BA (Hons) (First Class), Dip Arch, ARB, RIBA

Matthew joined WDA in 1999 and is an innovative designer with extensive experience in traditional and contemporary design across many sectors, including residential, commercial and education and has received many awards for his designs.

His project management and contract administration skills, coupled with his in-depth knowledge and experience of building construction enable him to coordinate multi-discipline teams, delivering successful projects. Matthew is responsible for design and project management on small, medium and large-scale projects and oversees all HR and financial issues within the practice.

Fact File

• Hobbies/Loves Skiing

• Secret skill Painting / caricatures

• Favourite design movement or building Modernism

• On your playlist Nicki Minaj - Starships

• Favourite city Paris

BA (Hons), Dip Arch, ARB, RIBA

Jonathan joined us in 2011 having relocated to Dorset from Ireland. In 2015 he became a Director due to his wealth of design experience, professionalism and active interest in marketing. Jonathan is currently responsible for managing and running a range of master planning schemes across the south coast and is influential in the practice’s marketing strategy.

As a Christchurch resident and member of the Bournemouth Borough Council Design Review Panel Jonathan has a personal interest in the locality and its developments, seeking innovative design solutions and sustainable place making.

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• Hobbies/Loves Playing squash and foreign travel

• Secret skill Cooking

• How do you relax Cycling in the New Forest

• Favourite design movement Bauhaus

• Favourite city Singapore, incredible melting pot of cultures, architecture, food and fashion

CA, Dip Arch, PG Dip (conservation Sciences) ARB, RIBA

Phil established the practice in 1986 after working on building sites for 5 years and has been constructing his own designs since the 1970s. He has over 50 years’ experience in the profession. He is passionate about architecture and building.

As an RIBA accredited Conservation Architect and a member of SPAB, he specialises in historic buildings and works in Conservation Areas. He mentors aspiring Conservation Architects and students at the Arts University Bournemouth.

Phil has lived in rural Dorset most of his life, knows and loves its countryside, coast, towns and villages.

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• Hobbies/Loves Sailing, running & spending time in the countryside

• Secret skill Fixing things & building

• Greatest achievement My children & founding WDA

• Favourite design movement or building Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, Musee D'orsay

• Favourite cities Luang Prabang, Havana, Berlin, Lucca

BA (Hons), Dip Arch (Hons)

Matthew joined us in 1999 and became a Director in 2004. He has won numerous awards for his designs, with work published in numerous Journals and Books. The majority of his experience is in the residential sector having designed many of our outstanding houses.

He has also worked on many listed buildings and sensitive sites in conservation areas and has been project leader for a number of flat developments converting Public Houses into apartments. Matthew lives in Blandford having converted a small garage into his family home.

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• Hobbies/Loves Camping, Wife, Kids, Family

• Favourite food Something spicy

• On the box News, history and current affairs

• How do you relax Sleep

• Favourite place In nature, trees and mountains are good!

Cecily joined Western Design Architects in 2018 and has grown to become a valued and trusted member of the team. Having previously worked within our marketing department, she brings a strong understanding of the practice and its day-to-day operations to her role as Practice Manager.

As Practice Manager, Cecily plays a vital role in supporting the Directors and architectural team across all aspects of the practice, including HR, finance, office procedures, health and safety, and internal communications. Her organisation, reliability and approachable nature help ensure the practice runs efficiently and effectively, enabling the team to deliver the highest level of service to our clients.

Fact File

• Favourite city Arusha, Tanzania

• Hobbies/Loves Travelling, Skiing

• Secret skill Driving tractors

• Favourite place Kariba, Zimbabwe

• Fears Airplane toilets

BA (Hons), Dip Arch, ARB, RIBA

Rebecca joined us in 2018 and quickly earnt a reputation for her attention to detail and ability to multitask. She is our BREEAM lead, focusing on excellence in sustainability and enjoys working across a range of sectors, including luxury homes, masterplanning, heritage schemes as well as commercial and community projects, from conception through to construction.

Her passion for collaboration saw her win the Deans Prize as well as the Nicholas Durbridge Award at undergraduate level, and in 2022 was awarded an RIBA Wren Scholarship. Rebecca delivers our university student mentoring programme and work experience placements. She is also a guest critic for the BA (Hons) Architecture course at AUB and is Chair of the Dorset RIBA branch.

