Shevaughn Rieck – Architect
I have been at Farrells London since my placement as a Part I at Newcastle University. 15 years later, I am still in awe of our practice’s work and the legacy we continue to fill in the industry. I consider Farrells as a start up with a fifty-year heritage – we have an abundance of new, young talent with an already established and trusted name. We have an excellent culture, which encourages collaboration and empowers everyone within our practice to have a voice, which I believe is incredibly important now as client and industry demands change.
Clients no longer look to architects for just design guidance, but now wider industry opinion and insight, which we deliver in abundance. Architecture has become more every day; it is important we, and the wider architecture community, deliver buildings that benefit people’s lives, not shiny jewels which fulfil personal design house styles and goals. Thinking outside the box on every project is essential, by setting it in its wider political, social and economic context and we must, and do, challenge the brief often to deliver the best outcome.
Old Oak Common is a place close to my heart – it is where I have lived for a number of years and where my husband and I have decided to raise our young family. I am working with the OPDC on their plans to deliver regeneration here. The vision is to create a new urban community where a thriving local economy supports everything a community needs. It will become an inclusive, accessible and diverse district, showcasing the very best of placemaking alongside innovative use of technology and energy systems. The area is rich in culture and heritage and the plans build on its unique opportunities with Park Royal a thriving industrial centre, the wild, green canal and the new station opening this area up as a gateway to the regions.
