As a Chartered Architectural Technologist working for Hull City Council, I have a wide and varied workload as the Council’s portfolio of buildings covers social housing, education, public buildings and new build in all fields.

I have developed a speciality in refurbishment of high-rise properties, the first of which I undertook in 1991, namely Muswell Court. This project won the RIBA White Rose Award and the Heat Electric Award for Energy Efficiency, and has also been the subject of BRE Good Practice Guide. The project led to the development of a specification covering all aspects of rain screen cladding, window and curtain walling design and has been used successfully on a number of other projects within Hull City Council.

In 1997, I was requested to manage a £2 million refurbishment of a Grade 2 listed building following a major fire. The building is owned by Hull City Council and leased by a large nightclub chain. This was a very complicated project with the co-ordination of all the reinstatement works needing to be in consultation with Hull City Council, together with the nightclub’s owners and insurers, as well as English Heritage. The project was a success returning the building back to its original construction. This highly innovative nightclub was featured in a national nightclub magazine.

The work of a Chartered Architectural Technologist can be interesting; it is certainly challenging and rewarding, giving the opportunity to design and manage a wide range of construction projects.