Practice

The Manser Practice is an architecture and interior design studio with a reputation for quality. We work on all types of projects – big, small and everything in-between – from concept to completion. And we love a challenge.

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  • Jonathan Manser

    MA Cantab Dip Arch RIBA FRSA

    CEO

    Jonathan comes from a family of architects – both his father and sister are architects and his mother is an architectural journalist.

    Jonathan has over thirty years of experience in the design and management of large-scale commercial and residential projects. He supervises the design teams within the studio and is skilled in creating design solutions that are appropriate to the nature and constraints of each job. Some of the key projects with which he has been involved include Heathrow Hilton T4, Umoja House Dar es Salaam, The Great Eastern Hotel, Artigiano, most of the recent private houses including his own.

    His expertise in design development, the technology of building and cost-effective detailing is a guiding force in the work of The Manser Practice.

    He is regularly invited to act as an awards assessor, including for the RIBA, and as European Hotel Design Awards Chairman of Judges.

    Key Projects

  • Mathilde Adrey

  • Daniel Aubrey

  • Guy Barlow

    BA (Hons) Dip Arch MA RIBA

    Joint Managing Director

    Guy was raised in York and went on to study architecture at Sheffield University. He joined the practice in 1999, was made a Director in 2004 and set up the northern office in 2005. He became Joint Managing Director in 2014.

    Guy’s interests lie in creating efficient and uplifting buildings and spaces for those that use them. He believes in working from first principles, working with the client to robustly analyse how a building will be used then designing it using a simple, clear and integrated design approach. This ensures that what is delivered supports the activities that go on within it.

    He believes that the skill of an architect is to deliver a building that not only functions, but lifts the spirits, and this is supported by the cross-fertilisation of ideas between sectors. He has a passion for art, sculpture in particular, and is interested in the benefits of working with artists in the built environment. A number of the projects he has delivered have either showcased artwork or integrated it into them to deliver enriched environments for the end user.

    He has broad experience of delivering masterplans, healthcare projects, transport buildings, housing and  hotels. He is currently delivering a series of healthcare projects, a cruise liner terminal, a mixed use housing and office scheme and a social enterprise hotel, an emerging building typology.

    Guy is also an external tutor at the University of Sheffield and a RIBA Awards assessor.

    Key Projects

  • Dean Bartlett

    BA (Hons) MArch PgCert RIBA

    Associate Director

    Dean Bartlett is a chartered Architect who studied at the Leeds School of Architecture, University of Sheffield, and University of Cambridge respectively.

    He has worked with The Manser Practice in York since 2014, gaining extensive experience across many sectors including healthcare, transport, and private residential. He is passionate about conservation, social inclusion, and re-invention of existing building stock over replacement.

    Dean has worked on a number of our most distinguished projects in recent years; including the NGS Macmillan Unit (Chesterfield), Isle of Man Ferry Terminal (Liverpool), and the conservation of grade II listed Ashgate Hospice (Old Brampton).

    Key Projects

  • Charlotte Bate

  • Josh Brookes

  • Russell Colling

  • Chris Coupland

    BA (HONS) DIPARCH MARCH RIBA

    Associate Director

    Chris joined the practice as an Architectural Assistant in 2011 after completing his Diploma in Architecture at the University of Huddersfield. Whilst continuing to work at the practice he completed his Master’s Degree, attaining his Part III accreditation with distinction in December 2013. During this time he was responsible for the delivery of the Clinical Decisions Unit at Barnsley Hospital.

    Since then he has been an integral part of the Northern team, developing a broad range of experience in multiple sectors, including work on a Social Enterprise Hotel in Inverness, mixed-used development at Eagle Wharf Road London, Hull Cruise Terminal and the Isle of Man Ferry Terminal.
    He has also gained considerable experience and expertise in the Healthcare sector, having designed and delivered a number of projects including the Endoscopy Department and Urgent Care Village at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, Women’s & Children’s Masterplan at Barnsley Hospital, and the Main Reception and Women’s & Children’s upgrades at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

    Chris’s approach is to achieve well-organised and rational architecture through quality design and attention to detail, with the aim to create inviting spaces that people enjoy using. He also enjoys working with and coordinating both the client and design teams to achieve the best design solutions possible.

