Practice

Andy Hedger BA (Hons), MArch, RIBA
Architect

Andy joined JRA in 2021 after obtaining a Masters degree in Sustainable Architecture from the Centre for Alternative Technology. Graduating with distinction, his training in the use of natural materials and historic building techniques stood him in good stead for a career in conservation.

While with JRA, Andy qualified as an architect and received a letter of commendation from the Bartlett School of Architecture for his high level of achievement throughout the Part 3 Qualification in Professional Practice.

Since becoming a Chartered Member of the RIBA, Andy has obtained Listed Building Consents for a number of private developments on ecologically sensitive sites. He oversaw the careful repair and reordering of Grade I Listed Wortham Manor for The Landmark Trust  which included a site wide services overhaul, introducing ground source heat pumps in a bid to move towards net zero targets.

Andy played a key role in the regeneration of Woolsery village and is currently involved in a number of projects at St Michael’s Mount, Cornwall.

Darryn Marrs HNC (Construction), MCIAT
Senior Architectural Technologist - Accredited Conservationist

A chartered architectural technologist, Darryn is an experienced senior technician with sound construction and detailing knowledge and a particular interest in conservation and renovation. He has been with the practice since 2008.

Following the completion of a HNC in construction, Darryn has worked on a variety of projects from the change of use of listed buildings, to numerous house extension and alteration projects, with varying budgets from small to large.

His experience includes the extensive repair, renovation and conservation of a 6500sq ft. Grade I listed Georgian town house in the world heritage site of Bath shortlisted for the 2017 Michelmores Property Awards – Heritage Project of the Year. He is also the project lead on a long-term maintenance and repair programme for a local charitable trust, that owns four large Grade II listed town centre buildings, housing numerous flats, shops, offices and a bar.

Darryn’s love of detailing extends to enjoying carpentry and joinery at home, where he makes anything from cabinets, planters and trinket boxes to general DIY projects.

Darryn is a CIAT Accredited Conservationist, a qualification which recognises his knowledge, skill and experience in working with historic buildings. 

David Bridges MCIAT BSc (Hons)
Senior Architectural Technologist

Following an Honours Degree in Architectural Design from Coventry University, David has been with the practice since 2009.

David has worked on a wide range of projects, from small kitchen extensions and cottage refurbishments, to high-end barn conversions, large farmstead alterations and a new-build luxury pool house, which he particularly enjoyed. He is proficient in various software packages and finds Sketchup an invaluable tool for exploring ideas in 3D.  

David was inspired to work in the field of architecture by a desire to manifest drawings into real world space for people to experience not just look at. Some of his favourite buildings include Grand Central Terminal in New York, for its jaw dropping scale, and Barcelona’s La Sagrada Familia which he finds stunning in its scope and execution.

Having achieved accreditation as a Chartered Architectural Technologist (MCIAT) David is applying for CIAT Conservation Accreditation.

Evie Burrows
Architectural Apprentice

Evie joined the practice as an Apprentice in July 2021, having completed her A-levels in Art & Design, Design Technology and Psychology. While she was studying, Evie completed an online architecture course in her spare time to gain a greater understanding of key architectural principles.  

Evie is now undertaking her Part I Architecture degree on a part time basis at Portsmouth University while working and gaining hands on experience in the Devon design studio.

She is particularly interested in the idea of repurposing and renovating old buildings to conserve our local heritage. In her spare time Eve enjoys using her drawings skills for portraiture.

Helen Bennett-Day BA (Hons) MArch RIBA
Architect

Helen completed her Master of Architecture course at the University of the West of England, and joined Jonathan Rhind Architects in August 2019. At the end of 2021 she completed her Part 3 course to become a qualified Architect. 

Throughout her time at university conservation formed a key aspect to Helen’s design and research projects, and she often chose sites that involved the renovation or restoration of listed buildings. Her final year thesis focused on the social element of design and how the local and wider community could be encouraged to use a once derelict site to bring life back to the area.  

