Cora focusses on strategic advice, briefing, placemaking, and user experience. She has extensive experience in POE and collaborative stakeholder engagement. As a creative and critical thinker, Cora enjoys resolving complex design briefs to deliver award-winning buildings whilst creating beautiful places that work for their users.
As Head of Universities and an accredited RIBA Client Adviser, Cora helps clients to plan, structure and develop projects from the earliest stages. Her extensive experience and impartial advice add value to projects to ensure a quality outcome in design and delivery.
Her research interests explore visionary spatial solutions to new pedagogies. She led the University Design Forum’s ‘Campus spaces and places: Impact on student outcomes’ research and the follow-on piece, ‘Social Learning @ University’.
Cora, what drives your career in architecture?
My passion for promoting good design, placemaking and great user experience; seeing the finished building and how it is used by people is very important to me. I love to foster a sense of creativity and community whilst respecting the context and environment in my designs.
Beyond my work at Stride Treglown, I encourage excellent design of the built environment as Commissioner at the Design Commission for Wales (DCfW) and by chairing two design review panels for Design West and DCfW.
What are the key challenges affecting your sector, or are likely to in the next five years?
We are developing more and more attractive space solutions to support institutions attract and retain students and staff while increasing space utilisation. EDI is moving to the top of the agenda. It’s essential to create truly inclusive spaces for all, covering different students’ and staff needs, to promote wellbeing and attract everyone back to the campus in order to create a strong community.
Funding is more challenging than ever, and a lot of universities struggle to carry out all necessary maintenance and compliance works let alone realising all desirable capital projects.
The focus is now more on repurposing and optimising the existing estate whilst working towards very ambitious net zero carbon targets, often supported by Passivhaus or EnerPhit ambitions.
What are the current big trends in your sector?
The two big trends are super sustainable buildings and collaboration spaces on campus.We are currently designing 2,250 new student residences for the University of the West of England (UWE) with the 900-bed Purdown View development now complete. The new accommodation is the largest Passivhaus certified development in the UK and an essential part of UWE’s ‘2030 strategy’.
Here we have included internal and external communal spaces where students can interact to create a stronger community. We’ve also seen an increase in commuter students that we need to cater for on campus.
What is your proudest moment in the life of a project?
Walking into a finished building and seeing people using it the way it was designed. Their reactions mean a lot to me. The Beatrice Shilling Building for RHUL was ‘Highly Commended’ at the British Construction Industry Awards with the judges commenting: ‘Excellent project, great outcome. I felt that there had been lots of great communication and everybody got what they needed.’ Despite the great feedback and award nominations, the best part was going back once it was completed and hearing how much students and staff enjoyed using the space I had created. I really enjoy sitting in the informal spaces myself in between meetings when I am on campus!
Interesting fact that nobody knows about you?
I love spending time out in nature. I have two horses and compete in show jumping and dressage events. It really helps me to clear my head and focus outside of work.
Industry Bodies:
- ARB / RIBA
- Built Environment Expert (Associate) for Design Council
- Design Commissioner for the Design Commission for Wales
- Chair and Design Review Panel Member for the Design Commission for Wales
- Chair for Design Review West Panel
- University Design Forum (UDF); Co-chair of the Research Group and research project lead on Campus Spaces and Places and Social Learning @ University research
- Member of NLA Education Expert Panel 2023/2024/2025
- Future Learning Environments podcast
Awards:
- Bristol Business School: Best Student Experience @ Education Estates Award
- Beatrice Shilling Building RHUL: Social Infrastructure Project of the Year @ British Construction Industry Awards, – Highly Commended
- Rosenberg House: for the Patron’s Award of the Almshouse Association – Shortlisted
- Eastleigh House: Best Inclusive Building @ LABC Awards, Best Refurbished/Recycled Workplace @ BCO South West & Best Commercial Building @ RICS South East
- ‘Best Woman Architect’ @ Women in Construction and Engineering European Awards (WICE) 2019 – Finalist
- CSE Innovation Space: University of Westminster: Interior Fit Out @ FIS Contractors Awards & London, Project of the Year @ SCF Awards, Student Experience @ Education Estates – Shortlisted, Education Project of the Year @ AV Awards – Shortlisted & Small Project of the Year @ Building Awards – Shortlisted
- Skills & Simulation Suite, London Metropolitan University: Project of the Year – Public Sector and Cultural Interiors @ Mix Awards – Shortlisted, Regeneration and Retrofit @ Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards – Shortlisted & Public Sector @ FX Awards – Shortlisted
