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Christopher, MA DipArch (Cantab) RIBADirector
Christopher Ash completed his architectural training at Cambridge University in 1991, passing with a commendation.
Whilst working for a number of highly regarded London based architectural practices, including Michael Squire and partners, Christopher collaborated on a number of competition and speculative projects under the banner of Orange. Orange was formed in 1992 as a collaboration of young architects committed to evolving design ideas through competitions and alternative ways of practicing.
In 1997 he set up the Project Orange office and began to take on domestic and commercial projects in London. More ambitious recent projects include the building of 24 new flats in Sheffield, a mixed-use development in Kings Cross and the refurbishment of a Country House Hotel in Oxford. Having just completed the successful Chiswick Moran hotel in London, Project Orange have recently been re-appointed to design a large bedroom extension and Conference Centre on the adjacent site. Recently the hotel was featured in The Guardian: "Meanwhile the Moran Hotel has sprung into action by Project Orange, fast becoming the UK's most consistent and busy boutique hotel specialists." Their up and coming projects demonstrate their influence on a global scale ranging from projects in Russia to Asia.
He is now designing two new build houses in UK having just completed a 200sqm house himself in Suffolk. Further new work has been generated in Sheffield and he is looking at 3 possible developments in the city and has been nominated to become a Friend of Sheffield Civic Trust in recognition of the contribution of Glossop Road to the cityscape.
He currently sits on the RIBA Constructive Change Group and organized the annual RIBA Small Practice conference. |
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James, MA (Cantab) Dip Arch (UCL) RIBADirector
James Soane is a qualified architect, teacher and writer. He received an MA Degree in architecture from Cambridge University and took his Diploma at UCL, passing with distinction. He joined Conran & Partners in 1992 becoming a director in 1999. Here he worked on a number of projects around the globe including: the Great Eastern Hotel in London, Bridgemarket in New York, the Ark Hills Club and Kamiyamacho apartments in Tokyo, the Park Hotel in Bangalore and the Rex Bar in Iceland.
In 2001 he moved on to set up Project Orange as a director. In the past few years he has overseen the €60m fit out of the new Raddisson Cavan hotel in Ireland, the new Monsoon retail concept, the Park Hotel in Mumbai India and the Triangle Casino in Bristol. He is currently working on the first boutique hotel in Russia, a new-build school building for Oakham and a spa building in Brighton. The practice completed it's first large scale new building in Sheffield for Sinclairs, consisting of 22 apartments, retail and office space. It won a gold in the 2006 Roses Award scheme. Project Orange was chosen as one of the 40 best architects under 40 in 2005, and exhibited at the V&A Museum.
He has taught architecture for nine years at the Bartlett and Kingston University and has recently been elected as chair of the RIBA Validation Panel. He is a frequent contributor to the architectural press, the Evening Standard and continues to be a guest critic in London and Cambridge as well as lecturing around UK.
He recently wrote a book called 'New Homes' published by Conran Octopus in August 2003. A new book entitled 'Catalogue' on the work of Project Orange was also published by Black Dog Publishing. Last year he co-wrote a series of articles for the Evening Standard. Most recently he was a speaker at the 2007 Sleep event in November.
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Helen, MA (Hons) MArchAssociate
Helen Woodcraft completed her architectural training at Edinburgh University in 1995, passing with a distinction and profiled in Building Design magazine as one of the top graduates of that year. During her training she lived and worked in both France and Spain. She subsequently worked at Stephen Donald Architects on a variety of bar, restaurant and nightclub projects for the Mean Fiddler organisation and for the Manic Street Preachers. She later moved to Rivington Street Studio in Shoreditch where she was involved in a variety of projects from feasibility stage to completion. The largest of these was a mixed use scheme incorporating retail, commercial, private residential and social housing apartments linked to a new public open space on Commercial Road, with a value of £23 million. She also worked on educational buildings for both City University and Kent Institute of Art and Design. She joined Project Orange in 2004 and has been project architect on several schemes ranging from interior fit-out to new build. |
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JonathanArchitect
Jonathan studied at the University of Liverpool and graduated in 2002 with the Charles Anthony Minoprio Prize for Drawing in Architecture. He later completed his architectural education in 2005 at the Bartlett, Unit 21, tutored by Prof. Christine Hawley and Cj Lim.
During his time at the Bartlett Jonathan explored his fascination with responsive buildings and subsequently designed a Fisherman's Association in reaction to the social struggle present in the industries' community in Penang, Malaysia. He later developed a technical thesis and design for an Ophthalmology clinic in London prescribed by the progressive spatial awareness experienced by patients recovering from eye surgery. His conceptual installation work was published in 'Devices' by Cj Lim.
