John Pardey established his practice in 1988 as a sole trader whilst teaching at several schools of architecture. The practice re-launched in 2000 as John Pardey Architects and now employs thirteen staff.
Commissions have grown over the years and perhaps most recognised is our architecture in the residential and educational sectors. We have undertaken numerous private house commissions and large-scale residential developments and become nationally recognised gaining 47 awards, including RIBA Regional Awards in both 2001, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2016, along with the Gold Medal for Architecture in Wales in 2013.
jpa was cited as one of Britain’s top six residential design practices in the Sunday Times in April 2014.
Our approach
Our approach to all projects - regardless of scale or budget - is to firstly understand the vision and objectives of the client and then work very hard to explore options to find a solution that exceeds expectations yet remains practical, achievable and lasting. We always endeavour to use natural materials to make buildings that work and wear well, to provide a richness and resonance that endures.
We see our work as humanistic – modern, but tempered by a love of place, traditions and materials – we aim for timelessness in our buildings. We try hard to attain simplicity yet richness, clarity yet depth, elegance yet robustness.
Our work fuses many influences, from English Arts & Crafts, Scandinavian Modernism and the Californian Case Study House programme of the 1950s – but ultimately, we like to think our work has a unique imprint that is entirely our own. We do not labour over theory for its own sake, but always underpin our work with a clear diagram and concept, that distils the programme and guides design development so that the detail becomes just as important as the whole.
Outcome
jpa believes in making great contemporary buildings that exceed expectations without exceeding budgets. We have a passion for design that makes the maximum use of what is already there – the site, the climate, the views, the path of the sun – and combine this with the use of natural materials used in a contemporary way that weather naturally to achieve a timeless quality.
We understand the complexities of the planning system and have an enviable record of achieving difficult consents, ranging from contemporary one-off houses in sensitive locations, to large residential schemes, to a new John Lewis department store opposite Christopher Wren’s Emmanuel college in the historic centre of Cambridge.
We embody sustainability in our work without it being an add-on, avoiding unnecessary waste to achieve an efficient use of energy and resources, but rather than base our designs on such issues, we simply engender these as common sense.
The practice prides itself on being able to not just design, but to have a firm grounding in construction and detailing that makes for a complete service, which we deliver with professionalism.
