David has worked at the highest levels of design both in the UK and abroad and is passionate about progressive architecture, emerging technology, design and delivery excellence. Before setting up the practice in 2001, he was an associate director of Future Systems and project architect for the Stirling Prize-winning Media Centre at Lord’s Cricket Ground. This project allowed him to develop his interest in the refinement of form through three dimensional problem solving, which he had gained in Santiago Calatrava’s office in the mid-nineties. His specialist knowledge of the design and delivery of complex buildings has evolved into an interest in dimensional analysis and modelling, using the computer as a creative tool to enhance building design and this is fundamental to the practice’s approach today.
Prior to joining the practice in 2006, Fiona spent nearly twenty years in the textile industry as a buyer for international retailers and as a director in the clothing manufacturing sector. She now applies her business skills to develop the practice with a focus on responsible business growth. She participates in a variety of organisations to support the communities where the practice works and to create new opportunities for DMA and for the team to contribute and grow. Groups include Westminster Business Council, the Heart of the City, The Fitzrovia Partnership (Business Improvement District) and the Fitzrovia Community Centre where she sits on the board, and MIPIM Ladies, a network of women in property and construction, of which Fiona is a founder member.
Das joined the practice in 2007 and focuses on innovation, quality and risk management throughout the practice. Having made Liverpool his home, he works from our studio there, working across all of DMA’s projects. Das leads strategic R&D projects to create new solutions and services, such as the digital strategy to fully refurbish the Media Centre and new camera gantry at Lord’s Cricket Ground, as well as the design and delivery of the award-winning Mayfield School using modular off-site construction. As a key player in the practice’s adoption of BIM (Building Information Modelling) technology he regularly speaks on digital design and construction at industry events and has helped to establish cross industry groups, BIM4Housing and BIMinHousing. He also regularly contributes to DMA’s career engagement activities and is an ambassador for PLACED, a social enterprise that helps people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in planning and design through community consultation, engagement and education across the North West.
Anna joined DMA in 2009 and heads up our Liverpool office. She has extensive experience across the practice’s key sectors with a particular expertise in education including from her role as a lead technical advisor on the DfE’s schools programmes. She is expert in working with multiple stakeholder groups and developing strong, collaborative relationships to draw out their expertise and achieve consensus, skills that have come to the fore working with Claire House to develop their new hospice in Liverpool. As a result, her projects consistently receive excellent end user satisfaction ratings. She is also an ambassador for PLACED, a social enterprise that works across the North West to educate and engage people to make better places.
Rachel is an experienced architect with a background in the interior design of residential projects, workplaces, high end retail and exhibition design and her relationship with DMA dates back to the nineties when she and David Miller worked together at Future Systems. She has led on numerous projects for high profile clients such as Condé Nast International, Marni and the Ashmolean Museum and she is used to working through all stages of a project from concept through to completion as well as designing and prototyping furniture and fittings for these spaces. Rachel splits her time between practice and academia and currently teaches architectural history and theory at the Bartlett, UCL as well as being a visiting design critic at the University of Liverpool.
Katie joined DMA in 2013 and her experience encompasses all stages across a diverse range of projects. These include development studies for Westminster City Council and designing the Media Centre’s new camera gantry at Lord’s Cricket Ground. She recently led a ground-breaking, multiple award winning scheme that used the latest digital technology to conserve and refurbish a group of historic, listed barns. Adept at building strong working relations with clients and stakeholders, Katie also works as a lead technical advisor on the DfE’s Free Schools and Priority Schools Building Programme frameworks.
Andrew started at DMA in 2014 and has worked on a wide range of projects from inception to completion across sectors. As well as having a great track record in delivering buildings, he is instrumental in developing digital innovation within the practice and leads our research and design, exploring technology-led design solutions, environmental strategies and modern methods of construction. Andrew was a key part of the team refurbishing the Media Centre at Lord’s Cricket Ground and his current responsibilities include using digital design to ensure effective coordination between different disciplines on complicated projects. With his additional qualifications in sustainability gained at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales (CAT), Andrew also ensures that our environmental goals are thoroughly embedded in all aspects of our work.
Tom originally joined DMA in 2014 and he is expert in taking complex, large scale projects from inception to completion across a range of sectors including housing, commercial and mixed-use. His thoughtful approach and excellent communication skills enable him to develop solutions together with our clients, multiple stakeholders and design team partners to achieve the best outcomes. Combined with his creative design flair, he has achieved multiple first time planning approvals on a series of housing projects for Westminster City Council. He brings experience in Modern Methods of Construction and Passivhaus to projects, and is currently leading on a new-build Life Sciences building in King’s Cross to provide laboratory and manufacturing space in a flagship London location for our European client.
