional churches, Charlie came across Karsamaki Church in Finland, which was built on the site of a demolished church, using entirely traditional tools and methods, and has become one of her favourite projects.

Charlie’s background is in set design, having studied Design for Theatre and Film in college, where she designed a pumpkin carriage photobooth for a local theatre production of Cinderella.

Darryn Marrs HNC (Construction), MCIAT
Senior Architectural Technologist

A chartered architectural technologist, Darryn is an experienced senior technician with sound construction and detailing knowledge and a particular interest in conservation and renovation. He has been with the practice since 2008.

Following the completion of a HNC in construction, Darryn has worked on a variety of projects from the change of use of listed buildings, to numerous house extension and alteration projects, with varying budgets from small to large.

His experience includes the extensive repair, renovation and conservation of a 6500sq ft. Grade I listed Georgian town house in the world heritage site of Bath shortlisted for the 2017 Michelmores Property Awards – Heritage Project of the Year. He is also the project lead on a long-term maintenance and repair programme for a local charitable trust, that owns four large Grade II listed town centre buildings, housing numerous flats, shops, offices and a bar.

Darryn’s love of detailing extends to enjoying carpentry and joinery at home, where he makes anything from cabinets, planters and trinket boxes to general DIY projects.

Darryn is in the process of applying for the CIAT Accredited Conservationist qualification.

David Bridges MCIAT BSc (Hons)
Senior Architectural Technologist

Following an Honours Degree in Architectural Design from Coventry University, David has been with the practice since 2009.

David has worked on a wide range of projects, from small kitchen extensions and cottage refurbishments, to high-end barn conversions, large farmstead alterations and a new-build luxury pool house, which he particularly enjoyed. He is proficient in various software packages and finds Sketchup an invaluable tool for exploring ideas in 3D.  

David was inspired to work in the field of architecture by a desire to manifest drawings into real world space for people to experience not just look at. Some of his favourite buildings include Grand Central Terminal in New York, for its jaw dropping scale, and Barcelona’s La Sagrada Familia which he finds stunning in its scope and execution.

Having achieved accreditation as a Chartered Architectural Technologist (MCIAT) David is applying for CIAT Conservation Accreditation.

Evie Burrows
Architectural Apprentice

Evie joined the practice as an Apprentice in July 2021, having completed her A-levels in Art & Design, Design Technology and Psychology. While she was studying, Evie completed an online architecture course in her spare time to gain a greater understanding of key architectural principles.  

Evie is now undertaking her Part I Architecture degree on a part time basis at Portsmouth University while working and gaining hands on experience in the Devon design studio.

She is particularly interested in the idea of repurposing and renovating old buildings to conserve our local heritage. In her spare time Eve enjoys using her drawings skills for portraiture.

Helen Bennett-Day BA (Hons) MArch RIBA
Architect

Helen completed her Master of Architecture course at the University of the West of England, and joined Jonathan Rhind Architects in August 2019. At the end of 2021 she completed her Part 3 course to become a qualified Architect. 

Throughout her time at university conservation formed a key aspect to Helen’s design and research projects, and she often chose sites that involved the renovation or restoration of listed buildings. Her final year thesis focused on the social element of design and how the local and wider community could be encouraged to use a once derelict site to bring life back to the area.  

Helen spent her time in practice working on a range of conservation projects of different scales, from small extensions to large public buildings. Helen enjoys working with clients and contractors to identify elements of existing buildings for conservation / enhancement which will create balanced completed spaces. 

Jamie Hulland BSc
Surveyor & Architectural Assistant

Having graduated as a Surveyor from the University of West of England, Jamie joined Jonathan Rhind Architects in November 2021. He especially enjoyed the building science, conservation and commercial development elements of his course, and whilst studying he also worked in the construction industry to gain hands-on experience.

Jamie will be heavily involved with the management of the Bridge Trust’s portfolio of properties in Barnstaple, overseeing maintenance, repairs and the long-term conservation of the Trust’s heritage properties.

Jamie will bring a new perspective to the role, bringing his skills as a surveyor and his practical hands-on site experience.

