JONATHAN DAWES, JUDGE

An Associate of Cottrell & Vermeulen and in this his third year on the Brick Awards judging panel, Jonathan brings invaluable architectural experience. For several years he successfully combined the practice of architecture with that of teaching as studio master at the Department of Architecture and Visual Arts, University of East London. In 2006 a student under his tutelage received a commendation in the RIBA President’s Medals. More recently Jonathan taught as Intermediate Unit Master at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, where he completed his Diploma studies under a full scholarship. Jonathan’s previous experience has included work on a number of large scale new-build, fit-out and refurbishment projects including Amnesty International UK Headquarters. He has also been short-listed in a number of international competitions, including an £8m social housing and master-planning project in Plaistow, East London.

ALEX GORDON, JUDGE

Since joining Jestico + Whiles, Alex has been responsible for the design and delivery of a number of their award-winning projects across several sectors including cultural, education, residential, and hospitality. These include Stoke Newington School, Clapton Girls’ Academy, Cardinal Pole Catholic School, Gray’s Inn Buildings and the iconic W Hotel, Leicester Square.

“I am thrilled to have been asked by the BDA to be part of the judging panel for the Brick Awards again this year. It is always an honour to be involved in assessing these highly respected and long-running awards.”

LUKE TOZER, JUDGE

Co-Director of Pitman Tozer Architects, Luke is a registered architect and member of the RIBA since 1999. Luke studied at both the University of Cambridge and the Mackintosh School of Architecture. He has a keen interest in planning and housing and is an active member of the RIBA Housing Group as well as Chair of the RIBA Self-Build Committee. He is Co-Director at Pitman Tozer Architects a firm founded in 2002 that has established a reputation for working closely with clients to design and deliver elegant, imaginative and practical houses on complicated, heavily constrained sites. Luke gained first-hand experience designing and delivering to budget on a house for himself and his family on an unpromising West London site. With personal appreciation of the pleasures and pitfalls of building your own home, he enjoys working with clients to guide them carefully through the process to successful completion.

“Judging the brick awards is fascinating and the projects we see range vastly in scale and type, from house extensions to whole new neighbourhoods. It’s great to see how a variety of approaches produce such an enormous range of buildings and details from the same humble starting point, the brick”.

ALEX ELY, JUDGE

Alex founded Mæ in 2001. He has led the practice in establishing an international reputation for innovation and excellence, winning schemes from masterplans to cultural buildings, housing to healthcare as well as for the Mayor of London’s Housing Design Guide. Alongside this, Alex is a built environment expert for the Chartered Association of Building Engineers and has written numerous best practice publications. He is a member of RIBA’s Housing Policy Group and is a frequent public speaker at national and international urban and design forums. 2017 marks Alex's first year as a Brick Awards judge and we extend him a very warm welcome.

ANDREW TAYLOR, JUDGE

Andrew is Director (Head of Planning) at Countryside Properties and leads the company’s strategic planning function. Before joining Countryside, Andrew was Head of Planning at Barratt Homes Eastern Counties and prior to that spent over 18 years in planning authorities in the south east of England. He has experience of both urban and rural planning from small scale exception needs housing to master planning new settlements, major town centre redevelopments and international airport expansion.

Andrew chaired the RTPI Board of Trustees for 4 years to December 2016 and helped steer the Institute through probably its most challenging period in recent years. As a result, the Institute dealt successfully with financial pressures, a change of governance and Chief Executive, the need to sustain Planning Aid and responded effectively to the ever present challenge of government changes. Andrew took on the role of Hon. Treasurer in January 2017 and continues on the RTPI’s General Assembly.

Andrew is a member of the Leeds Beckett University Partnership Board and the Chair ofThe National Planning Forum’s Management Committee, championing planning and inspiring all those involved in the planning process and in delivering the new planning agenda.

LEX HARRISON, JUDGE

Alexis (Lex) Harrison is a designer and Associate of global engineering consultancy ARUP. A specialist in designing challenging façades in brickwork and architectural ceramics, Lex advises manufacturers on cladding system design, works with landscape and interior designers, and has advised many of the world’s leading architectural practices. His passion for clay brick in contemporary architecture is complemented by an impressive resume of public speaking, which includes lectures at MIT, The Architectural Association, Central Saint Martins and the Royal Academy. Lex is also a frequent contributor to leading publications on the subject of clay materials in architecture.

TOM MCGUIRE, JUDGE

Tom leads one of the UK’s most successful specialist brickwork contractors, Grangewood Brickwork Services Limited. With over 35 years’ experience in the sector, Tom has a significant breadth of experience, beginning his career as an apprentice bricklayer, working through contracts and production management roles to be appointed Managing Director of Grangewood in 2012. His experience spans new-build residential, commercial and leisure, to complex structural alterations. Tom has long standing relationships with many of the industry’s leading consultants and contractors and is widely recognised as an authority in the sector.

DAVID COLE-ADAMS, JUDGE

Trained and registered as an architect in Queensland, Australia before travelling to the UK for a 2 year working holiday (which continues nearly 50 years on). David is a registered member of the RIBA and subsequently studied Arbitration at Reading University. David worked in a private commercial practice in London prior to retirement in 2000 to take up consultancy, which has facilitated his significant contribution to promoting the sector.

David was involved in the foundation of the Chartered Architects City of Livery Company becoming its Master in 1995-96 and serving as the Clerk from 2000 to 2012. Also served as Master of the Company of Tylers and Bricklayers in 2012-13 and 2013-14 having chaired the Company’s Craft Committee for many years and assisting in the judging of Brickwork and Tiling Awards, the recognition of Master Craftsmen and the awarding of prizes to trainees in the Company’s crafts. David still serves on the Craft Committee and is a long-standing judge of the Brick Awards

MICHAEL DRIVER, JUDGE

Michael Driver is an Architect who after a varied career was CEO of the Brick Development Association from 2003 to 2013. Retired from the BDA, he is now an Associate Lecturer on the Staff of the Department of Architecture in Cambridge where he specialises in Construction.

MIKE HAMMETT, JUDGE