Staff
ALAN GLOVER - Acting Chief Executive
RUTH GAGE - Architectural Development Manager
ANNETTE HARDS - Architect in Education
CHRISTINE LEUNG - Design Advisor
GEOFF NOBLE - Head of Design Review
ROBERT OFFORD - Design Advisor
GILLIAN WILLAVOYS - Office Manager
CLARE WRIGHT - Planning Programme Manager
ROBERT BROWN - Regeneration and Financial Consultant
ALAN GLOVER AA Dipl, Registered Architect (ARB)
Alan has been closely involved in urban regeneration and town centre management issues in the south-east since 1990. Until 1999 Alan was urban designer with Kent County Council's Strategic Planning Department. He was a founder director of the Association of Town Centre Management and has developed town centre business plans and training programmes, co-authored and edited practice guidance, including the recent Kent Design Guide and streetscape manuals. He works closely with local authorities on design projects and has experience in providing urban design training to elected members and officers. He also sits on design advisory and designer selection panels.
Formerly Alan was a partner in a private architectural practice and has held a number of positions in the public and private sectors in the UK, Hong Kong and the Netherlands.
RUTH GAGE BA (Hons) Dip Arch (Hons)
Ruth Gage is the Architectural Development Manager for KAC with particular responsibility for developing and managing regional programmes to raise design quality through intervention in the development and regeneration process particularly within the Thames Gateway, Kent.
Ruth develops and promotes conferences and seminars across the region for design professionals, local authorities, members and others. She specialises in developing methodologies for working with community, education and business groups to enable them to participate in shaping the built environment. She has particular experience of the development and management of innovative projects including brief generation and feasibility studies. She has managed many architectural competitions ranging from close area-focused to larger regional and national competitions and has a great deal of experience in curating design-led exhibitions. Ruth manages a number of programmes working with many large organisations to incorporate cross- professional thinking between architects, artists, community groups, local authorities and private developers.
ANNETTE HARDS BA (Hons) B Arch RIBA
Annette’s primary role at the Centre is in the preparation and delivery of built-environment education programmes as part of regeneration and redevelopment proposals. This entails working with communities, schools, higher education and government organisations to devise and deliver a range of programmes relating to regeneration, sustainability and development issues. Annette has led the development of an innovative Urban Design training programme for Housing Association development staff, worked with partner organisations to deliver training and networking events for ‘Design Champions’ from local authorities, the health and housing sectors,
and was closely involved with the creation of a new architecture centre, Solent Centre for Architecture and Design, based in Hampshire.
CHRISTINE LEUNG BA (Hons), Dip Arch, Registered Architect (ARB)
Christine is a registered architect with over eight years of experience in practice. She has recently joined the Architecture Centre as a Design Adviser and will be assisting on the development and promotion of excellent regional design.
Before joining the Architecture Centre, she has previously worked in large international architectural practices through to smaller local practices in Kent and London . She has a broad range of experience ranging from major residential developments to commercial and healthcare schemes, many involving works with listed buildings and within conservation areas or metropolitan open lands.
GEOFF NOBLE BA Dip UD DiplConsAA MRTPI IHBC
Geoff is Head of Design Review at the Architecture Centre and manages the South East Regional Design Panel.
A qualified planner and urban designer, Geoff has a particular interest in managing change in the historic environment. After working in local government in Staffordshire and Hampshire he joined English Heritage in 1985, becoming in 2000 their Deputy Director for London. During this time he worked closely with CABE in producing the Building in Context report and contributed to English Heritage’s publications on the public realm, Streets for All. Geoff has strong international links and has presented papers at conferences and seminars in Italy, Germany, the USA and Japan.
In addition to his role at the Architecture Centre, Geoff is an Associate at Urban Practitioners.
ROBERT OFFORD MA (UD) BSc (Hons)
Robert is a planner and urban designer. He has recently joined the Architecture Centre as a Design Advisor, having worked in local government in London. Robert's principal work is as Advisor to the Regional Design Panel, reviewing high profile development proposals throughout the South East.
In
addition to this role Robert works on the centre's design and regeneration projects; including masterplanning, architectural competitions and design training.
GILLIAN WILLAVOYS BSc (Hons) PG Dip Mgmt Studies
Gillian is Office Manager at the Architecture Centre. She is a modern languages graduate, who has spent much of her career as office manager in international companies. Within the Architecture Centre Gillian is responsible for office administration, accounts, human resources and facilities management.
CLARE WRIGHT MA, PGDip (BRS) MRTPI
Clare specialises in urban research, in the identification of ways to ensure quality in regeneration projects and the analysis of community needs through the involvement of stakeholders and design professionals. She has managed, developed and promoted conferences , training, study tours and seminars across the South East Region, for RTPI South East Branch CPD and others; undertaken cross-national research and education programmes in affordable housing and the historic environment ; contributed to various central government and regional policy panels and is a trained ‘Planning 4 Real™' facilitator. Prior to 1998 Clare worked in local government tackling the full range of development control issues with a particular emphasis on negotiation and liaison with property professionals and the public. Clare is a member of the Executive Committee for the Royal Town Planning Institute South East Branch, member of the South East Planning Aid Steering Group and chaired the RTPI Regional Planning Awards 2006.
Most recently Clare is working with English Heritage South East Region to develop and manage a training programme – the Building in Context TOOLKIT.
ROBERT BROWN ACMA
Robert is a versatile executive working with the Centre on a part-time, consultancy contract. He has considerable experience of general management, financial, taxation and marketing experience. Robert's chief experience has been in working alongside Chief Executives in a range of social housing, regeneration and publishing organisations. Robert has also managed and consulted in IT systems, personnel, property and tenancy management, including rent accounting and fundraising.