Outside of work, Jamie is a keen rugby fan, and enjoys watching matches as well as playing for a local team.

Joe Shadrick BA (Hons)
Part I Architectural Assistant

Joe joined the practice in the Summer of 2023 having graduated from De Montfort University. Joe’s passion for biophilic design informed his dissertation on how biophilic design can be implemented in primary schools to improve access to learning for children with ADHD.

Joe is particularly interested in understanding the psychological effects of the spaces we inhabit and create. He has found that taking inspiration from a variety of places, even the unexpected, can provide the best for project outcomes.

In his spare time Joe enjoys photography and drawing in the Devon countryside and coaches a local basketball team.

John Alexander BSc, DipArch, Msc (Cons), RIBA, SCA, AABC
Director Architect

John is a chartered architect and director since 2000, following his postgraduate Masters degree in building conservation. He has previously worked on large commercial and healthcare projects in Bristol and London.

John has over 25 years’ experience in the industry and all of his projects have a conservation element, including consolidation of ruins, church repairs and works to historically significant properties. He is the appointed architect on over 50 churches and has a wide range of experience on listed buildings, from important historic farmhouses to industrial sites.

John is an active member of The Conservation of Traditional Thatch Group (CoTTG), a group set up to promote knowledge in the conservation and traditions of thatching roofs. The group is made up of experienced thatchers, SPAB and Historic England, as well as conservation officers and architects.

Jon Johnson BSc (Hons), MSc
Architectural / Conservation Assistant

Jon joined Jonathan Rhind Architects in 2019 after graduating from the University of the West of England (UWE), where he focussed on the principles of conservation and issues surrounding conservation authenticity, with special focus on the Georgian architecture of Bath.

Jon recently graduated with distinction from his postgraduate degree in the Conservation of Historic Buildings. In his dissertation Jon designed an overhaul to the current Listed Building Consent system to streamline the process. This research may allow for enhanced flexibility in the reuse of listed buildings without compromising the protection of their special historic character.

Jon previously spent time working as a builder gaining valuable first hand, practical experience of repair and construction projects from start to completion.

Jon hopes to further explore the relationship between historic and contemporary structures, in particular the considered use of traditional materials alongside modern-day technology.

Jonathan Rhind BSc, DipArch, RIBA, SCA, AABC
Director Architect

A chartered architect and director, Jonathan is accredited in architectural conservation and has over 30 years’ experience working on historic buildings in the South West of England, from castles and country houses to churches and small cottages. He works extensively with Historic England and local authorities to achieve planning and listed building consents and successfully delivering work on site. He also enjoys the challenge of new buildings in beautiful places, creating well proportioned spaces that respond to their surroundings on a suitable budget.

Jonathan has a particular interest in the style and detail in each phase of historical development; the social and economic factors that shaped the buildings, and the performance of natural and traditional materials in our climate. He is also interested in traditional construction methods in new buildings, using tried and tested modern quality materials and sustainable systems, to form practical, elegant and well-crafted buildings.

Jonathan is a specialist in cob buildings and is passionate about the construction, care, performance and repair of cob, unbaked earth mass walling.  He is a technical group member of the Devon Earth Building Association, which promotes the use of cob as a traditional and modern building material, and lectures on cob and historic buildings.

Jonny Poland BA (Hons), M.Arch (dist), RIBA, AABC, CA
Director Architect

Jonny initially joined the practice as a postgraduate student in 2008 before returning to the team in 2010 following his M.Arch at Plymouth University, where he graduated with distinction.

Jonny has worked on a number of prestigious projects, including being project architect for The China Tower on Clinton Devon Estates’ Rolle Estate in East Devon, which was finalist in the AJ Retrofit awards 2014 alongside internationally renowned architects, Haworth Tompkins and Zaha Hadid.

Jonny has worked on a range of projects, including a large farm diversification scheme, three Heritage Lottery Funded church repair projects and also has experience working with scheduled ancient monuments and grade I, II* and II listed buildings.