Helen spent her time in practice working on a range of conservation projects of different scales, from small extensions to large public buildings. Helen enjoys working with clients and contractors to identify elements of existing buildings for conservation / enhancement which will create balanced completed spaces. 

Joe Shadrick BA (Hons)
Part I Architectural Assistant

Joe joined the practice in the Summer of 2023 having graduated from De Montfort University. Joe’s passion for biophilic design informed his dissertation on how biophilic design can be implemented in primary schools to improve access to learning for children with ADHD.

Joe is particularly interested in understanding the psychological effects of the spaces we inhabit and create. He has found that taking inspiration from a variety of places, even the unexpected, can provide the best for project outcomes.

In his spare time Joe enjoys photography and drawing in the Devon countryside and coaches a local basketball team.

John Alexander BSc, DipArch, Msc (Cons), RIBA, SCA, AABC
Director Conservation Architect

John is a chartered architect and director since 2002, following his postgraduate master’s degree in building conservation at Bath university. He has previously worked on large commercial and healthcare projects in Bristol and London.

John has over 40 years’ experience in the industry and all of his projects in the last 25 years have had a conservation element, including consolidation of ruins, church repairs and works to historically significant properties. He is the appointed architect on over 40 churches and has a wide range of experience on listed buildings, from important historic farmhouses to industrial sites. He is currently the appointed architect for St Michael's Mount in Cornwall for the National Trust and St Aubyn Estates.

John is the secretary of the Barnstaple Building Preservation Trust as well as taking a role in The Conservation of Traditional Thatch Group (CoTTG), a group set up to promote knowledge in the conservation and traditions of thatching roofs.

Jon Johnson BSc (Hons), MSc
Architectural / Conservation Assistant

Jon joined Jonathan Rhind Architects in 2019 after graduating from the University of the West of England (UWE), where he focussed on the principles of conservation and issues surrounding conservation authenticity, with special focus on the Georgian architecture of Bath.

Jon recently graduated with distinction from his postgraduate degree in the Conservation of Historic Buildings. In his dissertation Jon designed an overhaul to the current Listed Building Consent system to streamline the process. This research may allow for enhanced flexibility in the reuse of listed buildings without compromising the protection of their special historic character.

Jon previously spent time working as a builder gaining valuable first hand, practical experience of repair and construction projects from start to completion.

Jon hopes to further explore the relationship between historic and contemporary structures, in particular the considered use of traditional materials alongside modern-day technology.

Jonathan Rhind BSc, DipArch, RIBA, SCA, AABC
Director Conservation Architect

A chartered architect and director, Jonathan is accredited in architectural conservation and has over 30 years’ experience working on historic buildings in the South West of England, from castles and country houses to churches and small cottages. He works extensively with Historic England and local authorities to achieve planning and listed building consents and successfully delivering work on site. He also enjoys the challenge of new buildings in beautiful places, creating well proportioned spaces that respond to their surroundings on a suitable budget.

Jonathan has a particular interest in the style and detail in each phase of historical development; the social and economic factors that shaped the buildings, and the performance of natural and traditional materials in our climate. He is also interested in traditional construction methods in new buildings, using tried and tested modern quality materials and sustainable systems, to form practical, elegant and well-crafted buildings.

Jonathan is a specialist in cob buildings and is passionate about the construction, care, performance and repair of cob, unbaked earth mass walling.  He is a technical group member of the Devon Earth Building Association, which promotes the use of cob as a traditional and modern building material, and lectures on cob and historic buildings.

Jonny Poland BA (Hons), M.Arch (dist), RIBA, AABC, CA
Director Conservation Architect

Jonny initially joined the practice as a postgraduate student in 2008 before returning to the team in 2010 following his M.Arch at Plymouth University, where he graduated with distinction.

Jonny has worked on a number of prestigious projects, including being project architect for The China Tower on Clinton Devon Estates’ Rolle Estate in East Devon, which was finalist in the AJ Retrofit awards 2014 alongside internationally renowned architects, Haworth Tompkins and Zaha Hadid.

