Space Associate Director Chris Holmes has recently taken up a new position as Director.

In his role as Associate Director, Chris has been responsible for leading the architectural design of a number of high profiled projects including the Grey Street mixed-use development, 1 Mosley Street and the Sir Terry Farrell Building all in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Chris graduated from Newcastle University 20 years ago and initially spent seven years with Red Box Design Group, before leading projects at ADP for 12 years. These projects included the RIBA Award-winning Knop Law Primary School and the redevelopment of the multi-award-winning Spanish City in Whitley Bay.

“I was attracted to Space by the quality of projects that the practice were involved with and their vision for the future, with a firm emphasis on design-led projects,” Chris said.

“The practice culture was also a major factor and it has been a real pleasure to work with the dedicated, like-minded team here at Space both on a number of great heritage projects and also as part of the management team, helping to determine the direction of the practice now and for the long term.”

Looking to the future, Chris says that he would like to pursue opportunities to work on cultural developments in a similar mould to the redevelopment of the Stockton Globe theatre that is currently being overseen by Space.

Besides his ideal projects, he also expressed a desire to continue developing his leadership skills and to help the business achieve its longer-term goals.

“I am committed to building upon our profile as a business in the region and beyond. I will also look to provide support and mentorship to younger members of staff, promote an emphasis on strong design concepts via regular design reviews and ensure they are taken through to delivery,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to my continued involvement with projects while demonstrating the possibilities of creative re-use and the re-purposing of our wonderful historic assets.”