Who we are
The Education Design Unit is a collaboration between Make Architects, Elliott Wood, Max Fordham, Gustafson Porter + Bowman and ZZA Responsive User Environments.
David Patterson
David brings over 25 years of architectural expertise to his leadership role within Make's education and research team. His extensive experience includes a rich portfolio of projects within the education and research sector. Notably, he has overseen various major initiatives for the practice, such as the design and delivery of six buildings for the University of Nottingham. These projects have received recognition through awards, including the RIBA National, Regional, and Sustainability Awards, underscoring their architectural excellence and commitment to sustainability.
David actively participates in the research community as a member of the University Design Forum, which aims to enhance and promote design quality in higher education environments, focusing on architectural and design excellence within university campuses and facilities. Additionally, he dedicates his time to teaching at Central Saint Martins, nurturing the next generation of architects. In the realm of professional organisations, David serves as the chair of RIBA London, where he supports and advocates for architectural excellence and innovation within London's architectural community and projects.
Phil Armitage
Phil has over 35 years’ experience in the construction industry as an environmental and building services engineer, championing passive and low energy design and the integration of services and fabric. He has worked on a broad range of projects spanning the very small and beautifully formed to large scale masterplans and covering educational, research, hospitality, health, residential, entertainment and workplace uses. He is a director of Max Fordham LLP, leading teams on projects and involved in the management of the practice. He has worked on successful projects with many HE establishments including the Royal Veterinary College and the Universities of Cambridge, Nottingham and Aberdeen. Phil is a keen advocate of sharing his experience with others, is a member of design quality review panels for the London Boroughs of Haringey and Havering, and is a director of the BCO.
Donncha O Shea
Donncha O’Shea is a Partner at Gustafson Porter + Bowman, leading several project teams and supervising the running of the London-based office. Originally trained as an architect, Donncha worked in the field before moving sideways into landscape architecture which informs his approach to sustainable landscapes for the built environment, whether new build or projects involving historic and sensitive heritage elements, both the UK and world-wide.
He has worked with the London Metropolitan University unifying a disparate collection of buildings the Holloway campus and is leading the landscape design for the UK National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre. Other work on campus includes Rhine Terrace in Basel for Novatis and a number of placemaking projects for Google in London and Dublin.
He is a module lecturer at both the Bartlett and the University of Greenwich, a member of the Design Council and on the Bromley design review panel.
George Georgiou
George is a Director at Elliott Wood leading 30 structural and civil engineers across two offices. He has 20 years’ experience across multiple sectors and all scales of work including small-scale interventions on school buildings to large masterplan work. He teaches at the University of East Anglia. George has a focus on design innovation and maximising the value of works to the client. He has strong communication skills, which allow him to translate complex engineering issues into clear messages for client team decisions.