Jonathan joined the large design practice, Sheppard Robson following the completion of his degree, working on a variety of commercial, residential, hotel, education, healthcare and master-planning projects of value up to £60m. He commenced work with Project Orange in the summer of 2005 to embark on a variety of design lead projects at involving scales and with challenging briefs.
Jonathan has overseen a variety of mixed-use and residential new-build projects as Project Architect. He is currently on site with our copper-clad, mixed-use building in Kings Cross, and running a private residential project in St Albans. |
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Ruth
Ruth studied at Clare College, Cambridge and at the Bartlett, University College London, where she graduated in 2004.
During her time at the Bartlett, Ruth developed a keen interest in the links between architecture, curation and narration. She went on to work with these themes as an exhibition designer, working on a broad range of projects ranging from masterplanning the new build Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, working closely with the Anne Frank Trust on a travelling exhibition and undertaking the scheme design and scripting for the Museum of the Order of St John in the heart of Clerkenwell, London.
A keen writer and an enthusiast for fusing the processes involved in both theory and practice, Ruth has lectured at Greenwich University, written for the London Literary Journal and more recently was published in "Immaterial Architecture" a Routledge publication by Jonathan Hill.
Eager to return to practice, Ruth joined Project Orange in January 2006 and has worked on several very different projects ranging from one-off residential to larger hotel projects. Ruth is currently working on the refurbishment works at Eynsham Hall, Oxford.
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Rachel
Rachel joined Project Orange following graduation from Cambridge in 2005, after studying there at both undergraduate (Fitzwilliam College) and diploma levels (Pembroke College).
Following Part 1, Rachel took 2 years out to find her architectural feet, working for a small Notting Hill studio of 3 collaborative practices, (23 Architecture, Guy Stansfield Architects and Finch Associates – collectively known as 318 Studios), primarily working on high end residential projects which helped to establish her interest in working for a design studio.
She is a keen traveller, finding inspiration in new experiences and cultures. Notably, during her Diploma she was awarded an RIBA East travel scholarship for her research trip to Mexico for her 5th year dissertation on Luis Barragan, and most recently enjoyed a short architectural pilgrimage to Finland to visit a number of works by Alvar Aalto, a long time source of reference.
Since joining PO she has enjoyed working on a number of projects, and particularly enjoys the challenges brought by working across different scales, both within one, or between projects. She has mainly been involved with Kilternan Hotel, Dublin and has recently started work on Charles Street, a high spec. residential refurbishment in Mayfair.
Following a year and a half at Project Orange, Rachel is currently studying for Part 3 at the Bartlett, University College London.
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Michael
Whilst studying a degree in Hotel Management, Michaels interest in design developed. Having completed an internship at London hotel - The Hempel, he went onto to complete his degree with additional placements at the Sanderson in London and The Shore Club in Miami.
After graduation, Michael went onto study Interior and Environmental Design at University of Dundee. Each year, of the four-year course, brought new and exciting projects ranging from a beach hut to an advertising agency.
His final year project expanded from research that the Catholic Church had completed about the future of the church within the city. From the research Michael designed a new 400 person capacity church that combined four churches onto one site.
Since joining Project Orange in 2006 Michael has worked on the design of a range of furniture for Monsoon and the development of The Park hotel in Mumbai, India. Currently he is working on the design and development of a boutique hotel in St Petersburg and the refurbishment of The Fitzwilliam hotel in Dublin.
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Alesia
Alesia Joined Project Orange after graduating from London Metropolitan University in June 2007, where she gained a degree in Interior Architecture and Design.
During her studies she learned about the exciting world of Interiors, Architecture and Culture. Having enjoyed the challenges presented in the design of many architectural schemes, interiors and hybrid spaces, this led Alesia very naturally to Project Orange, where she aims to continue working with all these elements.
She is currently working on the interior fit-out of the Fitzwilliam Hotel in Belfast, a new build in the heart of the city, which started on site in August.
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Mike B
Michael graduated from Sheffield University in 2007 with a degree in Architecture, and was named as BD magazine's standout student at the year exhibition.
His work at university, both written and designed, explored a growing fascination with the connections between architecture and art, and in particular the unique effect of the process of hand drawing on the development and nature of architecture. This interest culminated in receiving the Dr. Brian Wragg Prize in Architectural Draughtsmanship and in a personal exhibition of his art and paintings in the summer of 2006.
Michael is currently working on a refit of the Raoul's Café in Notting Hill and the I-Bar in Bangalore, and before joining Project Orange he worked for the Manchester practise Architects Britch on their project for the renovation of Manchester Academy.