He is currently project architect for the Manor, Woolsery, Devon, part of the high profile village regeneration scheme, which includes the recently completed award winning Farmers Arms.

Jonny has a particular interest in creative re-use of buildings and the juxtaposition between conservation architecture and contemporary design. He was inspired to become an Architect by the challenge of creative problem solving, and enjoys bringing new life to old buildings.

Mark Raby BArch, DipArch, RIBA
Director Architect

A chartered architect who began working in architectural practice 16 years ago, Mark has been with Jonathan Rhind Architects since 2016, becoming a Director in 2018.

Mark’s experience ranges from large scale master-planning of mixed use commercial schemes, to one off bespoke houses, however his passion is in heritage buildings and sustainability.

He has a wide range of experience in conservation architecture and has been project architect for buildings in conservation areas, as well as working on the repair and extension of listed buildings, church reordering and barn conversions. Mark has an expertise in working with tricky sites and collaborating with consultees to achieve funding and to unlock potential for development. A recent scheme included helping to set up a trust to take on ownership and management of a Scheduled Ancient Monument which has allowed our client to achieve planning permission on the adjacent land.

Mark believes that the key to a successful architectural project is in the simplicity of approach, collaboration and good communication. He feels that the main endeavour as an industry is to create something unique, beautiful and functional, and this is achieved first by intuition backed up by good technical knowledge and a rigorous method.

Mark is currently working towards a qualification as a Conservation Architect with the Architects Accredited in Building Conservation (AABC) and engaging with further education in building ‘Passivhaus’ low to zero energy buildings.

Martin Sturley-Hayes BA (Hons), DipArch.(Cons), RIBA, AABC
Director Architect

A chartered architect, Martin has been with the practice since 2001 following a graduate degree in Architecture, leading towards further qualification in building conservation. Martin became associate director in 2014 and director in 2018.

Martin is specialised in building conservation and has considerable knowledge and experience of working on historic private houses, community projects, new build alterations and additions in sensitive sites. He obtained the AABC (Architects Accredited in Building Conservation) in 2010.

Martin is passionate about finding the balance between understanding and respecting historic buildings, appropriate repair techniques and materials to secure their long-term use, alongside the need to integrate modern standards and architectural aspirations for contemporary living and use. He has a particular interest in design solutions which draw on historic character and contemporary forms, with construction and materials complementing each other.

Martin was inspired to become an Architect by the realisation that the way spaces are connected and enclosed play a huge part in how buildings are experienced and enjoyed by the user. An extension of this is how furniture and every day objects can be designed to be functional, but as ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing as possible. 

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Miriam Kelly MA(Hons), MArch, RIBA, ARB, AABC
Associate Director

Miriam Kelly is an accredited conservation Architect and SPAB Scholar with over twenty years’ experience working in the heritage sector. She has lectured extensively on conservation and adaptive reuse both in the UK and the US, where until recently she worked specialising in historic conservation and cultural heritage.

She has also served as Design Advisor and Heritage Assessor for several charities and advocacy groups. Miriam’s interests lie in architectural conservation, contextual new design and making old buildings more sustainable.

Since joining Jonathan Rhind Architects in September, Miriam has launched straight into several ongoing conservation projects including St Michael’s Mount, National Trust condition surveys at Stourhead and Antony House and conservation works to a Grade I listed church in North Devon. She is also working on three Grade II* Listed historic houses in Devon and Cornwall.

Olena Urushchak
Architectural Assistant

Olena qualified as an Architect in the Ukraine, and most recently held a position with the Kreoplan architect group, Lviv. While there she designed public and residential buildings globally including residential complexes in Ukraine, private villas in the USA and hospitals in Africa.

Prior to this Olena was a member of the architectural and town planning council of the city of Sambir, where she administered planning applications and contributed to the forming of the urban cadastre.

Olena is skilled in modelling and creating 3d visualizations, and is technically proficient in software such as 3dsMax, Corona render, photoshop and ArchiCAD.

Outside of work, Olena is skilled in sewing and making clothes and also enjoys drawing and painting.

