James Berk

The belief that architecture has a responsibility to address social issues has been a significant influence throughout both my academic and professional journey.

During my diploma at London Metropolitan University, I became deeply interested in the socio-economic challenges facing London. This led to extensive research into the erosion of industrial workspace in the city, where I uncovered the detrimental effects of this trend on both people and places.

As a designer, I enjoy approaching problems from both macro and micro perspectives — appreciating the overarching components of placemaking while paying close attention to finer details such as materiality, composition, and form.

In recent years at Studio Egret West, I have taken on prominent design leadership roles. I have had the privilege of working on projects of varying scales, each aiming to socially enrich communities through a holistic approach to placemaking, landscape, and innovative architecture.

For instance, I worked on the detailed planning submission for Faraday Works in Charlton, a truly mixed-use scheme designed to reverse the decline of industrial land in London. My responsibilities included designing and coordinating a pioneering stacked industrial building.

Previously, I contributed to the interior design of the Central Research Laboratory in Brighton, an incubator and flexible workspace, where I was involved in the detailed design and tender stages. Additionally, I played a key role in SEW’s planning application for Northlake, a proposal for a new residential town in Essex. The scheme envisions over 2,500 new homes, a school, a community centre, and a lido, all integrated within a rich ecological landscape. My role involved coordinating the architectural language across the masterplan and individual buildings.

This diversity of programmes and scales continues to inspire and fulfil my architectural ambitions.