MARGARET DAVIES        Dip. Arch (Hons.) AA Grad.Dip.Cons, AABC., RIBA. FRSA

Margaret Davies is an architect with wide ranging experience in the repair and conservation of historic buildings. Prior to establishing MRDA with Richard Davies, she set up and managed the London office of the Conservation Practice.

From 1985 - 89, she worked at Cecil Denny Highton, where projects included the ‘fine areas’ of Sir George Gilbert Scott’s Foreign Office and Pirelli Garden at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Since 1993, Margaret has been responsible for the repair, conservation and care of historic buildings, both of local and national significance. She has worked on the ‘heritage areas’ of St. Pancras Chambers, which was awarded the RICS Craftsmanship in Building Conservation Award 1995, and the English Heritage Chairman’s Award for the best example of conservation, the Queen’s House Museum at the Tower of London, the Royal Opera House.

Current projects include work at Apsley House, Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square, Kensington Palace, the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, the Priory of England and the Islands, Clerkenwell, Truro Cathedral, St Michael’s Mount, as well as many churches of grade I and II* status in Devon and Cornwall.

She was Honorary Secretary to the Association for Studies in the Conservation of Historic Buildings until December 1999. Margaret Davies has been external Examiner for the Graduate Course in Architectural Conservation at Plymouth University.

She is listed as principal architect on the Register of Architects Accredited in Building Conservation and approved architects for the Dioceses of London, Chelmsford, Exeter, Oxford, and Truro. She is a member of the Ecclesiastical Architects and Surveyor’s Association and a member of the London Diocesan Advisory Committee.

RICHARD DAVIES    Dip.Arch (Hons), RIBA, ARB, AABC

Richard Davies is an architect with experience in the private and public sectors gained over 30 years. Prior to establishing MRDA in 1992, he worked in English Heritage for a period of over 10 years, where he was Directing Architect/ Director of Technical Services.

From 1986 to 1995 he was the UK representative to ICCROM (the UNESCO founded International Centre for the Study, Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property) where he became a member of the council and was Chairman of the Academic Advisory Board.

Richard has worked on many projects in the UK and abroad; these include Stratford Park, Gloucestershire, Brooke St/Bond Street, London, Handel House Museum, Truro Cathedral, Mayfair, Ipswich Town Hall & Museum, St Michael’s Mount, as well as grade I and II* listed churches in London, Cornwall and Devon. Experience abroad included an EU project for the National Museum of Kenya (NMK), World Heritage Sites at Baalbeck and Tyre, for the Lebanese Government, a merchant’s quarter in Chongqing, China, supported by the World Bank, Architectural Advisor on a new National Museum for Burkina Faso (N.W. Africa). Currently he is involved in work to Ennis Priory Co. Clare, Ireland.

He is a Trustee of COTAC (The Conference on Training in Architectural Conservation) a national charity. He is a member of ICOMOS (UK), the Ancient Monuments Society, the Association for the Conservation of Historic Buildings (ASCHB) and the Ecclesiastical Architects and Surveyors Association. Richard is accredited as a principal conservation architect (RIBA, AABC).

KEITH SCARR     RIBA

An architect with some 40 years of professional life, Keith Scarr has wide experience working with the private sector, local authorities and central government, both at home and overseas

In his early career he concentrated on new build and, in particular, on housing, including low technology building for developing countries such as Malawi.

Later he took responsibility for a number of major developments including the equivalent of new town development for the Ministry of Defence. For a period of three years Keith Scarr had the delicate task of managing locally the whole of the Government Estate in the Far East.

During the last ten years Keith has been able to concentrate on the conservation and rehabilitation of historic buildings, mainly in the Greater London area. He was responsible for the full range of disciplines working on buildings in Whitehall such as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Middlesex Guildhall and the Old War Office. He has gained outstanding experience of the upgrading and maintenance of national museum buildings such as the Museum of Natural History and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

He was a key member of a team identifying the strategy for the conservation and long term use of Cambridge Gate for the Crown Estate

Most recently he has been closely involved in the Practice’s work to stabilise and conserve the painted and carved decoration in St. Pancras Chambers while developing a stratagem for the future care and long term use of the building.