    Key Projects

  • Guy Duhig

  • Caroline Egeskov

  • Inaki Etxeberria

  • Sarah Gardner

  • Antonio Gallo

    Senior Architect

    Antonio is a RIBA chartered Architect that joined the practice in 2020 after working three years in the UK with other companies where he gained experience in residential design and UK regulations. Antonio graduated and worked in Milan for five years on multiple projects and sectors, before moving to London.

    After joining the practice he co-led a large scale, residential St. George scheme, bringing it from tender to completion.  In addition to this, Antonio also has lead commercial and one-off housing projects.

    He is currently delivering high-end projects and is a key part of management, implementing Revit in the London office.

  • Andreea Gheorghe

  • Rebecca Goode

  • Santushni Gunetilleke

  • Chris Jeffcoate

    BA(Hons) PGDip(Arch) PGDip(PP) RIBA ARB

    Director

    Since joining The Manser Practice in 2008, Chris has had a key role on a number of projects including the award winning Spring Mews mixed-use development in Vauxhall. Chris specialises in the resort hotel, hospitality and student accommodation sectors and has delivered a number of resort hotel projects within complex live environments with challenging programmes and phased deliveries.

    Beyond hospitality, Chris is also responsible for large scale sites outside of London at planning stages; enabling affordable housing, resort complexes and, most recently, working on over 50,000-sq-m of new office space in the south of England

    Key Projects

  • Roman Koester

  • Jörg Matthaei

    Dip Ing RWTH

    Associate Director

    Jörg joined The Manser Practice in 2006 after working and qualifying as an architect in Germany and became an associate director in September 2012.

    Having overseen the design and construction of projects in the UK and abroad, his focus is to achieve a high degree of architectural quality by the efficient use of both traditional and innovative materials and products.

    He has broad experience of designing ‘pod’ type prefabricated hotel rooms as part of work for Yotel, Snoozebox and Vanke, domestically as well as internationally in China, Schiphol and Frankfurt.

    In addition to gaining valuable hotel experience on projects for Thorpe Hall Hotel and Spa, Ventnor Winter Gardens and Staybridge, he worked on health care, residential and mixed use projects including Westminster Tower in Lambeth and the Spring Mews student accommodation and hotel in Vauxhall.

    Key Projects

  • Eleanor Mettham

  • Carlos Miñones Garrido

    Associate Director

    Carlos has joined The Manser Practice in 2020 and he is involved in all St George’s projects coordinating the different proposals and teams.

    Carlos graduated in architecture at the Architecture School of A Coruna (Spain) and in 2007 he moved to the UK where he worked in a number of prestigious firms as Benoy, Perkins+Will and Sheppard Robson.

    He has been involved in a wide range of project types and has experience in all stages of design and construction. He has a very strong background delivering high end commercial projects.

  • Barry Mullin

    BA(Hons) Arch, DipArch(Hons) RIBA

    Joint Managing Director

    Barry joined the Manser Practice in 1994, became Director and Company Secretary in 1999 and Joint Managing Director in 2014. He has over twenty-five years of experience in the profession.

    He specialises in large scale contract administration, with a wealth of experience in designing and co-ordinating complex projects ensuring value management of design details. His work continually demonstrates that cost-effective construction is achieved through the integration of structure and services.

    Barry believes that a close working relationship with the client should be maintained throughout the project to ensure a successful outcome. Good buildings require good clients.

    Some of Barry’s key past projects are refurbishment and extension of the Grade II listed Great Eastern Hotel in Liverpool Street, London (now a Hyatt owned Andaz), new Hilton Hotels at Gatwick airport and Wembley Stadium and Sketch on Conduit Street, Mayfair (refurbishment and restoration of a Grade II* listed Wyatt townhouse).

    More recently he has been managing a number of large scale residential projects for large residential clients, as well as designing and negotiating planning for a number of new hotels, student accommodation and office projects around the country

    Key Projects

  • Rob Owen

    BA Hons Interior Architecture & Design

    Head of Interior Design

    Rob joined the practice in early 2013, having returned to the UK after working in Singapore. Since then he has progressed within the interiors team and became Senior Designer in September 2015. He has a broad range of experience of designing for the hospitality, food and beverage and residential sectors.

    During his time with the practice, Rob has worked on many residential developments for clients such as Berkeley Homes Plc, Quintain Estate and Developments, Family Mosaic and NEAT Developments, delivering designs for high end penthouses, apartments for the PRS and private sales market as well as shared ownership properties. His attention to detail begins with the space planning of individual apartments, and runs through to the finishing details within marketing suites and show apartments.