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• What's on my playlist Stereophonics and Fleetwood Mac

• Greatest achievement My daughter

• Hobbies / Loves Painting, thunderstorms

• Secret skill RAF Marksman

• Favourite building Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe

HNC Building Design

Steve has been with Western Design since 1998 and is an integral part of the technical team, with a particular interest in producing technical drawings for contemporary builds. Steve has extensive experience with large housing schemes, affordable housing and the conversion of existing buildings.

Steve’s roles include all aspects of construction and detail drawings as well as preparing tender packages. His wealth of knowledge and experience has made him an invaluable member of the team and has earnt him the reputation of technical wizard in the office.

Fact File

• Hobbies/Loves Sailing, love my dogs

• Secret skill Cut and colour wife's hair

• On your playlist 90's Indi and dance

• Favourite design movement or building Arts and Crafts

• How do you relax Walking

• Favourite city None, cities are too busy

Lucy joined us in 2022 as Practice Administrator and will be the first point of contact you make with WDA. She works closely with Cecily to assist with the day to day running of the office and is responsible for updating our social media platforms. She ensures that the office can run smoothly and keeps us all in check.

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• Hobbies/Loves Family and walks in the countryside

• How do you relax Watching Manchester United

• Favourite building Taj Mahal Palace

• Fears Spiders and the sea

• On the box Harry Potter

BA (Hons), MArch

Tom first joined WDA in 2017 during his placement year. He returned to us after successfully completing his masters with distinction, winning the Bradford Prize for the most sensitive design within an established historic environment.

Tom has since qualified as an Architect after gaining valuable experience working on a wide range of projects at WDA, utilising his knowledge of BIM software and excellent graphic skills. When he is not at work, you might find him volunteering in the Fiji Islands, aiding with the construction of a new community facility.

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• Loves Arsenal FC and playing the trumpet

• On your playlist Anything jazzy

• Favourite building The Guggenheim Museum, NY

• Fears Getting stuck in a lift

• Favourite place Fiji, Paradise on earth

James began his architectural studies at the Arts University Bournemouth and since 2013 has worked in a number of technical design roles across the UK and Italy, joining Western Design in 2022. His strong drawings skills and understanding of construction has quickly made him a valuable member of the design team.

James is currently pursuing qualification as an Architect through the RIBA Studio working with important figures, and is passionate about the conversation between architecture and context, believing that architecture should enable relationships and become more beautiful through this process.

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• Hobbies/Loves Hiking, cycling, exploring new places, football

• Favourite place Beaches of Sardegna

• Greatest achievement Learning the Italian language

• Favourite building Shatwell Farm Barn by Clancy Moore Architects

• Favourite city Venezia

BA (Hons) (First Class), MArch, ARB, RIBA

Daniel joined WDA as a qualified Architect in 2021, bringing with him extensive experience in the residential sector. He enjoys working across a range of projects and has quickly become well known for his hand sketches, a skill that won him the Architect Journal sketch competition in 2011.

His passion for architecture stems from a desire to see integration between building and landscape, which was the focus of his postgraduate thesis, nominated for the Silver RIBA President Medal award. Daniel is also involved in mentoring current part 3 students at WDA.

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• Favourite city? Barcelona, Tokyo, Singapore

• Loves cars, planes, trains, F1, cycling, visiting new places

• Secret skill Flying a plane

• Favourite architect Luis Barragan, Carlo Scarpa

• Fears Deep water

BA (Hons) Arch

Hannah joined us in 2019 after returning to her home town of Poole. She studied Architecture and Planning at university and has worked in practices across the UK, involved with high profile schemes including schools, housing developments and private residences.

She has a particular passion for the collaborative relationship between client and designer, working with them to realise their aspirations through a holistic design approach, focusing on the experience of spaces. It is this approach that allows her to create highly personal and bespoke designs for our clients.

Fact File

• How do you relax Sailing, gardening whilst listening to my favourite podcast

• Loves All the watersports, live music/festivals and strength training

• Secret skill My commitment to fancy dress costumes

• Favourite place The Greek islands – each is unique in character, architectural style, influences and things to do

• On your playlist Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Bring Me The Horizon, Foo Fighters, Maximo Park, Vukovi and Avril Lavigne

BA (Hons) Arch (First Class)

Rianna has been part of the WDA team since 2015, working across a diverse portfolio that includes bespoke luxury homes and large master planning projects. She is involved throughout the full design process, from early sketch concepts to project completion.

Rianna brings her designs to life through high-quality 3D visuals and graphics, helping clients fully understand and engage with each proposal. Rianna also specialises in interior design, supported by her foundation degree in interior design.

