OUR STORY
We are a multi-disciplinary practice creating outstanding people-centric places that care for our heritage. Our research-led approach underpins our design philosophy meaning our clients know their projects will be based on the latest thinking in the sector.
West Waddy Archadia (WWA) Studios was formed by the merger of two renowned practices and can trace their origins back to 1885. With offices in London and Oxford, our interdisciplinary team offers outstanding client-focused services embracing the natural crossover between built environment disciplines and consistently deliver high-quality projects on time and on budget.
WWA offers a range of design and planning services including Architecture, Planning, and Urban Design with specialists in low-energy design, ecology, heritage, and arboriculture.
Our team are highly experienced in navigating projects through the complex UK planning system and championing our client’s cause, from multi-acre, mixed-use development sites, to smaller and more personal projects. At WWA we offer expert advice, untangle the red tape, decipher any jargon and provide you with a clear and well-laid-out approach. For a free initial consultation please get in touch.
We work across various sectors ranging from residential, healthcare, specialist housing and education, from small-scale developments to large mixed-use schemes. Over the years we have collaborated with clients including commercial and private developers, charities and local authorities, associations, schools and universities. View our portfolio to explore our latest projects.
OUR TEAM
Mark Slater
Managing Director
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MARK
SLATER
BSC MARCH RIBA
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Phone: 020 8941 5161
Email: mark.s@wwa-studios.com
Jean Hanna
Design Director
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JEAN
HANNA
BSC BARCH RIBA
DESIGN DIRECTOR
Phone: 020 8941 5161
Email: jean.h@wwa-studios.com
Jean has over 30 years’ experience in delivering large scale projects for new build and remodelled extra care, retirement housing and general needs housing schemes at a range of urban/rural locations. She has delivered schemes in Conservation Areas and on sites including Listed Buildings.
She is highly skilled in producing Feasibility Studies and is able to unlock the full potential of sites, Jean has worked at the Practice for over 20 years, being appointed as a Director in 2011. Jean is also a Client Design Advisor for a central London council.
Jean has successfully delivered projects throughout RIBA stages 0-6 including the recent mixed use project in Hounslow, and a large scale retirement scheme in Poole.
Her designs have been well received with some of projects having won local and European awards. Jean’s design scheme for Patching Lodge in Brighton was used in the HAPPI Report, a government publication outlining innovative housing examples from across Europe making recommendations to government, developers and housing developers, as was her scheme for Hanover in Egham.
Jean continues to broaden her knowledge and expertise in her specialist fields by being an active member of Housing LIN and member of WISH (Women in Social Housing).
Philip Waddy
Chairman
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PHILIP
WADDY
BA (HONS) DIP ARCH (OXFORD) RIBA FRSA AABC
Chairman
Phone: 01235 523139
Email: philip.w@wwa-studios.com
Philip became Chairman of WWA in 2024 after leading the organisation as a practice partner and director for more than 30 years. In this role, Philip brings his extensive business experience to shape the team’s business strategy, setting out plans for growth and the diversification of our services.
Philip has an outstanding reputation for leadership, steering often complex developments to a successful completion. He is particularly adept at project management and his track record in getting results for clients is borne out by the number of repeat commissions received by the Practice.
Philip is an accredited conservation architect and has a special interest in historic building conservation having successfully undertaken a large number of sensitive conversions, repairs and restoration schemes to listed buildings during his career.
Philip is a past Chairman of the RIBA Southern Region and a former Trustee of the RIBA. He also currently Chairs the RIBA’s Expert Planning Group and helps to formulate the Institute’s policy on town planning. In these roles he has given recent papers and presentations to conferences on matters relating to architecture and town planning, conservation and sustainability.
Outside of work Philip enjoys choral singing and is also a Commercial Yachtmaster and can often be found on the water teaching others to sail.
Ifti Maniar
Director of Planning
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IFTI
MANIAR
BARCH (HONS) MSC MA MRTPI
DIRECTOR OF PLANNING
Phone: 01235 523139
Email: ifti.m@wwa-studios.com
With dual expertise in architecture and planning, Ifti has an eye for detail and a genuine interest in sustainable design, having worked on private and public sector projects including retail, leisure, education, residential and commercial developments.
He has an appetite for challenging projects and enjoys finding innovative solutions to difficult planning problems, particularly on heavily constrained sites and those in the Green Belt. He also enjoys the aspects of policy interpretation, case law and appeal precedents. He has worked on projects across the country and has an extensive experience of delivering small, medium and large scale projects through the planning process.
Wendy Kelly
Practice Manager
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WENDY
KELLY
PRACTICE MANAGER
Wendy has been with the Practice for more than 10 years. She is a key member of the Management Team and heads up our busy support team.
Wendy’s role, working closely with the Directors and the remainder of the WWA team, is to ensure the efficient and smooth running of the business. Her tasks include all aspects of HR, personnel support, office management, marketing activities, and general day to day management of the business.
