About Us - RIBA Chartered Architects - OPEN Architecture
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Director

STEPHANIE MASON

Go-getter. People person. Vodka and cucumber tonic enthusiast. Spa dweller. Work hard, play hard.

Stephanie joined OPEN architecture back in 2017 and has since then has taken over the reins of the business with Glyn in 2019. At OPEN, Stephanie is not only Director of the company, but champions the Interiors sector with a small dedicated team in the studio.

She has a passion for designing inspirational spaces, with client satisfaction and the end user’s needs being the paramount force behind the original design idea and process. She has a wealth of experience in Interior Architecture, ranging from prestigious Developer led projects in London (such as Belvedere Gardens and 190 Strand) to projects further afield in Kuala Lumpur when working at Foster + Partners.

Stephanie’s educational background is impressive and varied; with qualifications beginning with a Master of Architecture from the Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA and later gaining a Master of Art from the Architectural Association, London in Housing and Urbanism. She has also gained a Postgraduate Diploma in Interior Design from the British Academy of Interior Design, London.

In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys getting lost in a good book with the precious time alone given her young family commitments, spending time with friends and family and relaxing over some enthralling TV.

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Director

GLYN FRIEND

Detail orientated. BMX racer. Family man. Fruity cider lover. Outdoors explorer.

Glyn is the Director principally heading the Retail Sector with an impressive varied experience across sectors prior to working at OPEN architecture. Glyn has been with the company nine years and he and Stephanie have been running OPEN architecture together since 2019. As a team they are a force to be reckoned with!

His past experience is wide and varied and includes working on prisons, residential, Education, Master planning and Urban Design and Leisure Resorts. Of this vast arena of sector expertise, Glyn is particularly interested in the Retail, Education, Urban Design and Housing fields. He is a graduate of Greenwich University culminating in his Post Grad Professional Studies (Part 3) here too.

Glyn is driven by concentrating on the details be it at the macro or micro scale of architecture and the built environment. He strongly believes that good architecture and design can and does have a positive effect on people’s lives and how they live, work and travel through spaces; it is our duty as designers to embrace this when delivering projects to clients. He brings this passion in detail in all the Retail projects in the studio at OPEN architecture.

Glyn is a keen mountain bike rider, BMX racer and Judo champ. He enjoys walking, outdoor activities and visiting new places, be it cities, buildings, urban developments or our fantastic national parks.

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Associate Director

PAUL MORRISH

Creative. Practical. Bread and Pizza maker. Photographer & Outdoor adventurer.

Paul is an architect with more than 25 years experience working on projects in the UK and abroad.  He has worked across a wide-range of building sectors including: residential, education, development and ecclesiastical projects of which a number have won RIBA National Awards.

At OPEN architecture, Paul successfully leads projects through all stages of the design process –concept, planning, through detailed design to completion on site.  He has delivered a variety of projects, of varying scales, from small private dwellings up to £15M mixed-use developments.  He has a keen eye for design, through all the projects stages, which is supported by his in-depth knowledge on construction and building methodologies. 

Paul loves the outdoors and volunteers as a local Air Scout leader.  He also enjoys spending quality time with his family (& 4 chickens).

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Consultant

PAUL McPARTLAND

Planning legend. Red wine connoisseur. Cycling aficionado.  Always part of the OPEN family.

Paul founded OPEN architecture in 1998 after a career working in some top 100 Architects, throughout London and the South East. Paul studied at Southbank and Greenwich University, gaining the knowledge to support his passion for design. He has vast experience within the construction industry, specialising in Residential, Heritage, Retail and Development. During his career working for the government, Paul was involved on many prestigious architectural listed buildings in London. His ability to design and translate through clear drawings led to him receiving several awards for design.

Paul passed the OPEN Director baton to Steph and Glyn back in 2019 but continues to work with us as a consultant. He continues to be immensely proud of OPEN architecture and strongly believes in delivering the highest quality design that celebrates creativity, whilst delivering practical solutions to ensure a holistic approach to designing quality buildings, for the enjoyment of people.

Paul spends his time outside the office cycling and running, taking part and supporting 40TUDE every year which involves cycling over 4 days and covering over 400k. Paul is also keen on motorsport and attends the MIPIM car rally each year in March.

