Who we are
We are award-winning architects and designers who specialise in heritage. Founded by Nick Cox in 2006, our clients include cultural and commercial organisations, charities, local authorities, and individuals.
Our approach
Good design has the power to transform existing places, whether through new architecture, creative adaptations or sensitive repairs. Our work aims to be thoughtful, practical, sustainable and beautiful.
Buildings without use become ruins.
We work patiently and collaboratively, enjoying problem solving with our clients to breath new life into complex sites. Projects built on well considered design foundations allow clients future flexibility to achieve their goals.
Our passion for materials and craft applies equally to large and small projects. Working alongside skilled collaborators from across the UK, our favourite projects include iconic buildings, cathedrals and churches, but also houses, extensions and landscape features.
Sustainability
We minimise carbon and waste through thoughtful design, based on research into the effect of climate change on historic buildings.
Our knowledge of traditional construction informs our designs, creating high quality, sustainable architecture which is designed to last.
Inclusivity
Inclusivity is at the heart of all our public projects. We enjoy making heritage welcoming for everyone, recognising that modern facilities and good access make historic buildings relevant today.
Our Stirling Prize nominated Kings and Scribes project at Winchester Cathedral was the first lift within a medieval cathedral in England.
Social impact
We recognise that each project is an opportunity to benefit people and the environment. We support the communities we work with to provide a positive legacy for future generations.
In our own office, we welcome different opinions and voices, support family life (regardless of gender) and invest in professional development. We recognise that an open and diverse working environment strengthens our ability to meet the needs of our clients.
Research and mentoring
Research and teaching run alongside our professional practice. Our practice members teach at universities, volunteer for advisory roles (including for the National Trust, ICOMOS, Historic England, cathedrals and dioceses).
Alongside mentoring architects who wish to develop conservation skills, we regularly share our enthusiasm for heritage with new audiences, through talks, articles.
Awards
OLDER STUFF BELOW
Nick Cox Architects is an award winning practice specialising in the repair and conservation of historic buildings and the design of new buildings in historic contexts. Our work aims to be thoughtful, practical, sustainable and beautiful.
We work with some of the country’s most important historic buildings, cathedrals and churches but our interest in materials and craft means we also delight in small projects, including landscape features and houses.
We approach every project with an open mind, working with what we find, turning constraints into opportunities. We work patiently, openly and collaboratively to create inventive solutions for sites with extremely complex planning and technical challenges. We enjoy this problem-solving hand in hand with our clients, breathing new life into historic places and building the foundations for institutions to focus on their strengths.
Community Impact
As a practice we commit to supporting and giving back to the communities in which we work. We enjoy working in architecture because of the transformative impact good design has on individuals and communities, whether in adapting buildings for reuse or through sensitive repairs.
Our collaborative approach makes this process of transformation enjoyable, sharing our interest in heritage through an open and transparent design process.
We invest time and resources into training the next generation of architects in traditional skills, improving knowledge through sharing articles and research, and giving regular talks. We host the SPAB scholars every year on active sites and provide work experience and paid placements at all RIBA training stages.
We believe that diversity, equity and inclusion in the way we work strengthens our ability to meet the needs of our clients. This is reflected in our practice structure, which is not hierarchical and welcomes different opinions and voices.
To support family life (regardless of gender), we offer flexible working for employees and a friendly and supportive working environment. We are proud that this flexibility supports gender parity in our office, counter to wider construction industry norms.
We expect all of our employees, supply chain, and partners to have the following values:
- Not to support or deal with any organisation involved with modern slavery or human trafficking.
- To keep within the law, operating ethically and observing human rights standards.
- To be a responsible neighbour in the community.
- To maintain fair, equal and respectful behaviour at all times.
- To protect the environment for future generations through personal and professional activities.
We support and mentor architects who wish to develop skills in the care and conservation of Historic Buildings.
We find our commitment to voluntary activities both enjoyable and informative, keeping our knowledge current and relevant. Practice members give lectures and building tours, teach at universities, mentor students, and sit on advisory panels for the National Trust, Historic England, cathedrals and dioceses. We also participate in professional groups and societies, including the SPAB, RIBA Oxford Women In Architecture Group and ICOMOS.
Some text here — can eventually become index of articles — (Phase 2?)