Jonny has worked on a range of projects, including a large farm diversification scheme, three Heritage Lottery Funded church repair projects and also has experience working with scheduled ancient monuments and grade I, II* and II listed buildings.

He is currently project architect for the Manor, Woolsery, Devon, part of the high profile village regeneration scheme, which includes the recently completed award winning Farmers Arms.

Jonny has a particular interest in creative re-use of buildings and the juxtaposition between conservation architecture and contemporary design. He was inspired to become an Architect by the challenge of creative problem solving, and enjoys bringing new life to old buildings.

Mark Raby BArch, DipArch, RIBA
Director Architect

A chartered architect who began working in architectural practice over 20 years ago, Mark has been with Jonathan Rhind Architects since 2016, becoming a Director in 2018.

Mark’s experience ranges from one off bespoke houses to large scale master-planning of mixed use commercial schemes, however his passion is in heritage buildings and sustainability.

He has a wide range of experience in conservation of historic buildings and has worked on the repair and extension of listed buildings, church reordering and barn conversions. Mark has an expertise in working with tricky sites and collaborating with consultees to achieve funding and to unlock potential for development. A recent scheme included helping to set up a trust to manage a Scheduled Ancient Monument for moated ‘Binhamy Castle’ in Bude which unlocked planning permission on the adjacent land.

Mark believes that the key to a successful architectural project is in the simplicity of approach, collaboration and good communication. He feels that the main endeavour as an industry is to create something unique, beautiful, and functional, and this is achieved first by intuition backed up by good technical knowledge and a rigorous method. It is also true that great clients make for great projects.

Mark is currently working towards a qualification as a Conservation Architect with the Architects Accredited in Building Conservation (AABC) and engaging with further education in building ‘Passivhaus’ low to zero energy buildings.

Martin Sturley-Hayes BA (Hons), DipArch.(Cons), RIBA, AABC
Director Conservation Architect

A chartered architect, Martin has been with the practice since 2001 following a graduate degree in Architecture, leading towards further qualification in building conservation. Martin became associate director in 2014 and director in 2018.

Martin is specialised in building conservation and has considerable knowledge and experience of working on historic private houses, community projects, new build alterations and additions in sensitive sites. He obtained the AABC (Architects Accredited in Building Conservation) in 2010.

Martin is passionate about finding the balance between understanding and respecting historic buildings, appropriate repair techniques and materials to secure their long-term use, alongside the need to integrate modern standards and architectural aspirations for contemporary living and use. He has a particular interest in design solutions which draw on historic character and contemporary forms, with construction and materials complementing each other.

Martin was inspired to become an Architect by the realisation that the way spaces are connected and enclosed play a huge part in how buildings are experienced and enjoyed by the user. An extension of this is how furniture and every day objects can be designed to be functional, but as ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing as possible. 

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Miriam Kelly MA(Hons), MArch, RIBA, ARB, AABC
Associate Director Conservation Architect

Miriam Kelly is an accredited conservation Architect and SPAB Scholar with over twenty years’ experience working in the heritage sector. She has lectured extensively on conservation and adaptive reuse both in the UK and the US, where until recently she worked specialising in historic conservation and cultural heritage.

She has also served as Design Advisor and Heritage Assessor for several charities and advocacy groups. Miriam’s interests lie in architectural conservation, contextual new design and making old buildings more sustainable.

Since joining Jonathan Rhind Architects in September, Miriam has launched straight into several ongoing conservation projects including St Michael’s Mount, National Trust condition surveys at Stourhead and Antony House and conservation works to a Grade I listed church in North Devon. She is also working on three Grade II* Listed historic houses in Devon and Cornwall.

Olena Urushchak
Architectural Assistant

Olena qualified as an Architect in the Ukraine, and most recently held a position with the Kreoplan architect group, Lviv. While there she designed public and residential buildings globally including residential complexes in Ukraine, private villas in the USA and hospitals in Africa.

Prior to this Olena was a member of the architectural and town planning council of the city of Sambir, where she administered planning applications and contributed to the forming of the urban cadastre.

Olena is skilled in modelling and creating 3d visualizations, and is technically proficient in software such as 3dsMax, Corona render, photoshop and ArchiCAD.

