Member Article

Ryder Architecture grow during milestone 60th year

A string of significant project wins and steady staff growth over the past year means Ryder Architecture has further cause for celebration during its 60th anniversary.

Established in 1953 in Newcastle by post war pioneers Gordon Ryder and Peter Yates, the practice now has four UK offices in Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Newcastle, with a team also in Hong Kong.

In total, 43 new recruits have joined the ranks in the past 12 months, after significant project wins nationwide alongside projects in the north east including Hitachi, Newcastle Central Station, Newcastle College Gateway and Nissan.

BIM Academy, Ryder’s joint venture with Northumbria University, has also had success both here and overseas in Hong Kong, meaning it too has boosted its numbers to cater for growing demand, with the recent appointment of new chairman, John Lorimer, a founding member of the government BIM steering group.

Ryder managing partner Mark Thompson said: “It is proving to be a great year with new project wins and the intake of new talent to help us drive forward the business. We’ve made several key appointments across all our offices, supported by our Newcastle base.

“This is a very exciting period. Identifying talented staff injects healthy new blood into the teams and we welcome all our new recruits and are confident they will play their own important part in the continuing success of Ryder.”

Ryder has also recently introduced a dedicating resource to research and implement Public Interest Design – where architects and those in the wider built environment promote sustainable development to help alleviate poverty.

The practice has recruited architect Jo Ashbridge to lead this new initiative, after her return from Bangladesh on a RIBA sponsored Boyd Auger scholarship, where she worked on shelter programmes. Projects in sub Saharan Africa, Vietnam and Bangladesh as well as the UK with CRASH, the property industry’s charity for the homeless, are all currently being explored.

She said “This is a great opportunity to promote the power that architects have across the globe to change the lives of people who live in places with scarce resources. I am delighted Ryder has provided me with this opportunity and is dedicated to use its influence to improve the lives of those living in poverty with limited assets.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ryder Architecture .