Gemma Noakes
Associate Director
I enjoy being able to create or impact small pieces of city. I believe modern life is defined by the city that surrounds it. As the writer Richard Sennett puts it they are, where strangers meet; where new ideas are formed in a public space. A common ground. My perspective of the city has changed over time and during my years at Studio Egret West, from a city of opportunity to a place I now call home.
One of the first projects I worked on was the detail design of Clapham Library, it was an exciting project to be involved in and really challenged the norms of how someone uses a library, it was a public space designed for interaction and learning. As with SEW, I have also grown with experience and age and developed a wider outlook of the city, more interested in the bigger picture and how it connects with the surrounding communities or how small parts of the city can become mini cities within themselves. One of the most recent projects I worked on was Cotton Quay, Salford that combined my interest of defining new pieces of city and exciting architectural proposals alongside a number of new waterfront homes.
Having worked with SEW a number of years I have helped shape a wide range of projects in various scales, working within teams to now leading them. I enjoy designing and managing the complex projects and hope to be able to develop my understanding and appreciation of cities in the coming years.
