Natalie Gray
Director - NoChintz
Natalie Gray founded NoChintz two years ago with the belief of making trend focussed design accessible to all.
Natalie perfected her eye with 8 years of commercial design experience culminating in her role as display manager for Harvey Nichols. Here she was responsible for the creative direction of all window displays, interior concepts, product merchandising and point of sale, plus a team of artists, designers and stylists. She was encouraged to express her passions and learnt how to combine current trends with her own concepts, to create schemes that were both cutting edge and commercial.
Still ambitious and wanting to push herself further NoChintz was the perfect business opportunity and subsequently designed for well known clients such as The Corner House as well as branching out to curate fashion shows with Gok Wan. Natalie remains inspired by her background and still applies many of the principles to her interior concepts today, working closely with brands on store concepts, commercial property interiors and events.
Natalie’s efforts in combing her knowledge of design and fashions were shown when nominated for Northwest woman in Business 2008.
Martin Stockley
CEng FICE FIStructE FConsE MCIT CMILT
BSc (Hons) King’s College University of London
Managing Director - Martin Stockley Associates
Martin has worked in Civil and Structural Engineering for over thirty years on a great range of projects. In February 1997 he set up Martin Stockley Associates in Manchester later adding a further studio in London. Martin cares passionately about the quality of both the buildings and the public realm and infrastructure of cities, towns and rural areas. This stems from a knowledge that engineering can be much more than a means of achieving functional aims. His early work in major civil engineering taught him that far from trying to control the forces of nature, engineering is better aimed at working with nature. His approach to life is, to do things that you like and to like the things that you do.
Member of CABE Space Strategic Enabling Panel
Member of CABE Schools Design Review Panel
Member of CABE Crossrail Design Review Panel
Chairman Places Matter! North West Design Review Panel
Member of MADE (Midlands) Design Review Panel
Member of English Heritage and CABE Urban Panel
Tom Fenton
MRICS
Director of Development - Urban Splash
Tom has worked for Urban Splash for the last ten years and is currently Director of Development responsible for the delivery of Manchester based projects. Having graduated from Sheffield Hallam University he did his property development apprenticeship with a small specialist commercial developer called MPLC and then took the opportunity get involved with design led regeneration with Splash in 1999.
Tom’s passion is proving that whilst good design costs money, it adds value and therefore not only pays for itself, but delivers quality buildings which easily differentiate themselves from so much of the mediocre design available in the current market.
Tom has been responsible for the delivery of a variety of different award winning regeneration schemes for Splash, ranging from the refurbishment of the Grade II Listed Waulk Mill building in Ancoats into commercial office space, to the multi million pound residential schemes of Budenberg HAUS Projekte in Altrincham and the Chimney Pot Park development in Salford.
Janet Dunnett
Chief Executive - Piccadilly Partnership
Inside Out Consultancy
Janet has held the role of chief executive for The Piccadilly Partnership for 18 months. This role involves a varied portfolio; from liaising with businesses in the Partnership and ensuring the Partnership drives forward their agendas in the area, to ensuring public partners deliver in areas such as crime, security, the environment and public realm.
The Partnership exists to promote Piccadilly positively to all who live, work and spend time in the area in order to change perceptions and encourage growth and development.
Previously Janet worked for Arts & Business for nearly five years in Business Development, where she developed and managed at least 50 business/cultural projects from concept to completion, involving both large multinational companies and SMEs. These projects proved to be extremely successful for the arts as well as the businesses involved, and Janet is still involved in this business area via her consultancy work.
Janet’s life-long passion for the arts and as a practising musician, and time spent living and working in Italy and France has helped to define and inform the ideas she puts into her work.
David Partridge
Joint Chief Executive - Argent
After reading Architecture at Cambridge and seven years of private practice, David joined Argent in 1990. He has a fascination for astronomy, quantum physics and cricket. He is the architect of most of Argent's internal and external structures and relationships with our joint venture partners. This multi-faceted role requires an intricate knowledge of the commercial, legal and financial drivers of our business, from the macro to the micro.
He is still allowed, from time to time, to get involved in the design of spaces and buildings. He was appointed Joint Chief Executive of Argent in September 2006.
First Chairman of the Piccadilly Partnership (Manchester) Ltd and Chairman (designate) of the Manchester City Centre Management Company Ltd.
Rachel Haugh
BSc (Hons) BArch (Hons) RIBA
Director - Ian Simpson Architects
Rachel was born and brought up in Manchester and studied at Bath University School of Architecture. She is a founding partner and co-director of Ian Simpson Architects, a design-led architectural practice established in 1987 and employing around 50 people in offices in Manchester and London.
Current projects include a variety of regeneration initiatives located in cities across the UK such as Manchester, London, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle, Bristol and Glasgow. The practice’s portfolio comprises a variety of building types including museum, gallery, university, residential, commercial, retail, arts / theatre and school.
The practice’s ambition is “to create great architecture and work with people who share that vision” and it has won many design awards for its innovative approach and focus on design excellence.
Rachel believes passionately in the regeneration of the city and that architecture is an important catalyst for change. She believes architecture should function at all levels, seek to lift the spirit and aspire to elegance and beauty.
Member of Manchester’s Creative Panel
RIBA Awards Group Member 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009
Member of Editorial Board for RIBA NW ‘A’ magazine
Member of Places Matter! North West Design Review Panel
Director of Manchester City Galleries Company
Trustee of Manchester City Galleries Trust
Member of Manchester School of Architecture Professional Advisory Board