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Robin
Robin has spent the entirety of his architectural training in London, having graduated in 2002 from Kingston University with a degree in architecture, and later having completed his architectural education in 2006 with a diploma in architecture from the Architectural Association.
During his initial years of training, his time was spent working for separate former degree tutors, at Satmoko Ball Architects and Scape Architects, both small and intimate London based practices where he spent two stimulating years gaining a high level of experience working on a variety of residential, restaurant and nightclub projects, from feasibility stage to completion.
Following his diploma, Robin worked at Chapman Associates Architects, a small commercial practice run by a former partner of Bennett's Associates, where he gained valuable experience working on large scale retail and commercial fit-out projects.
Prior to joining Project Orange in late 2007, Robin spent 4 weeks working for his former diploma unit teacher Shin Egashira at the Koshirakura workshop in Japan. This is a live and ongoing project, building 1:1 scale architectural interventions into a mountainous rural community in northern Japan. This was a valued experience, and a chance to further his enjoyment in designing through making and the craft of Japanese timber joinery.
Since joining Project Orange, Robin has taken on the role as Project Architect, overseeing a mixed-use residential new-build project, which is another development from the same client of the award winning Sinclair's Building, and which is currently on site.
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Gaurav
Gaurav studied architecture at School of Planning & Architecture (SPA), New Delhi in India. After qualifying in 2002, he worked for TEAM architects on the design of the New Wing of the National Gallery of Modern Art and the New Chancellery of the Embassy of Spain in New Delhi.
After leaving TEAM he was involved in a hands-on reuse of a derelict house in Shimla where he experimented with a range of materials from mud to structural steel. Alongside he also initiated the documentation of the built heritage of Shimla - a project that was later brought under the aegis of INTACH.
The British Council selected Gaurav as one of the scholars for fully funded post-graduate study in Scotland. In 2006 he graduated with a MSc. in Architectural Conservation with distinction from the University of Edinburgh. He joined Project Orange in 2008, after working in Edinburgh for certain time.
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Cecilia
Cecilia gained her practical sense and creative approach through a broad range of courses and work experiences, including two arts degrees, a year practicing the art of stained glass, and the experience of two summers spent working on site.
Originally from Gothenburg, Sweden, Cecilia had always desired a move abroad. This is reflected in her time spent studying in Glasgow and in London.
Inspired by the stained glass window course in Scotland, Cecilia returned to Gothenburg for a Fine Art Foundation course, before undertaking a degree in Interior and Spatial Design at the Chelsea College of Art and Design. Further study involved another degree, in Architecture, at London Metropolitan University, after which she undertook her Part 2 Professional Diploma studying under Florian Beigel.
Throughout her studies Cecilia has worked in smaller practice, initially at Co-Lab Architects following two years at Zac Monro Architects, both predominately involved in residential projects.
Cecilia recently joined the practice in April 2008, and is currently working on Chalet 7, a fit-out of a ski lodge in Switzerland.
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Abi
Abi re- joined Project Orange in July 2008 after completing her diploma at the AA in 2007, and is currently working on the transformation of a Lutyens Grade I listed building in the City from a bank headquarters to London's first 6* hotel. Prior to that, her experience with Project Orange has included concept development for Monsoon Home stores and Monsoon flagship shop fit-outs in Bluewater Shopping Centre and Kingston.
Abi's professional experience includes a year post Part I at CPMG in Nottingham, working on large scale new-build residential projects, and 6 months with Mossessian and Partners (London) post Part II, working with engineers to develop sustainability strategies for a portfolio of international projects.
During her studies at Oxford, Abi explored themes of cultural responses to rapid transition, light and motion/ journeys. The AA later opened a world of new possibilities, often questioning the role of the architect, though explorations resonated with familiar themes: 5th year was about culturally deferential and communally empowering responses to crisis situations such as density and water shortage, while 4th year considered the variety of tools available to the architect, including interactive networks and communication.
Prior to architecture, Abi worked in PR in Paris, France and Gloucestershire, England.
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Barry Barry joined Project Orange in September 2008 having completed his Master of Architecture at the University of Bath. He studied as an undergraduate at the University of Nottingham and took two years between degrees to work in practice and travel the world.
During his time at Bath, Barry explored concepts of nostalgia, re-use and evolution in his dissertation on Kettle's Yard house and gallery in Cambridge. His thesis project built upon this research with a contextual investigation in Spitalfields, on the fringe of the City of London, from which the design of an Art Exchange developed as a way of mediating between the conflicting commercial and civic interests of the area.
Barry's practical experience is predominately in mid to high-end residential projects on which he has worked for Pitts Architects in Cambridgeshire and Woolf Architects in London. |