HLM Architects grows board of directors and appoints new associates

The new board members include Marcus Earnshaw, who has worked at the practice for over 26 years, and Simon Chenery, previously a board director at Sidell Gibson.

Marcus originally joined HLM Architects in 1995, bringing a comprehensive understanding of the architectural process combined with strong expertise in IT and computing. One of his most notable recent innovations is the Thoughtful Design Toolkit, a suite of digital tools that enable designers and clients to define, develop and assess their building projects in an evidence-based way.

Simon brings more than 20 years’ experience working on residential-led regeneration projects, predominantly in London. His expertise on producing innovative and creative, project-specific design solutions secured him a leading role on projects such as Three Snowhill in Birmingham, the largest speculative office development outside of London, and Cambridge Assessment Centre, a new international headquarters that brought together 11 teams under one roof.

The four new Associates are Anne Daw, Karl Brown Stuart Beaumont and Luke Riggall.

Anne joined HLM in 2009 and has worked predominantly in the education sector, ranging from primary schools to large university buildings and campus master planning, with extensive experience in modular schemes. Notable projects included the Caledonian Modular Schools valued at £250m, Sir Frederick Gibberd College and the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University.

Karl, who has worked for the practice since 2015, has focused primarily on the higher education sector. This has ranged from estate master planning through to small-scale refurbishment of innovative teaching spaces and large-scale new-build facilities. As a member of HLM’s Sustainability Group, Karl is helping the practice meet the RIBA Sustainable Outcomes by embedding good, sustainable design principles in our projects and through his research and development on key themes.

Following 10 years of military service as a submariner, Stuart redirected his career in 2006 to qualify as a Chartered Architect. From his 12 years in practice, Stuart has gained a wealth of experience across multiple project scales, sectors, and work stages, leading new build and refurbishment projects in the Defence, Healthcare, Education, and Residential Sectors.

Luke, who is based in the London Studio, has worked cross-sector over the years within Education, Justice, Residential and Defence. He has led a range of complex and challenging projects from concept to completion. He champions the Defence Sector in the Southern region, and passionate about environmental sustainability and responsive design to suit user needs, context, and climate to create sympathetic and rich contextualised spaces.

The six new appointments come after it was announced earlier this year that the practice has transitioned to an Employee Ownership Trust, transferring 100% of its shareholding for the benefit of its employees.

Richard O’Neil, Chairman, HLM Architects, said: “We are pleased to welcome these new members to our Board of Directors and Associate appointments. The expansion of our management team reflects the strong growth our practice has achieved in recent years, and comes as we begin a new chapter at HLM with our transition to an Employee Ownership Trust, placing our team at the heart of our practice and ensuring everyone is key to shaping our future. Their collective wealth of experience, passion and drive will be a valuable addition that will no doubt contribute to our long-term success.”