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INSIGHTS
DO YOU BELIEVE ARCHITECTURE IS SOMETIMES MORE ABOUT DIPLOMACY & ALIGNING INTERESTS THAN SPACE DESIGN? Aligning interests to create a sound brief and communicating it clearly to all parties is the foundation of a great design project. But designing buildings and spaces is defi nitely the main event! Architects are uniquely trained to receive and interrogate a brief, and to create design solutions that not only respond to the direct needs and demands, but also to align wider societal and environmental interests and agendas. Even after 35 years in practice, I continue to be shocked at what a small proportion of buildings globally have inputs by architects – we need to describe better what we do, how we do it and the value we add in order that a wider breadth of commissioning clients have confi dence that working with an architect will create better outcomes.
HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR WORK/LIFE BALANCE?
I enjoy keeping active and being on and in the water; it’s a brilliant way to switch off. Our projects are always attuned to the human experience and enhancing public spaces for social good, so going out and personally enjoying them is a must.
View of Bazalgette Embankment from Blackfriars Bridge showing the scale of the new public realm © Elyssa Byrne
WHAT PIECE OF DESIGN WORK ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
This year Fereday Pollard’s 18-year involvement in the Thames Tideway Tunnel comes to fruition with the remainder of surface sites opening during 2026. It is a gargantuan achievement which is testament to the skills of the architect and landscape architect profession to work collaboratively in a civils-led environment to produce humane, people centric places. The vision for the programme was led by Fereday Pollard, and eight further design practices (Atkins, Arup, Hawkins\Brown, Gillespies, Hyland Edgar Driver, Orbit Architects, Weston Williamson + Partners, and Mott MacDonald) were involved in the design and delivery, working with over 30 commissioned artists.
NAME ONE THING THAT WOULD MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER?
The ability to be in three places at once, although I do my best! Fewer different public sector procurement portals would also be nice.
Part of Hew Locke’s artwork ‘Cargoes’ for Thames Tideway Tunnel (plus ventilation columns behind) © Bridget Sawyers
WHAT’S YOUR BIG SHORT-TERM GOAL AS AN ARCHITECT? To consolidate our growing workload in the North West (from our new Liverpool
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base), and to take the specialist skills of Fereday Pollard beyond the UK into international markets.
GIVEN THE RECENT CONTROVERSY AROUND CHRIS WILLIAMSON, THE ARB AND THE PROTECTED TITLE OF ‘ARCHITECT,’ CAN YOU SEE MORE ARCHITECTS DROPPING ARB REGISTRATION? Wearing my chair of RIBA Practice & Policy Committee hat (rather than my director of Fereday Pollard hat), I would say that Chris took this action to raise awareness of the current untenable situation regarding the lack of regulation of the function of the architect – which runs contrary to the interest of the public and civil society. He did not expect or intend that other practising architects follow suit, but it has certainly opened up productive debate which is long overdue.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT BEING A WOMAN IN A SENIOR ROLE GIVES YOU PARTICULAR SKILLS TO BRING TO ARCHITECTURE, OR IS IT WRONG TO FOCUS ON GENDER? Yes, it does! Logically it must be true that a more representative gender balance at all levels, and in any industry, must improve outcomes.
Jennifer Dixon is director at Fereday Pollard ADF FEBRUARY 2026
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