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Senior Architect

JOANNA LOIZOU

Gets the job done. Baking queen. Multi tasker. BMXer.

Joanna has over 15 years' experience, working mainly in the Private Residential sector with past experience working in Education, Healthcare and Commercial Residential sectors.

In the past she has worked closely with Housing Associations across London to achieve deliverable schemes, which include high end apartments to affordable social housing. She is a graduate of the University of Greenwich and is RIBA accredited.

In more recent years Joanna has developed a specialism for the Private Residential market, with an emphasis on good design achieved within often tight budgets. At OPEN she has had a pivotal role in developing and improving the domestic housing technical packages. She has the ability to work across a project for all stages and has a mentoring role within the office to make sure consistent technical information is being delivered across all Private Residential schemes.

Outside of OPEN, Joanna enjoys a hectic home life with her two sons and with any free time remaining loves a good book and baking.

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Associate

SIMON RICKARDS

Passionate designer. Coffee connoisseur. Fun loving. Eye for detail.

Simon is a qualified architect who works closely with the Private Residential and Development teams in the studio. He is a graduate of the University of Bath and the Royal College of Art where his final thesis project explored the intersection of Architecture and finance in London’s real estate market.

Since joining OPEN architecture Simon has worked on a number of residential and commercial schemes, with particular expertise in the design and planning stages. He understands the need for clear communication throughout the design process to ensure the best results.

Simon believes in simple design and careful details. He is also at the forefront to champion the use of technology to improve the quality of design and is currently heading up graphic design standards at OPEN architecture as part of his Associate role. As a certified Passivhaus designer he appreciates the need for a holistic approach to creating comfortable spaces.

In his spare time, Simon keeps updated on current design and architectural trends and is inspired by his favourite designers being Carl Auböck and Dom Hans Van der Laan. He is also keen on travel afar to experience new cultures and study their architecture.

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Architectural Assistant

JOSEPH PRIOR

Design enthusiast. Arty. Keen linguist. Tenacious tennis player.

Before joining OPEN architecture Joseph completed his Part II at Leeds School of Architecture and his Part I at the University of Manchester. He is currently taking his Part III exams at the University of Westminster and should qualify in.

For his final thesis project Joseph designed a masterplan exploiting waterway infrastructure to drive ecological development, creating suburban islands for live, work and play. He won the award for the West Yorkshire Society of Architect’s prize for excellence in drawing.

Joseph is enthusiastic about design and has past experience on residential and conservation projects He truly believes in customising space to create quality environments to both live in and enjoy.

In his spare time Joseph enjoys art, music, keeping active and is a particular tennis enthusiast. He has a keen interest in language and is studying Mandarin in his spare time.

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Architectural Assistant

LUKE WADE

Running enthusiast. Will go the extra mile. Ready with a quick witted one liner.

Luke completed his bachelors degree in 2018, graduating from the University of Plymouth. Following a year of travelling Luke joined OPEN architecture in 2019. Since joining he has worked on a variety of jobs, ranging from larger Development projects to bespoke Private Residential designs.

Luke’s focus lies on sustainable architecture and its unification with contemporary design. He is interested in the development of architecture that seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact through the use of technology, whilst still maintaining a consideration for thoughtful design.

Luke is an avid runner outside of the office, taking part in numerous local races over the past year, including the Brighton marathon. Luke enjoys any outdoors activity, including hiking and cycling as well as travelling.

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Architectural Assistant

CHARLES KHAI

Calm under pressure. Photoshop whizz. Creative mind. Cake man. Happy to help.

Charles Khai joined OPEN architecture in 2019 as a Part I Architectural Assistant following the completion of his bachelors degree from Ravensbourne University.

Since joining OPEN architecture Charles has assisted on various projects ranging in size from residential to commercial. His discipline focuses on formation of architectural spaces through graphic visuals and 3D modeling.

Charles has a great passion for architecture and design. His goal is to have an impact on improving people’s lives and communities through design. He is looking forward to study and complete his Part II qualification in the near future.

Charles loves art and creating art in his spare time. Drawing is also one of his favourite past times.

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Architectural Assistant / Technician

DAN ASH

Detail orientated. Rugby super fan. Thinks outside the box.