Peter Thompson BSc (Hons) MCIAT, MInstRE
Senior Architectural Technologist

After completing a degree in Architectural Design and Technology at the University of the West of England, Peter joined the practice in 2015. He previously trained as a Mechanical Engineer, has a detailed knowledge of materials and enjoys hand drawing and graphic presentation.

Peter has previous practical building and stonemasonry experience, having worked on many listed buildings including National Trust properties and private dwellings in the South West.  Among his favourite buildings are The National Congress of Brazil in Brasília, by Oscar Niemeyer and the Brion Tomb and Sanctuary at San Vito d’Altivole by Carlo Scarpa.  He also enjoys reading about buildings and civil engineering works of the Industrial Revolution.

Peter’s latest project is the extension and restoration of a Grade II Listed Regency dwelling in the Cotswolds, where he has had the opportunity to produce full detailed drawings for a significant amount of bespoke joinery and manage works on site including extensive stonemasonry conservation.

Rick Gilroy HNC (Construction), MCIAT
Architectural Technologist

Rick joined the practice in 2015 as a technician, having previously worked as an Environmental Test Engineer, assessing the reliability of products and ensuring they survive in the working environment.

Prior to this he worked for a number of years within the aerospace industry as a Non-destructive Test Technician carrying out ultrasonic and radiographic inspection tests.

Rick has a particular interest in the creative re-use of redundant industrial and agricultural buildings for new use, including residential and commercial sites, whilst retaining the original character and design intentions. Since joining Jonathan Rhind Architects, he has worked on a variety of projects from the conservation and renovation of The Farmers Arms in Woolsery to gaining planning permission for the conversion of a former threshing barn to domestic use.

Rick has completed a level 4 HNC in Construction for which he was awarded a distinction, and has recently qualified as a Chartered Architectural Technologist (MCIAT). Rick is working towards CIAT Conservation Accreditation.

Simon Horler BA (Hons), MArch, RIBA
Senior Architect

Simon graduated from Portsmouth and Westminster Universities, where his key interests included; economic sustainable construction, the healing quality of space, tree houses and the cultural imagination, and scouting and the wider community.  

After qualifying, Simon worked in Windsor for several years focusing on luxury residential properties alongside commercial and educational schemes across the public and private sectors.

Joining Jonathan Rhind Architects has enabled Simon to pursue his interest in historic buildings and to learn more about their care and conservation.

Simon has extensive experience in 3D modelling, renders and 3D printing to create visualisations for clients, and since starting at the practice he has created 3D renders of the Woolsery Manor House Hotel to show how the contemporary timber, glass and copper reception pavilion will interact with the original Grade II listed manor.

One of Simon’s favourite buildings is La Sagrada Familia and he has visited multiple times to see different stages of construction. A keen polo player, Simon competed nationally as captain of the University of Portsmouth team and consequently came to know and admire the Figueras Polo Stud building; and in particular how the design connects the player with the stables and clubhouse.

Moving to the Somerset countryside has enabled Simon to pursue his love of the outdoors. He is also a keen photographer.

Tina Botsi DipArch, MArch, RIBA
Architect

After working as a freelance Architect and project manager in Athens, Tina joined Jonathan Rhind Architects in January 2020. Tina has undertaken her Architectural studies in Athens, Crete and Bristol and was awarded a distinction in both of her final projects focusing on the impact of Architecture on society.

Tina’s favourite and most recent project involved remodelling and refurbishing an Athenian house in the neighbourhood in which she was born and grew up. Her designs retained the structural shell, with modern additions which responds to the idea of indicating regeneration to an area that was previously dilapidated. The interiors were reinterpreted to accommodate modern living. The tight budget required lateral thinking about the schedule, materials and finishes.

For Tina, Architecture is an evolving discipline in which it is necessary to be up to date with materials and techniques, whilst also being responsive to the site and the client’s vision. Detailing and understanding the way that something is being built is of particular interest for her. 

When she is not working, Tina helps friends with graphic design projects, as well as designing, making and selling modern acrylic jewellery, and has plans to expand into light fittings and even furniture.