Keith was the Project Architect for the repair and refurbishment of a group of six Almshouses in south London.

Keith has been closely involved with the recent works to repair structural timbers at St Cyprian’s Church, Clarence Gate, designed by Sir Ninian Comper. This work included the stabilisation and conservation of the painted panel above the rood screen - the Majestas.

Keith was currently part of the team responsible for the post fire remedial works at the Temple Speech Room at Rugby School. This work involved the sympathetic cleaning of brickwork with stone dressings both to the exterior and interior of the Speech Room together with restoration of the timber panelling and the complete refurbishment of the Bryceson pipe organ. Keith Scarr was also involved in the Practice’s work for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport at Apsley House, London; for the repair of a grade I town house in Dean Street, Soho and for the detailed design of alterations to an early nineteenth century house in Highgate.

Keith is currently involved with the work to upgrade access into the Ipswich Town Hall and associated Corn Exchange.

AREBELA STOWER    Dip. Arch (Hons), MSc Eng.

Arebela completed her diploma in architecture from the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, in 1997. Prior to her diploma she completed her masters in architecture, specialising in environmental design and engineering.

During part 1 professional training, she was involved in conservation projects such as Wickendon Manor, in E. Sussex with Anne Dickinson, and Eton College, with H.J. Stribling and Partners.

In 1996 she helped establish an interior furniture company named I.N.E. and maintains a keen interest in interior design and furniture.  One of her recent projects was the design and procurement of seating for the new IMAX cinema in Waterloo, London. Arebela has extensive experience in designing interiors in existing buildings to meet the requirements associated with new uses.

Arebela joined MRDA in 1997 and has been involved in a number of projects, including proposals for the  restoration of Kenwood House Dairy, the refurbishment of Victorian Almshouses in Brixton, detailed design work in connection with the Queen’s House Museum at the Tower of London, a project which included works to the Lower Bell Chamber where Sir Thomas More was held as a prisoner, and model proposal of the new wing at Truro Cathedral. She is a senior member of the Design Team  for the Handel House Museum, which is to open to the public in 2001: the work includes detailed investigation, working closely with Dan Cruickshank, into surviving panelling dating from 1720, together with  the design of new panelling to replace missing sections. This project has many parallels with works to repair and conserve a grade I listed building in Dean Street, London, of similar date.

Arebela has been closely involved with the research and on-site investigation into the history and development of The Grove, Watford, the former home of the Earls of Clarendon which is to be altered to become a hotel.

Arebela is responsible for the management of production information, using both Archicad and Autocad, and is developing in-house training for other members of the Practice. She is developing her skills in the application of digital imaging and desk top publishing.

In addition, Arebela is pursuing her studies in Building Conservation and photography.

Arebela is working on proposals to refurbish and extend the Saffron Walden Baptist Chapel. She is also part of the team working on Ipswich Museum.

RICHARD ROBERTS   MSc FICW IHBC FFB

Richard Roberts qualified at the Royal Military School of Engineering as a Carpenter and Joiner and on leaving progressed to site management.  He was employed as a Senior Clerk of Works with Housing Associations, at the same time managing his own part time building business. In 1985, he established a small building supervisory practice that operated across the West Country.  For nine years he worked for Historic Royal Palaces initially as a Clerk of Works, he progressed to Technical and Conservation Supervisor with the remit to develop technical specifications and philosophies for the repair and conservation of the historic monuments and develop and encourage traditional skills and craft techniques, both at craft and professional level. This involved projects at Hampton Court, The Tower of London, Kensington and Kew Palaces.

Now based in Cornwall, he is working as part of the MRDA team, involved in project management and supervision of a variety of construction projects. He is assisting the Cathedral Architect with ongoing care and repair of Truro Cathedral. Richard is also closely involved with the current works at St. Michael’s Mount.

Richard has a post graduate degree in historic conservation.  He has been an active member of the Institute of Clerk of Works having served at various committee levels as president during 2001. He is a member of the Institute of Historic Building and Conservation (IHBC), a Fellow of the Faculty of Building and is a member of  Society of the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), regularly lecturing at the spring and autumn repair courses.