Dan completed his Part 1 degree at the University of Reading. Dan has a particular interest in facade design and the potential for the edges of buildings to play a role in engaging people and encouraging social interaction. Dan firmly believes that architecture can be a catalyst for social change. He believes that through considerate and careful design, architecture has the potential to change people’s lives. His dissertation highlighted this when he went to visit a newly built housing development to analyse how its design had encouraged social interaction amongst its residents and the wider public.

Dan has a wide range of experience across different work stages from concept design through to technical design and from small scale surveys and planning drawings through to large multi-phase housing developments. He has a real eye for detail and is fascinated by the detail that goes into building design and construction. He enjoys researching contemporary and new ways to build and is especially interested in how sustainable building materials can become more developed and widely used within architecture and beyond.

Dan is a keen rugby fan and loves both watching and playing it. He is also a keen American football fan and is hoping to start playing in the near future. He boxes in his spare time and loves the occasional (or not) Netflix binge.

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Office Manager & Executive Assistant

CATHERINE COFFEY

Silver linings girl. Loves a list. People person. Culinary creative. Massive mug of tea drinker.  

Catherine worked as a successful project manager in London for Microsoft and SwiftKey working on big global software projects before starting a family. Wanting to have more flexibility and work locally, she jumped at the chance to work with such a brilliant group of people doing very impressive things, whilst still being able to use her management and organisational skills. Some perks of the job have been witnessing the end result of some stunning projects and rediscovering her creative streak when it comes to marketing and social media. 

Catherine has picked up running again and loves to swim. Travelling and trying out different recipes are still some of her favourite things to do but don't happen quite as often now she's running around after two fiercely independent little girls.  

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Receptionist & Administrator

LINDA PERNI

Sparkling personality. Keen horticulturalist. Crafter. Sharp witted. Cat lover.

Linda is our delightful front of house receptionist and administrator. She joined OPEN architecture after working as a childminder for 13 years, prior to that she was a Financial PA in the City of London for many years in the Charity and Finance Sectors.

Linda supports our busy reception and helps out with a variety of tasks making sure that our clients and visitors are well looked after. She enjoys being an integral part of the team and helping others.

Linda enjoys many craft activities including embroidery, tapestry and upcycling furniture. She is a keen gardener and has been known to bake the odd cake for her colleagues at the studio.

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Accounts

PAULA HUDSON

Maths whizz. Beach lover. Detail orientated. Globe trotter. Quick witted. Green fingered.

Paula is our wonderful accounts person. She is a delight to work with and has helped us out enormously since she started with us in 2019. She has over 20 years' experience in looking after people’s accounts. Her OPEN architecture clients are obviously her favourites by far to work with!

Paula loves being outdoors in the countryside but also takes every opportunity she can to nip down to the coast. Devon is one of her most favourite places to be. She’s an avid gardener and loves to deepen her horticultural knowledge whenever possible. Her garden is a place she has become very proud of. Paula enjoys broadening her horizons and adores visiting her son in whichever foreign city he’s currently living in (five to date).

LOCAL ARCHITECTS & DESIGNERS

Whether you are planning an extension to your home or a full refurbishment of an office block, choosing an architect can be one of the most important decisions you make. To ensure that you’re looking at the perfect build at the end of the project, you need to make sure you get off on the right foot by working with the best local architects for your endeavour.

Ideally, the firm you choose will be familiar with the local area. They should have a thorough knowledge and understanding of local authority planning rules and the latest building regulations.

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ARCHITECTS COVERING TONBRIDGE

OPEN architecture are a group of RIBA chartered architects with over 25 years’ experience providing architectural planning and design to businesses and residents in Tonbridge, Kent. We strive to create both beautiful and functional spaces with innovative designs produced to the very highest technical standards.

Our design team listens to your needs to produce the design that is right for you. Our wide portfolio covers a range of residential, commercial and other types of properties, with various architectural requirements both traditional and contemporary. We offer services to oversee your project from start to finish, including professional on site construction.

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ARCHITECTS COVERING TUNBRIDGE WELLS

With over 25 years’ experience in architecture planning, our team of RIBA Chartered architects offer services throughout Royal Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding areas. Our aim is to create both beautiful and functional spaces with innovative design, produced to the highest technical standard, starting with our design team who will fulfil your vision in their meticulous design plans. We make sure to get every detail about your requirements to produce a design that is right for you.

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