Samantha joined the practice in 2014 and has worked on a range of projects across sectors. She strongly believes in architecture as a facilitator for social regeneration and this is a key consideration in developing projects from feasibility through to completion. Previous projects include the refurbishment of shopping centres in Watford and Essex for Intu, pro-bono work for the youth arts organisation, Paddington Arts, and she is currently leading on a large, mixed tenure housing development for Westminster City Council. Samantha also has an interest in the conservation and restoration of buildings and is an RIBA Conservation Registrant.
Since joining the DMA team in 2015, Max has developed his skills across a range of projects including housing, education and sports. He is an accomplished digital designer and an excellent communicator and now regularly plays a lead role on projects of various scales and complexity. Max is based in our Liverpool studio and has been part of the team working on the Claire House Children’s Hospice in Liverpool. He is an ambassador for PLACED, a social enterprise that works across the North West to educate and engage people to make better places.
Since joining DMA in 2018 through the apprenticeship route, Jessica has developed the role far beyond the original remit of helping to manage the practice, especially around responsible business activities. Passionate about environmental issues, she has led DMA in minimising our own carbon footprint and becoming carbon neutral at the beginning of 2021. She is currently developing our carbon reduction plans and setting science-based targets to achieve Net Zero. She also supports Heart of the City with their climate action programme for the City of London Corporation to help SMEs on their Net Zero journey.
Jessica helps to achieve quality and sustainability in all aspects of the practice as well as the on-going wellbeing and development of our team. Having studied Documentary Photography at the University of South Wales, she also brings her critical eye to DMA’s marketing and is responsible for maintaining DMA’s social media presence.
Sundas joined DMA in 2019 with a wide range of experience from inception to completion across sectors including residential, education and healthcare. She has excellent technical and communicative skills and is currently applying them as Project Architect to the design of three residential infill schemes for Westminster City Council. Sundas also has a keen interest in architectural activities that promote community integration, social sustainability, and environmentally conscious design. Alongside her project work, she has been involved in working with social value initiatives across London in collaboration with Landsec, City Lions, Construction Youth Trust and Inspire, along with mentoring students in university, colleges and schools such as the Sir Simon Milton Westminster University Technical College, Westminster Academy, Westminster University and Pearson College. She has also been at the forefront of designing our Virtual Design Academy, a work experience online platform for aspiring future architects.
Ana joined our Liverpool team in 2019 and is an experienced architect in workspace, housing-led urban regeneration schemes and higher education. She has excellent design and communication skills and her rigorous methodology places people at the centre of the design process, working from the inside out to create simple, functional and efficient architecture that is strongly rooted to context and identity. This is highlighted in her ongoing relationship with the Liverpool children’s hospice, Claire House. Ana is a long-standing ambassador for PLACED, supporting this social enterprise that works with local people of all ages and backgrounds, engaging them in planning and design through community consultation and education across the North West.
Reihaneh graduated from the University of Westminster in 2018, having completed the MArch RIBA Part II course with distinction. She won the Sir Bannister Fletcher Prize for her dissertation and, for her final thesis project, she designed an urban plan for affordable housing, market and farm in Milton Keynes that aimed to create a sustainable community within a sustainable environment. She brings some great experience from practice, having contributed to the design of a range of projects from urban planning to interior detail design as well as producing planning information for the phased retrofitting of 150 council homes in Nottingham, a pioneering net zero energy project. At DMA, Reihaneh has been putting her design skills to good use, working on a youth and community centre, one of our pro bono projects, as well as early stage design for the remodelling of a prestigious office building in Victoria.
Jenna joined the team in early 2021, having completed her Part 3 professional qualification at the University of Westminster, where she had previously gained a Distinction in her Masters in Architecture. She brings an excellent range of experience from a combination of large and small scale residential projects, mixed-use urban regeneration schemes and, most recently, a multi-million healthcare project. She is passionate about the potential of design in shaping our communities and cities and particularly enjoys exploring narrative architecture, storytelling through buildings and the conservation of historical buildings. Since starting at DMA, Jenna has been working on a large estate regeneration project in London.
Li is an experienced architect with a background working across a range of projects at all stages, including developing technical drawing packages for educational and custodial buildings as well as delivering large scale projects in the Middle East. In 2015, Li joined the AECOM’s Specification Consulting team as a Senior Specification Consultant, utilising his broad technical background to bring value to the design process through specification writing. Over the last three years, he has been the key person trialling the new NBS Chorus BIM specification tools in a collaborative project with DMA. He now brings all this expertise to the DMA team, where he manages our specifications as well as working closely with the R&D team to put in place new initiatives in the way that we work.
Ania joined DMA in 2022 and is an experienced architect across all project stages and across sectors including residential, education, workplace and cultural. Ania brings a passion for working on collaborative, socially sustainable projects along with a wide range of practical experience that includes working as a labourer on site, working on construction projects in Europe and New Zealand, and facilitating community engagement with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust in the development of their nature reserve. At DMA, Ania has been working on feasibility studies for housing and a community centre for Westminster City Council as well as working on detail design for a new-build Life Sciences building to provide laboratory and manufacturing space for a European client in central London.
