Sue Wilcock speaks to directors Craig Western and Philip Branton about a milestone year for Wincer Kievenaar Architects.
I’m sure there are many ways that we recall the dates of key milestones in the history of our businesses, but having your 40th anniversary in the same year as a global pandemic would not be the ideal choice for most.
Throughout its 40-year history, Wincer Kievenaar has been based in the market town of Hadleigh in Suffolk. The practice was originally formed in 1980 by architects Paul Kievenaar and Mark Wincer. On their retirement in 2015, the business was incorporated, with Philip Branton and Craig Western becoming directors.
With the milestone birthday approaching, understandably, there was a lot of excitement among the 18-strong team at Wincer Kievenaar.
As Philip Branton explained: “Achieving 40 years of trading is a massive high point for any business and, coming out of 2019,
we had a load of ideas and events planned to celebrate throughout 2020 – little did we know what was on the horizon.
“We wanted to use this milestone as an opportunity to thank our clients, the construction community and the broader community, for all the opportunities and their support over the years.
“Our successes are a result of some fantastic relationships with fellow consultants and contractors alike.”
However, as the events couldn’t take place, and to reflect its pride in being able to help shape its built environment, Wincer Kievenaar chose instead to support the Suffolk Day celebrations this year.
Craig Western commented: “Throughout Wincer Kievenaar’s history, the majority of our projects have been in East Anglia, where we have been able to draw on our strong local knowledge and affinity with the unique and understated character of the area. We are proud that the buildings we have designed have made a positive impact on the local environment and feel that we have played our part in shaping the region’s landscape. And, we are excited to continue our work on future landmark projects such as Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club and the redevelopment of Partridges in Hadleigh.”
Over the years, the professional team at Wincer Kievenaar has provided the backbone of the business. Together, the six registered architects and 11 further qualified staff have a wealth of experience in all fields of building design and have undertaken a wide variety of commercial, sporting, community, educational and residential buildings.
“We are committed to the construction community and continue to invest in home-grown talent.” Craig continued. “Our staff are our greatest asset and, despite the pandemic, we are pleased to have three team members undertaking part-time apprenticeship-based degree courses this year.”
Wincer Kievenaar has built its strongest reputation from the architectural work it has carried out with clients who want a one-off bespoke building of a practical nature, but with high quality innovative design to achieve their brief and meet their aspirations.
“Although the remit of an architectural practice has developed over the years to encapsulate much more than building design, the fundamentals have remained the same,” Craig explained. “Our role is to design buildings, spaces and places to enhance people’s enjoyment of the place; all of which has to start with us obtaining a brief by getting under the skin of the client, to deliver something that is real, functional, value for money and beautiful.
“As a team, we are incredibly proud of our award-winning designs, but also grateful to the talented contractors, subcontractors, craftspeople and consultants who we have worked with to deliver our projects. Some of our more notable schemes include the village community hall in Lavenham and the new junior school at St Joseph’s College in Ipswich, as well as one-off dwellings including Monkey Lodge and Broomheath, and a bespoke library building at Newmarket Academy.
“As a practice, we pride ourselves on the diversity of our design approach; whether it is traditional brickwork detailing within a conservation area as part of building the replacement for the former Goldsmith’s Mansion in Sudbury town centre destroyed by a huge fire in 2015, or a truly contemporary and landscape-sensitive design of a state of the art clubhouse for Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club.”
Phil concluded: “Wincer Kievenaar is justifiably proud of its heritage and reputation as an architectural practice, whose work encapsulates much more than building design. The icing on the (birthday) cake is to be recognised for this, especially when it comes from our peers!”
This story is in association with Wincer Kievenaar.
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