Watson Batty Architects has announced four promotions within its team as it remains on track to surpass growth targets with a strong business pipeline for 2022.
Robert Jagger has been promoted to Associate Director with a remit to grow the already established residential and specialist living sector portfolio at Watson Batty. Robert has over 16 years’ in-depth experience in both sectors and will work closely with registered providers, contractors, and local authorities to deliver innovative design solutions. He will also continue to lead on maintaining standards across the practice including Revit software and BIM Level 2 compliance.
Rob Cundy has been promoted to Associate and will assist in developing business across higher education whilst helping to mentor younger architects through qualifications and career path development. Rob has over 22 years’ industry experience working with both private and public sectors and has designed complex projects for Durham, Newcastle, and Leeds Beckett Universities
Gemma Bottomley is also promoted to Associate, primarily working across the specialist living sector and helping to develop the interior design service at Watson Batty. Gemma, who has 14 years multi sector experience, will also lead on dementia design compliance across the practice and is developing schemes towards gold standard University of Stirling Dementia Design Accreditation.
David Whalley also becomes an Associate, further developing the large-scale master planning expertise at Watson Batty. With 22 years’ industry experience focused on the living and specialist living sectors, David will help grow the PRS and student residential sectors and ensure that the practice is at the forefront of fast-moving technological advancements in the industry. He is also part of the practices’ sustainability task force in response to the climate crisis and commitment to the RIBA Climate Challenge.
Watson Batty Architects was established more than 45 years ago as a future focused business offering architectural, interior design and master planning solutions for all sectors. The practice, which employs a team of 35 across studios in Leeds and Loughborough, has traded ahead of targets despite the many challenges of 2020/21, and expects to surpass its £2.8m turnover targets by around 7% by April year end.
Peter White, managing director at Watson Batty, said,
“We are delighted to announce these well-deserved promotions within the practice. They represent the future of Watson Batty and have proved themselves to be at the forefront of design innovation and aspiring leaders in their respective sectors.
“With a strong business pipeline and robust and incentivised team in place, we are pushing forward with a business priority on sustainability as we face the urgency of the Climate Crisis. We have established a sustainability task force to address this and to guide our clients on how to design and deliver buildings on the journey to net zero. Our principles look to drive change within the industry in sustainability as well as fire safety, modern methods of construction and inclusive design.”
Watson Batty provides expert design services across major public and private sector projects in all key commercial sectors, including industrial and distribution, learning, healthcare, living, retail, sport and leisure, transport, and workplace. Clients include Accent Housing, Exemplar Healthcare, Wm Morrisons Supermarkets Royal Mail Group, Together Housing and Yorkshire Housing. New clients include Vistry Partnerships, Elliott Group, Leeds Federated HA, Wharfedale Homes and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust.
Its team is also involved with the RIBA Student Mentoring Programme at the University of Sheffield, De Montfort University, Leicester and Loughborough University.