Chris Mackenzie
Director, Architect
Chris is the founding director of Designscape Architects. Whilst at Designscape, he has been responsible for a diverse range of projects; Science Studio, art gallery, production and archive facility for Damien Hirst, Hill Farm Dairy, Park Grounds Energy Recovery facility and a number of award winning residential projects including Twinneys House, Innox Lodge and Chilliswood House, Bath. He has a particular interest in sustainable design and creative re-use.
Formerly a senior project architect at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, he held overall responsibility for the £23m Portland Square Building at the University of Plymouth and also worked on the technical design issues of the 2008 RIBA Stirling Prize winning Accordia Housing in Cambridge. Chris regularly contributes to the Masters Degree course at the University of Bath and is a member of The Devon and Somerset Design Review Panel. Chris trained at Portsmouth University and is a former President of the Bristol Society of Architects and Chairman of the RIBA Bristol and Bath Branch.
Spencer Back
Director, Architect
Spencer joined Designscape as co-director in 2010. Whilst at the practice he has been Project Director responsible for a wide range of residential and non-residential projects from inception to completion, including; Exactaform Tools, Coventry; Springfield Farmhouse, 7-9 Bannerdown, Bath and Hillcrest Houses, Bristol and the Avenue Minehead.
Prior to joining Designscape, Spencer was for five years a director of Angus Meek Architects in Bristol, where he was responsible for a range of new build and refurbishment projects for both end user and developer clients, from concept design through to construction and completion. These projects included the headquarters and distribution building for medical supplies company Vygon UK in Swindon, and residential schemes such as the award winning Praedium, a development of 95 apartments and 11 houses in Redland Hill Bristol for Crosby Homes. He has also worked on several student accommodation projects in Bristol, including the 356 room Dean’s Court whilst working for Alec French Architects.
Spencer had previously worked in London for ten years, first for Alsop Lyall and Stormer then John Lyall Architects, on a diverse range of prestigious projects including Tottenham Hale rail and underground stations, Harry Ramsden’s Fish restaurant in Cardiff Bay and Listed Corn Exchange and Third White Cloth Hall in Leeds. Afterwards joining Foggo Associates where he worked on a number of influential and award-winning office buildings in the City of London; 60 Queen Victoria Street, Cannon Street Station and 288 Bishopsgate.
Livia Klimaj
Architect
Livia joined Designscape in September 2017, bringing with her a diverse range of expertise on a range of projects, whilst also developing her interests in Building Information Modelling.
Livia is an ARB registered Architect, qualifying at Budapest University of Technology and Economics and spending one term on her final project as an Erasmus student at Universidad de Sevilla. She completed her postgraduate studies at Budapest UTE Dep. of Urbanism and the Hungarian Architects’ Association’s Master Course with work experience at Foldes & Petho Architects and MCXVI Architects in Budapest.
Following her studies Livia relocated to UK to work at FCB Studios on projects such as Bath Western Riverside & Compston Mill. She moved onto smaller scale projects at Jacques Partnership and Stonewood Design. More recently she has been setting up and coordinating BIM Level 2 delivery of landscape design for Lancaster University Management School at LT Studio Landscape Architects.
Hilary Beck
Office Manager
Hilary joined Designscape Architects as our office manager in the spring of 2012. She has a passion for contemporary architecture and works closely with the directors and the rest of the team to ensure the smooth running of the practice.
James Palmer
Architect
James studied at Oxford Brookes University where he graduated with Distinction and was awarded for his final year project in Havana. He has completed a selection of digitally fabricated pavilion and furniture projects that informed his MArch dissertation on digital craft, which was nominated for the 2016 RIBA President’s Medal.
James has a keen interest in the interaction between digital and physical making, having contributed to the research and development of robotic tools for cutting fluted joints in bamboo.
jp@dscape.co.uk
Max Stembridge
Architectural Assistant
His final projects at Bath included a three-month master planning project in Cadiz, and his final design project, ‘The Cadiz wind turbine blade recycling and remanufacturing plant’, a modulating building which explored complex structural solutions and the innovative use of GRP and Polycarbonate.
Prior to his academic studies max undertook his City & Guilds in Marine Construction, Systems Engineering and Maintenance – constructing his own clinker-built boat in this time and developing a keen interest in traditional methods of timber construction and the use of modern materials in marine systems.
ms@dscape.co.uk
Thomas Harvey
Architectural Assistant
Thomas joined Designscape in August 2023 after completing his Part 1 at the University of Bath. He will be with us for 6 months whilst he completes a placement period as part of his MArch course also at the University of Bath.
Thomas’ final degree project was a special educational needs school, based in Oxford. This project enabled him to follow his interest of providing sustainable and high-quality learning environments that are relevant for the 21st century.
As part of his placement during undergraduate studies, he worked at a small country practice in Oxfordshire where he had the opportunity to work on many smaller projects, and is keen to continue his direct hands – on experience of architectural projects in his placement at Designscape
