Having held the roles of performance lead and associate studio principal at Warren and Mahoney, JWA says Archbold’s appointment is a critical step in its strategic growth ambition. With a 20-year history, JWA has an award-winning portfolio of projects across the commercial, industrial, and residential sectors, and founder Jonathan Walker sees huge opportunity for growth.

“Intelligent automation is changing the architecture landscape. Everything from rendering to documentation is being done more efficiently, enabling smaller architecture studios to step up the scale and impact of their work. Adding the experience of Arch, with his proven design and management expertise, allows us to offer clients the agility, drive and efficiency of a small practice with the quality, and risk management processes they would expect from the biggest players.”

Archbold agrees the pairing creates something unique in the market. “I’ve come to understand that large projects don’t necessarily require large design teams. In my experience, project success is contingent on a team’s power to weight ratio. At JWA there’s an immensely talented team who have all honed their craft in demanding commercial environments. As a result, there’s a natural affinity with design that cuts through complexity.”

Seeing JWA’s approach as a differentiator in a time when projects can struggle to move beyond the business case Archbold adds: “I don’t think it’s lost on clients that, at times, the design process itself can be over-designed, with more subject matter experts than people who are actually going to do the work. JWA are a sail, not an anchor, and the opportunity to offer clients great design delivered efficiently, is an incredibly exciting prospect.”

When asked about future growth plans, Jonathan Walker is clear: “JWA has always created architecture with a sculptural quality and delivered it within real world constraints. We liken it to the concept of premium economy, with technical excellence providing the fuel for innovative design thinking.  We believe this results in architecture that elevates the human experience, delivers a financial return and simplifies construction. That ethos isn’t changing, but with Arch on board, we’re now able to expand our offer into a wider client base and range of projects.”