Outside of work, Olena is skilled in sewing and making clothes and also enjoys drawing and painting.

Peter Thompson BSc (Hons) MCIAT, MInstRE
Senior Architectural Technologist - Accredited Conservationist

After completing a degree in Architectural Design and Technology at the University of the West of England, Peter joined the practice in 2015. He previously trained as a Mechanical Engineer, has a detailed knowledge of materials and enjoys hand drawing and graphic presentation.

Peter has previous practical building and stonemasonry experience, having worked on many listed buildings including National Trust properties and private dwellings in the South West.  Among his favourite buildings are The National Congress of Brazil in Brasília, by Oscar Niemeyer and the Brion Tomb and Sanctuary at San Vito d’Altivole by Carlo Scarpa.  He also enjoys reading about buildings and civil engineering works of the Industrial Revolution.

Peter’s latest project is the extension and restoration of a Grade II Listed Regency dwelling in the Cotswolds, where he has had the opportunity to produce full detailed drawings for a significant amount of bespoke joinery and manage works on site including extensive stonemasonry conservation.

Simon Horler BA (Hons), MArch, RIBA
Senior Architect

Simon is an RIBA qualified Architect with over 5 years’ experience in historic buildings and contextual new design. Simon’s work involves detailed and sensitive approaches to conservation and adaptive reuse, ensuring that modern interventions respect and enhance the historical and cultural significance of existing structures. His expertise in these areas enable architectural solutions that blend traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design principles.

Since joining Jonathan Rhind Architects in 2022, Simon has continued to act as Lead Architect, Contract Administrator, and Principal Designer on many prestigious projects, including complex and sensitive conservation repairs to the Grade I listed Killerton Chapel and the conservation and creative adaptation of a historic estate into a new shoot estate that provides a mixture of high-end residential accommodation and entertaining spaces.

Before joining Jonathan Rhind Architects, Simon accumulated a wealth of project experience working on high-end luxury residential, commercial, and educational schemes across both the public and private sectors. He has successfully assisted High Net Worth Individuals, public schools, and various other institutions in navigating complex planning and site restrictions to realize projects that are both sympathetic to their surroundings and aligned with clients’ aspirations.

Tina Botsi DipArch, MArch, RIBA
Architect

Tina joined Jonathan Rhind Architects in January 2020 as a chartered architect, having completed her Part III studies while working at a conservation practice in Bristol followed by a period freelancing in Athens. She studied architecture in Crete, earning distinctions in both of her final projects, which explored the impact of Architecture on society.

Tina is working towards becoming a qualified conservation architect, undertaking an MSc in Building Conservation at the Weald and Downland Museum in collaboration with the University of York. Her dissertation focuses on energy upgrades to historic buildings, utilising her experience working on the Clovelly Estate as a case study.

During her time in practice, Tina has been an integral member of the Woolsery village regeneration team, as well as working on various residential and church projects. She takes satisfaction in showcasing vernacular architecture, enhancing it through thoughtful contemporary additions.

For Tina, architecture is an evolving discipline. She believes in staying at the forefront of materials and techniques while remaining deeply responsive to both the site, the building and the client’s vision.

Twearly Peaster BSc (Hons) MArch
Part II Architectural Assistant

Twearly gained her undergraduate degree at the University of Bath and the Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland, before undertaking her Part I placement at Jonathan Rhind Architects in 2021. Twearly continued her Part II studies at world-renowned Central Saint Martin’s in London before rejoining the practice in 2024.

Twearly is drawn to architecture which is humble in its scale, materiality and use, and her main postgraduate project focussed on how traditional farm buildings could be reused to encourage agroecological and community centred farming. The project was viewed with a hyperlocal material lens and explored the geology and forestry of the Quantock Hills. Through a series of observational walks, she created a topographical material map, exploring the different timber that grows in the Great Wood.

Another, subject that Twearly explored involved the potential for mass house building with hemp and other bio-based products. Designs included no concrete based products and very little containing plastic traces.