Johnathan Headland
Urban Design Director
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JOHNATHAN
HEADLAND
BA(HONS)
URBAN DESIGN DIRECTOR
Phone: 01235 523139
Email: Johnathan.h@wwa-studios.com
Johnathan has developed a wealth of experience in delivering residential and mixed-use schemes from feasibility study through to consented projects across 1-1500 units.
He is interested in the processes to facilitate development through the planning system; especially the role design and consultation plays in delivering implementable high-quality places.
Jonathan is passionate about the development sector and interested in all stages from conceptual design, through the planning system and into use.
Ewan Green
Associate Architect
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EWAN
GREEN
BA DIP ARCH RIBA
ASSOCIATE ARCHITECT
Ewan has recently passed his Passivhaus exams after intensive training at the Building Research Establishment. This low energy design approach will feature more commonly in creation of the built environment as we move towards the RIBA’s target of zero carbon buildings by 2030. Ewan is particularly looking forward to using these skills for residential, bespoke housing and deep retrofit, upgrading existing building stock.
Ewan’s passion lies in the education sector and he has led recent education projects including a hydrotherapy pool building for a school for children with autism and development feasibilities at a private school in south west London.
He has excellent project management skills and has delivered projects in the private residential, public commercial, educational and healthcare sectors. His delivery of a new retirement development in Lyndhurst was named as ‘Best Larger Development’ at the New Forest National Park Authority’s Building Design Awards.
Ewan is the Office’s BIM Champion and is fully proficient in Revit software. By fully integrating BIM into all his projects he saves time during the design and production stages.
Sally Wright
Senior Planner
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SALLY
WRIGHT
BSc (HONS), MSc
SENIOR PLANNER
Sally joined our practice in October 2023 as a Senior Planner and has extensive knowledge of planning in a local government context. Prior to joining the practice, Sally worked in the planning department at South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils and has extensive knowledge of planning in a local government context. She has gained experience from working on a variety of minor and major planning applications in both rural and urban areas, including residential, commercial, educational, agricultural, and solar developments.
Sally completed her undergraduate degree at the Royal Agricultural University where she studied Real Estate Management and went on to successfully complete an RTPI-accredited MSc Spatial Planning degree at Oxford Brookes University. Currently, she is working towards her Chartered Membership.
She has a strong interest in urban design and focuses on high-quality buildings and creating attractive, safe and pleasant areas to live, work and visit.
Matt Hinkins
Design Associate
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MATT
HINKINS
BA (HONS) MARCH RIBA
DESIGN ASSOCIATE
Matt joined WWA in 2015 whilst completing his post graduate studies and qualified as an Architect in 2019. He is now a member of the RIBA Conservation Register and in 2022 undertook an intensive period of study with the BRE subsequently qualifying as a Certified PassivHaus Designer.
Matt has vast experience working on projects ranging from large-scale masterplans to new builds, extensions and alterations across a variety of sectors. He has also gained experience working on many heritage-led projects, most significantly at the Grade II* listed Winterbourne Medieval Barns, where he helped obtain consent and administered a building contract for the sensitive conservation, refurbishment and alteration works across 4 ranges on the site.
Currently, Matt is working on a variety of projects including as part of a team on decarbonisation proposals at an Oxford University College and is project lead for a bespoke, low-energy timber frame residential project on Boars Hill.
Stephen Pickles
Policy Planner
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STEPHEN
PICKLES
BA MSC DIP TP MRTPI DIPLOMA IN ENV CONS
POLICY PLANNER
An experienced planner, Stephen has delivered a range of advice and solutions for the Practice, working on historic buildings, green belt schemes, creation of feasibility studies, and secured allocation of sites in Local Development Frameworks.
Prior to joining the Practice, Stephen worked in Planning Policy at Oxford City Council for 18 years from 1989 until 2007 working on policy issues (particularly in relation to the universities, hospitals, environmental issues and sports/recreation), which gave him extensive knowledge of planning policy in a local government context.
Stephen has experience of preparing planning applications and co-ordinating other professionals involved in the team, monitoring planning applications once deposited with the local planning authority and liaising with clients throughout each project.
Charlie Kirby
Architectural Assistant
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CHARLIE
KIRBY
BA (HONS)
ARCHITECTURAL ASSISTANT
With keen interest in biomimicry, sustainable architecture and building for a changing environment, Charlie joined the Practice following the completion of her undergraduate degree at Oxford Brookes University.
As part of her degree course, her unit designed ‘The Hill’ Oxfords Health Innovation Hub, to facilitate a discussion of healthcare at the John Radcliffe Hospital.
Charlie is currently working on various residential schemes and large-scale projects as part of her year out and once completed will return to studying for Part 2 of her qualification.
As a child, Charlie spent time in Tokyo, Chennai and Geneva, experiencing a diverse array of architectural styles that influence her designs.