    Key Projects

  • Christian Peel

  • Adam Perry

  • Chris Phillips

  • Carlos Saurith Molina

  • Aayushi Savani

  • Jo Shepherd

    FFB

    Business Development Manager

    Jo joined The Manser Practice following a long career in the construction industry, with experience working for a developer/contractor, and a structural engineering practice.

    She is a Fellow and Board Director of the Faculty of Building (fbe), and joint founder of the female support network Forging Links.  A prolific networker, responsible for new business and client relationship management for The Manser Practice, both in London and York.  Jo also supports the Practice’s media presence.

  • Jack Taylor

  • Jem Taylor

    BA (Arch) B Arch (Hons) RAIA

    Associate Director

    Jem joined the practice as Associate Director in 2016. A registered architect in Australia, he has been practicing in the UK since 2005 designing and delivering complex and high quality projects across a wide range of sectors. These include: housing, extra-care, media centres, education, offices, mixed-use schemes, urban and large public realm projects.

    Jem has a strong commitment to designing and delivering quality places and buildings that are sustainable, tactile, simple but rigorously conceived for their users, community, climate, cultural and physical contexts. In each project he seeks to find a common DNA linking all the elements of brief, aspiration, design and technical delivery; and to rigorously question, investigate and refine all inputs into the design process. He has successfully applied these skills to the master-planning of contemporary housing and mixed-use regeneration schemes, design for the elderly in extra-care, careful but clear insertion of new buildings and adaptations into historically important contexts, as well as crafting the intricacy of artists’ installations with the most gritty of civil engineering requirements in his coastal public realm work.

    Key Projects

  • Cath Tod

  • Alex Warren

    BA(Hons) Arch, MArch, PGDipPP RIBA

    Associate Director

    Alex studied in Leeds School of Architecture then University College London (The Bartlett), graduating with distinction. He started working at Manser’s northern office in 2011 then re-joined The Manser Practice in London in 2014, helping achieve planning for 470 apartments above a new international cruise terminal in central London.

    He is experienced across all job stages and in a variety of different sectors, from healthcare, offices and transport to student accommodation, residential and private houses. He also has experience marketing, helping assemble content for Manser’s website and working with architectural journalist Peter Murray to publish the Manser House Book in 2015. He has volunteered abroad on various construction projects and is involved with a local youth enterprise scheme helping sixth form students start their careers in the construction industry.

    He is currently leading a team delivering an exciting mixed use development in Gibraltar containing offices, retail and 355 apartments above swimming pools and gardens.

  • Becky Watson

    Practice Manager

    With a background in TV Production and a history of working for Start Up companies Becky joined the practice in January 2016 as their Office Manager, handling the day to day running of the London office as well as offering Administrative support.

    Since then Becky’s role has grown within the practice and she has become Practice Manager and is involved in all aspects of the business from HR to finances to ISO9001 & ISO14001.

    Becky is also our CPD Co-ordinator for both offices.

  • Francesca Williams

  • Greg Williamson

  • Maddalena Viti

  • Michael Manser

    CBE RA Dip Arch PPRIBA RWA Hon FRAIC

    Founder

    Michael qualified in 1954 and went on to establish Michael Manser Associates in 1960. He was President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (1983-85) and was widely recognised as an innovator, educator, writer and leader in the profession.

    Michael’s first house was for his parents and more followed including his family home.  He continued to produce innovative houses and established a reputation as a modernist. He was influenced by Mies van der Rohe, the California Case study houses, Andrea Palladio, and the mathematics of proportion.  He met fellow Modernists through his journalism in the 1950s / 1960s; writing for the Observer, Architectural Design and Home magazine.

    His early reputation was founded on one-off houses, some of which are now listed. Larger projects followed notably the ground breaking 400 bedroom Hilton Hotel at Heathrow Terminal 4. Other notable and award winning buildings included the Queen’s Suite Terminal at Heathrow, Southampton Airport, the British High Commission in Dar Es Salaam, Thorncroft Manor and Waterlooville Baptist church.  He was honoured to be associated with the Manser Medal for the design of one off houses.

    He was an Academician for both the Royal Academy of Arts and the Royal West of England Academy.

    He was awarded a CBE for services to architecture in 1993.

    The Architects Journal 13th June 2016

    The Telegraph 9th June 2016

    The Financial Times 9th June 2016

    Key Projects