Our Team, Native Architects

Director

Sally has over 40 years’ experience in practice in the UK and overseas. At the Eastern Region British Railways department working on the Victorian building portfolio in the 80s. At the King’s Manor, University of York in the 90s and more recently she collaborated on construction industry wide research for the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and taught on the Conservation Studies MA course. Sally set up Native Architects 25 years ago with the ambition to address the issues of climate change and unconditionally embrace sustainable forms of architecture as the foundation to her practice. Sally specialises in working with historic structures to create sensitive, low carbon solutions using natural and traditional materials to preserve their architectural heritage and continued use. Sally joined the RIBA Register of Conservation Accredited Architects after completing her MA in Building Archaeology in 2012 and the Green Register of Construction Proffesionals . Sally undertakes research at the University of York Environment and Geography department on indoor air quality and  has been RIBA Yorkshire Region judge for the Conservation and Sustainability architectural awards.

Director

After qualifying as an architect in 1991 and joining the RIBA in 1994, Chris has worked primarily in private practice on a wide range of residential, commercial, leisure and heritage projects. With a track record of successful regeneration projects Chris works with several notable country landowner estates throughout the region on projects that generate employment and support the rural economy and natural environment. Chris is committed to designing and building in low embodied energy materials that can be locally sourced where possible. He brings considerable practical knowledge and experience of delivering building projects and his philosophy for aspiring architects is “learn by doing”.

Architect

Lucy is a RIBA Chartered Architect with over 10 years experience in practice. Her experience covers a range of sectors including education, housing and commercial with projects from small scale extensions to multi million pound new builds. She always strives to find exciting opportunities within projects and bring added value to her clients through innovative design ideas and a holistic approach to the wider parameters of a brief. From her earliest days, Lucy has nurtured a strong interest in environmentally conscious design through the specification of materials and passive design techniques to minimise the energy demand of her building design and their environmental footprint. Supporting others or leading a collaborative design team, Lucy is a resourceful problems solver who thrives on interesting design challenges with an environmental focus.

Practice Administrator

Louise joined Native in 2009 as Practice Administrator and brings with her many years of experience in office accounting, administration and organisational skills.

With a very keen interest in our building heritage in Britain Louise observes working for Native both extremely interesting and inspiring.

Louise will often be the first person you talk to when you call the office with your enquiry and you will find her calm, attentive and welcoming and ready to answer your general questions or direct you to one of the architectural or technological team members.

John has been studying and working in design since 2006, and became a qualified architect in 2018. John’s main body of work is in home extensions, and has been involved on site in 25+ unique construction projects and 125+ planning applications. John takes delight in studying sustainable design and construction and likes to apply this in his work in innovative ways.

Architectural Assistant

Michael joined Native in 2022 and is a qualified architect in his native country of the United States in the state of California. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor’s in Architecture and spent over 13 years in the profession before attending the University of York to further explore his interests in built heritage.

After obtaining his Masters in Conservation of Historic Buildings he decided to stay and make the North of England and York his home, eager to contribute to the management of the heritage and character of the area.

Michael’s experience in architecture has covered multiple sectors including aviation, retail, commercial and historic structures. Whilst he has a great interest in historic buildings Michael is a proponent of all types of architecture and contemporary development.  He enjoys collaborating with clients to make sure they are a part of the design process and their developments not only achieve success on their own but also become successfully stitched into the surrounding fabric of their communities.

Claire-Louise joined Native in 2022 and brings with her over 15 years of experience in design and architecture. She is currently completing her Masters in Architectural Technology and looks forward to applying the added knowledge and skills to her work.

Her experience covers many sectors including education, retail, commercial and residential schemes. She worked on the ‘greenest building in Sheffield’ at time of completion and has completed several projects on listed buildings and in conservation areas.

Claire-Louise always endeavours to deliver innovative solutions to clients’ projects with a focus on reducing their environmental impact. Her Scandinavian upbringing has fostered an interest in natural materials evolving into a passion for finding environmentally sustainable solutions for refurbishment and new build projects aligned with Native Architects’ ethos.

Jen joined Native in 2023 with over 20 years of experience in architectural practice in York. Passionate about shaping spaces that tell stories and ignite emotions, Jen has an eye for detail.  From cosy home alterations to creative master planning, she is skilled at collaborating and guiding clients and end users of all backgrounds and experience and thrives on crafting unique designs.

Jen has developed a detailed knowledge and experience with a diverse range of complex building types from Primary Care, Care, Extra-Care, Complex Needs and older persons housing and inclusive community buildings.  This developed an enhanced awareness in inclusive design legislation and best practices.  Jen also has extensive involvement of various types of educational buildings including, nursery projects, Primary, Secondary Educational schemes as well as Higher Education projects including accommodation, lecture spaces and labs.

Chloe joined Native in 2024 as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant after completing her BA in Architecture at Newcastle University. Throughout her architectural studies she developed a keen interest in the adoption of natural materials and their role in sustainable construction. Chloe hopes to further broaden her knowledge of natural materials and their integration into architectural practice during her time at Native.

Chloe is also passionate about working with built heritage and conservation, she believes working with existing building fabric is key to further develop sustainability within the industry.

Alice joined Native in 2024 as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant after completing her MEng in Architecture and Environmental Design at The University of Nottingham. Her architectural education has led to an enthusiasm for sustainable, human-centred design as well as an appreciation for architecture’s role in shaping the built environment and its opportunities for innovation. 

Alice is confident her time at Native will deepen her understanding of environmentally responsible architecture, in addition to allowing her to engage with her community through our locally based projects.