People

Jeffery Townsend Architect RIBA: Principle

After qualifying in 1971, and following salaried positions, he became a partner in1984 and later the principal, of Clive Alexander & Partners, Architects. He ran numerous projects for public and private and clients including Housing Associations, London Borough of Camden, London Civil Defence and Fire Authority and private individuals. He also formed a good relationship with Taylor Woodrow Homes with his then partners, Clive Alexander and James Ward, and the practice was awarded the Arnold Sayers Award for Conservation for their project in Teignmouth. After practising as Jeffery Townsend Associates for many years, he helped Cook Townsend Architects, with David Cook, develop an excellent longstanding relationship with High Performance Sports Ltd. helping to develop their Climbing Centre in Green Lanes Stoke Newington which is now one of the biggest and best in Europe.

Tom Winter BA(Hons) MArch

Tom first joined the practice in 2016 as a Part 1 Assistant, and rejoined in 2018 having completed his Masters in Architecture. During his time with us he has worked on a number of private projects as well as becoming a key member of the Castle Climbing Centre project team.

Janet Paine

Janet brings her Interior Design expertise and many years’ experience to the practice on a part-time basis. She also continues to provide expert advice to architects and private clients from her own studio. This enables us to offer an Interior Design Service to our Clients.

John Browning Architect

John recently became a consultant, bringing with him many years of experience from his time as the principal of John Browning Associates, practicing from his studio in Highgate Village.

John was a student with Jeffery Townsend and has collaborated with him over the years.

The size of the practice has varied over the years to suit current work levels.

Practice History

The principal qualified in 1971, taking up salaried appointments until he was made a partner of Clive Alexander & Partners in1984, joining Clive Alexander and James Ward. This practice carried out various projects including churches and church halls, but mainly worked on Housing Association projects. That practice also completed two major housing projects for Taylor Woodrow Homes [now Taylor Wimpey Homes] winning an RIBA prize for their project in Teignmouth in 1990. After Clive Alexander died, Jeffery Townsend continued as the firm’s principle for some years then formed a new practice trading as Jeffery Townsend Associates.

The Jeffery Townsend Associates years were spent in Charlotte Road Shoreditch, working for private firms and individuals. The projects included a contemporary extension to a country house in Kent, a small block of flats in Stoke Newington, a large house refurbishment in Warwick Square, the demolition and re-building of Victorian houses as flats, refurbished and new-build flats in Camden and Islington, large mixed development in the Kings Road, and major house extensions in Hampstead Garden Suburb. This period also included project managing the major refurbishment and expansion of Gieves & Hawkes premises at 1& 2 Savile Row

For a period of five years from 2005 Jeffery Townsend was invited to become the job architect for a significant project for Peter Jenkins, a partner of Peter Inskip + Peter Jenkins, Architects, in White Lion Street. The project comprised the complete refurbishment of the1930’s private house with a significant swimming pool and gymnasium extension and also included a large roof terrace. The house was featured in the Tatler magazine in 2020. 

http://www.tatler.com/gallery/art-deco-16-million-hamstone-house-in-surrey-for-sale

In 2002 Jeffery Townsend joined forces with David Cook to form Cook Townsend Chartered Architects. It was around this time that Cook Townsend started their long association with High Performance Sports Ltd., working as Architects for the Castle Climbing Centre, a decommissioned Thames Water Pumping Station and now listed building, in Stoke Newington. We have carried out master planning, refurbishment, maintenance, new interventions, infrastructure installations and general improvements, enabling the construction of numerous new climbing walls into areas once frequented by Victorian mechanical pumping technology. We have with this Client, developed our understanding of the use of structural timber and alternatives to insulation products produced by the plastics / petro-chemical industries.  We recently obtained planning and listed building consent, for a vertical extension to a building on the same site which will house new speed climbing walls similar to those featured in the recent Olympic Games.

The practice now operates a few hundred yards from the original Islington offices of Clive Alexander & Partners, having travelled full circle via Charlotte Road in Shoreditch, Newbury Street in Smithfield, White Lion Street Islington, and Bickerton Road Islington to our current Barnsbury Street Studios.