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• Greatest achievement Experiencing one of the 7 natural wonders of the world, The Northern Lights

• Secret skill Break dancing (but haven't tried in a while)

• Favourite building Van Dusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre

• Fears Lizards

• Favourite place My family beach hut

BA (Hons) Arch

Rebecca’s passion for architecture began when she joined WDA for her work experience in 2017. She completed a foundation degree at Bournemouth Arts University specialising in Architecture and later graduated from Oxford Brookes University in 2022, after an unorthodox three years of studying through the pandemic.

Rebecca has a particular interest and love for barn conversions and rural architecture having lived and grown up in a converted barn in Dorset.

Fact File

• Hobbies Running, Walks with my dog & catching up with family/friends.

• Secret Skill Swimming quickly

• Greatest Achievement Reaching regionals individually and nationals as part of a relay team in swimming.

• Favourite Place Sandbanks

• Favourite Building Home Farm – A picturesque grade II listed farm house in the Cotswolds.

BA (Hons) Arch

Tom joined our team in 2025 after completing his Part 1 studies at the University of Portsmouth, graduating with a first-class degree in Architecture. During his time at university, his work earned a nomination for the RIBA Bronze Award and was featured on Dezeen.

Having grown up in the region, Tom has a deep appreciation for the local context and character. This connection has shaped his interest in sustainable design and integration, which he is keen to incorporate into his architectural practice.

Fact File

• How do you relax Watching football and F1

• Hobbies / Loves Playing sport with family and friends

• On your playlist R&B and house music

• Fears Falling from height

• Favourite place The French Riviera

BA (Hons) Interior Design

Kathryn has multiple responsibilities at Western Design. She manages all aspects of the IT and office technology. Most importantly she oversees the practice marketing and website working closely with Rianna and the marketing team.

She works to raise the profile of the practice by writing material for the practice brochures, updating and production of images for the website, social media and preparing press releases. Kathryn is responsible for awards submissions documentation and organising exhibitions.

Fact File

• How do you relax Walking in the forest and along the coast

• Hobbies/Loves Road cycling, organising, skiing,

• Secret skill Helping to startup Fordingbridge RFU Girls Touch Rugby / Girls welsh under 10's chess champion

• Fears Butterflies and stickers

• Favourite city Hobart, Tasmania

BA (Hons) Arch

Lewis joined our team in 2025 after recently completing his Part 1 Architecture Degree at the Arts University of Bournemouth.

Having grown up nearby, Lewis has developed a deep interest in green/sustainable architecture and blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor living.

Fact File

• How do you relax Listening to music, going on drives

• Hobbies/Loves Playing/ watching football, skiing, Formula 1, nature walks

• Favourite design movement or building Productive Architecture,

• Favourite places Corvara & The French Riviera

BA (Hons) Arch

Matteo joined WDA in 2019 and has worked on a variety of projects, ranging from one off luxury houses, conservation schemes through to master planning from the early design stages through to technical detailing and construction. His energy and enthusiasm is infectious which has made him very popular with clients and staff.

He has a particular interest in sustainable and productive architecture, helping communities to live in a cleaner and better world, where buildings provide a real benefit to the lives of the people that inhabit them.

Fact File

• How do you relax Surfing
  

• Favourite food Pizzaaaaa (or Nasi Goreng)

• Secret skill I am a very good chef

• Greatest achievement Graduating and winning a few water polo championships

• Favourite design movement or building Productive Architecture, Shigeru Ban, Nine Bridges

We are currently not recruiting.

Please send us your CV and Portfolio to recruitment@westerndesign.co.uk

Find out more about this role

GDPR: WDA will retain a copy of your CV and enclosed documents for up to 12 months for the consideration of future opportunities. Please state in your covering letter that you give permission for WDA to retain a copy of your CV.

Lola is a friendly and cheerful member of the team. she brings fun and energy to the office and brightens everyone’s day.

Fact File

• How do you relax Big stretches

• Hobbies / Loves Ball is love, I love ball. Live, laugh, ball

• Secret skill I can make everyone fall in love with me

• Fears The window cleaner

• Greatest Achievement Caught my tail once

Pippa has been a part of the WDA team since she was 12 weeks old. Her main role within the WDA family is to make sure everyone gets their daily dose of cuddles and in return she wouldn’t mind if you could throw her ball once in a while for her to chase.

Fact File

• How do you relax Endless cuddles and tickles

• Hobbies / Loves Walkies

• Secret skill Puppy eyes to get away with everything

• Favourite Food Cheeeeese

• Favourite Place Forests with crunchy leaves on the floor