Architect appoints chief for new Cardiff office

STEPHEN Quin has been appointed to head the new Cardiff office of Hughes Architects.

Mr Quin, who becomes architectural director, joins from Scott Brownrigg, where he was project director and has worked since 2008.

Hughes Architects is opening the office in Wellfield Road as part of a growth strategy. Its existing offices are at Newtown and Welshpool in Powys, Aberystwyth in Ceredigion, and it is also embarking on a move into Shrewsbury in Shropshire.

“I’m delighted to have secured Stephen as director of our Cardiff practice. He will lead on all aspects of our building design and architectural work and team in the capital,” said Doug Hughes, managing director and principal architect

“He has a strong track record of working on small, medium and large-scale projects in residential and commercial property and knows the market and area well.

“Our objective is to provide a broad range of services, from residential new-builds, extensions and renovation work, through to large housing schemes and commercial developments throughout south Wales and the south-west of England. This builds on our work throughout Wales and the borders, including Shropshire and Herefordshire.”

Mr Quin has worked on a range of projects in the UK and Europe, ranging from bespoke schemes to 7,000home strategic master planning sites. They include the North East Cardiff Strategic Masterplan, Cardiff Pointe, Cardiff; Dumballs Road Strategic Masterplan site in Cardiff; Glamorgan Cricket’s Swalec Stadium; West End Gate in Paddington, a high-end residential development of 700 units for Berkeley Homes; and most recently, Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff Bay, new home to the Cardiff Devils.

A University of Portsmouth School of Architecture graduate, he began his career with a design-led architects practice in Shropshire in 1996, moving to Bristol, before returning to Cardiff, where, beyond project roles, he was local Design Research Unit champion, sustainability lead, and worked as an occasional external tutor at Cardiff University’s Welsh School of Architecture.

Mr Quin said: “There is a wealth of opportunity in and around Cardiff, the wider south Wales region and along the M4 corridor into the southwest of England. I’m relishing the challenge of growing the practice and team we will employ here, working on projects as diverse as home extensions and new-builds, through to large-scale housing developments and commercial building.”