Bob Whittington, chairman of Bristol architects Stride Treglown, has announced he is to retire at the end of the year after 33 years with the firm.
Bob has been chairman for the past four years and a director for 23.
He has seen the firm grow from a small Bristol practice with 16 staff to the South West’s largest and a player on the national stage with nine offices and 240 staff.
Strides carries out all the feasibility work for Sainsbury’s in the South West and Wales and is also involved in about 10 primary schools, four academies and more than 20 universities.
It is also architect to all three armed services and has a considerable track record in healthcare buildings.
Student housing has also become important to the firm and it has roughly 5,000 units under construction with about 15,000 completed.
“We’ve gone from T squares to iPads,” said Bob. “One of the best things to develop in recent years has been the recognition of the importance of environmental sustainability.
“About 70% of the carbon footprint comes from the built environment and Strides is really proud to be making a difference here.” Last year the firm built its own new offices in Cardiff which are now Carbon Zero and built from sustainable materials.
“We also do our best to persuade our clients to be mindful of the environment so most of our current commissions have a good BREEAM rating,” he said.
The past four years had not been easy for the construction industry, he said. “But Strides has fared well, and I am confident that I can leave the practice – still one of the largest in the UK – in sound form, low on debt, high on orders, with the best staff in the country and to continue to provide the level of service that keeps us so strong.
“I still have seven months of hard and enjoyable work ahead of me.”
Bob will be replaced as chairman by David Hunter, who currently heads the practice’s education team providing architectural design and associated consultancy services to universities, colleges and schools throughout the UK and overseas.
He has experience in a broad range of work from masterplanning and urban design to architecture and interior design and, in addition to his many education sector clients, has worked with variety of major organisations such as BT, Her Majesty's Court Service and Cardiff Bay Development Corporation.
David said: “Having been with the practice for more than 20 years, I have seen it grow and evolve out of all recognition. I don’t underestimate the challenges that face us as we continue to develop, but I know that, despite the difficult business conditions of recent years, we are in good shape to take the next steps to build our capability both nationally and internationally.”