Matthew Jackson
Project Architect
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MATTHEW
JACKSON
BA (HONS) MARCH
PROJECT ARCHITECT
Matt joined the WWA team in 2021. His previous project experience includes a range of project scales and types. He has been involved with a number of education projects including new build secondary schools in Bicester and Faringdon and a new specialist SEN School, for pupils with specific educational and behavioural needs plus work for Reading University and Oxford Brookes University where he led a project to fully refurbish several existing student accommodation blocks, to provide an upgrade to the student cluster flats and reconfigured the communal student space and staff facilities in a building of local historic significance. He also brings experience of smaller scale heritage work through some minor works projects with the Grade II listed buildings at Somerville College in Oxford, and healthcare experience, with the refurbishment and fit out of an existing hospital ward building for the relocation of an outpatients department for the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Ralph Saull
Project Architect / Marketing Coordinator
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RALPH
SAULL
BA (HONS) MARCHD PCTHE FHEA RIBA
PROJECT ARCHITECT / MARKETING COORDINATOR
Ralph has delivered a diverse array of projects, ranging from large scale masterplans to extension and alteration works. He is experienced in community and stakeholder management – including public consultations – and in the production of clear and simple graphic information.
He has worked on heritage-led projects including grade I and grade II listed buildings, as well as the design of contemporary dwellings including Herons, a one-off home in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Ralph also acts as the Practice’s Marketing Coordinator, heading up, along with other members of the team, the smooth running of the Marketing of the Practice.
In addition to his role in the Practice as a designer and Marketing Coordinator, Ralph is also an Associate Lecturer in Architecture, teaching at Oxford Brookes University on the year one undergraduate programme.
JAY
WRIGHT
PA TO THE DIRECTORS
As PA to the Directors, Jay oversees and coordinates the Directors busy schedules, as well as offering them high quality and confidential support.
Prior to joining the Practice in 2017, Jay gained a wealth of transferrable skills whilst working at the Churchill Hospital providing full administrative and secretarial support across a variety of NHS teams and services.
Originally from Oxford Jay now lives in Abingdon, where she enjoys walking her dog and spending time with her family.
In addition to this, Jay offers administrative support to the remainder of the team, together with organising Practice events and offers day to day assistance with the management of social media platforms.
Jay Wright
PA to the Directors
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Stanislav Brezden
Architectural Assistant
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STANISLAV
BREZDEN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSISTANT
Stanislav joined the Practice in September 2019 as an Apprentice Part I Architectural Assistant starting his apprenticeship at Southbank University. He provides support to our architectural team and works on a variety of projects, and as part of his employment he spends a proportion of his time studying architecture and developing his design skills.
Kim Vermaak
Marketing + Client Relations Manager
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KIM
VERMAAK
MARKETING + CLIENT RELATIONS MANAGER
Kim works alongside the team at WWA to maintain a strong brand and build positive long-term relationships with new and existing clients while maintaining an optimistic outlook on any challenges that may lie ahead.
Kim studied Electronic Publishing in 2003 at the ground-breaking Hirt & Carter Training Centre in Cape Town and brings with her over 15 years of exposure in design and production for print, signage production, brand management and social media.
With family roots in Namibia, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and exploring new places along the way. She has visited a few European countries with only a backpack and a bus full of strangers as part of a Bus-A-Bout Tour; she would love to visit Scotland and the Scandinavian countries to tick the box on her bucket list of seeing the Northern Lights.
Michael Paginton
Arboricultural and Town Planning Consultant
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MICHAEL
PAGINTON
PGDIP BA (HONS) DIP ARB L4 (ABC) PIEMA TECHARBORA
ARBORICULTURAL AND TOWN PLANNING CONSULTANT
Michael has worked with the Practice as an Arboriculturist since 2017. He is a skilled environmental and arboricultural consultant who provides advice and support to clients relating to green infrastructure planning, environmental assessment, arboriculture and town planning.
Michael is a Practitioner Member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment and Technician Member of the Arboricultural Association. He has a broad multi- disciplinary skill set having gained consultancy experience in both forward and development planning including preparing environmental assessments and green infrastructure strategies for local authority development plans.
Lee Golder
Finance Manager
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LEE
GOLDER
BA (HONS) MAAT
FINANCE MANAGER
Lee is a key member of the Management Team and heads up all aspects of financial management and IT.
Since qualifying as an Accounting Technician Lee has worked within accounting and legal practices and expanded her skills into financial reporting, budget planning, office management, HR and personnel support.
Formerly a Graphic Designer at Oxford Brookes University, Lee transitioned to accountancy work in 2007 to work more closely with people and businesses, focusing on financial and office management.
Neil Gibson
Consultant
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NEIL
GIBSON
BA (HONS) T&CP DMS DEM MRTPI FCHIT
CONSULTANT
Neil currently provides the Practice with strategic advice on planning, housing, the environment and general business development.
Neil has over 25 years of senior executive experience at board level, embracing vision & strategy development, partnership development, change management & delivery, innovation and organisational & executive leadership development.
He is a Member of the RTPI, a Fellow of the CIHT and a recent Past President of ADEPT, a national Association in which he remains active.