INDUSTRY UPDATES
ARCHITECT IN PROFILE
Jon Ackroyd is this month’s exclusive Q&A profile. Jon is an Architect, retrofit champion, Carpenter and Founder of Ackroyd Lowrie, an award-winning, east London-based practice. Here, Jon discusses his inspiration, how he learnt to harness the power of dyslexic thinking to forge a successful career, his advice for aspiring architects and how Ackroyd Lowrie is supporting future generations. ACKROYD LOWRIE
Impression of the new outdoor classroom area at Dagenham Farm
JON ACKROYD IS THE DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER OF ACKROYD LOWRIE
www.ackroydlowrie.com FC& A – MAY – 2024
Tell us about your career journey. How did you get started in the field of architecture? As a child, school was difficult. I couldn’t articulate my thoughts in writing and would muddle up my words, but it wasn’t until I was nine that I was diagnosed as dyslexic. I found solace in drawing, so art GCSE was an obvious choice. Here, I learned about Richard Rodgers, a well-known visionary Architect who was also dyslexic. This inspired me so much that, when I turned 17, I walked into an open day at Rodgers’ firm, asked for an internship and got it. And so began my career in architecture. At the Richard Rodgers Partnership (as it was known then), a colleague encouraged me to apply for my bachelor’s degree at Cardiff University, and this was the start of my formal qualification. These early interactions not only shaped my interest in sustainable design, but also showed me how thinking differently was an asset. Were there any pivotal moments or experiences that solidified your decision to pursue a career in architecture and design? A pivotal experience that shaped the direction of my career was my time at Architype. Architype is one of the UK’s leading sustainability practices, and the more projects I worked on with this emphasis, the quicker I realised this is what I wanted to specialise in. While at Architype, I set up the research and innovation group with a colleague, Gareth Selby, to develop radical ideas around sustainability in buildings. Innovation was part of Architype’s ethos, and they later brought in Research Specialist Lisa Ann Pasquale to further develop knowledge. Together, we undertook Government-funded, post-occupancy research on the performance of schools in use, as part of the Technology Strategy Board. This research really grounded architecture in reality for me. It taught me the importance of analysing data and real opinions to properly understand how buildings do and don’t work. 30
If you hadn’t followed your passion for being an architect, what other career path would you have pursued? When I returned to London, I moved into a warehouse community in Vittoria Wharf on Fish Island, Hackney Wick. Here, makers and creators were working side by side, and this unity inspired me. As well as designing buildings, my research at Architype had taught me the importance of understanding how they are built, so I undertook a City & Guilds qualification in carpentry. My love of making things meant carpentry or construction could’ve been an alternative career. I believe it’s really important for aspiring architects to understand the practical aspects of the profession, and gaining hands-on experience is the best way to achieve this. Ackroyd Lowrie has its own academy to bring students from different backgrounds into paid apprenticeships and onto BTEC qualifications, and part of this training includes hands-on learning, such as bricklaying and carpentry. Who has been your greatest influence and source of inspiration? Richard Rodgers was extremely influential on my career and my view of my dyslexia. From him, I learned that my dyslexia wasn’t the curse I thought it was. Rather, it’s the reason why I’m creative and can think around corners rather than in a straight line. Nature is another huge source of inspiration. The simple elements of light, sun and water show how structures can work and how sustainable cycles are created. Then there’s also Jane Jacobs, Author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities, a remarkable book about urban planning, neighbourhoods and why cities do or do not function.