Miranda joined the team in 2022 with a background in Interior Architecture. After completing her undergraduate degree with First Class Honours at the Universidad de las Americas Puebla in Mexico, she went on to complete a Masters at the Architectural Association in London, where her thesis explored the effects of gentrification on socio-spatial relationships in the city. Miranda’s experience ranges across scales of the built environment promoting social engagement and user’s spatial agency, from urban art performance and itinerant art installations to residential buildings and workspace design fit-out projects across the UK, working for a specialist workspace contractor. Since joining DMA, Miranda has been working on a new-build Life Sciences building in King’s Cross that includes laboratory and office space as well as the interiors of an SEN school in Newham.
Trishan joined the team in 2022, having graduated with a First Class BSc Degree in Architectural Technology from Middlesex University. He has also worked as a Student Learning Assistant, assisting with the Architectural Technology course, and is highly proficient in Revit and other architectural software. He also brings on-site experience in construction detailing and an interest and enthusiasm for architecture and its technologies. Trishan has both excellent organisational and communication skills and enjoys problem solving and working collaboratively. As part of the R&D team at DMA, Trishan is currently involved in developing our digital library of federated components, helping to form this foundation resource that embeds practice standards, methods and procedures within our projects.
Holy joined the team in January 2023, having previously taken part in DMA’s Virtual Design Academy work experience programme whilst studying for her Part 1 at the University of Westminster. Holy is an excellent communicator, in design drawing, modelling and in person, and really enjoys researching and developing design ideas in the early stages of projects. She is a team player and brings artistic and practical skills, with a range of work experience and volunteering that also includes set design and building, running architectural design workshops and fundraising and humanitarian work in Rwanda. At DMA, Holy is currently working on the planning application and Stage 2 report for a new-build life sciences building in Kings Cross.
Marina joined DMA in 2023, having graduated from the University of Westminster with a First Class BA degree and having won the Katherine Shonfield Prize for Best Undergraduate Dissertation. As well as her attention to detail and excellent design and communication skills, Marina brings practical experience of new build and refurbishment projects, both residential and commercial, and is familiar working with sensitive sites and in Conservation Areas. Alongside her work in practice, Marina’s creative interest in painting and printmaking has won commissions and involved working closely with local schools and charities. At DMA, Marina has been developing designs for a housing scheme in Barnet with a focus on affordable dwellings accessible to wheelchair users.
Danielle joined the team in 2023 as an experienced architect in socially responsible design and research-led architecture, with a particular interest in housing, community and mixed-use placemaking schemes. Her experience ranges in scale, working as a project lead in the private residential sector and helping to self-build a co-working space in a historic railway arch to assisting the development of strategic urban design for the ‘Building a Better Harrow’ Regeneration Plan. She brings excellent technical design skills and is experienced in on-site management as well as stakeholder engagement and consultation. At DMA, Danielle has been working at Stage 4, coordinating with consultants and developing technical information for an infill housing project on underutilised land in an existing estate.
Mahed joined the team in 2023, having graduated with a First Class BSc Degree in Architectural Technology with BIM from Middlesex University. Mahed has a strong foundation in architectural design principles, construction methods and building codes and is highly skilled in using Revit and other architectural software. An excellent problem solver and communicator, he also worked as a Student Learning Assistant at Middlesex, assisting with the Architectural Technology course, and was nominated for the CIAT Greater London Region award for Class of 2022.
At DMA, Mahed is part of our R&D team, helping to design and develop new digital technologies within the practice.
Jamally joined the team in 2023, having graduated with a BSc Degree in Architectural Technology with BIM from Middlesex University. This is the innovative new course that we helped set up in 2017 and we have hosted groups of students in the office over the past few years. Jamally also worked as a Student Learning Assistant at Middlesex, assisting with the Architectural Technology course, and his undergraduate research there was recognised by the Posters in Parliament scheme in 2023. Jamally is highly proficient in Revit and other architectural software and also brings experience in construction detailing and managing projects on site.
Jamally enjoys working collaboratively and is part of DMA’s R&D team, helping to design and develop new digital technologies within the practice.
Having joined DMA in 2023, Nargis supports the team across a broad range of aspects from finance to HR as well as keeping our Best Practice Management System and certifications up to date and helping with our work experience programme. She brings her excellent administrative and communication skills to the role and is highly experienced in employment and skills provision as well as Information Technology. Since 2021, she has also acted as a Westbourne Community and Maternity Champion as part of the Westbourne Community Champions team, promoting local services and engaging in activities that make a difference to people’s health and well-being in the local community.
Tofu joined the team at a year old in 2021 and is responsible for maintaining a positive work environment. Passionate about the wellbeing of his colleagues, Tofu can be found regularly checking in and happily providing a belly to rub. He also supports the Studio Management team with greeting visitors, paper shredding, and keeping the office floor clean and free from crumbs.
