Lees Associates is celebrating 40 years of practising the finest architecture and design in London. A significant milestone, this celebration is testament to the excellence of our team and proof of our reputation as being one of the top boutique architecture practices in the capital. With a client list that boasts some of the world’s most prestigious brands – and a premium personal service to match – what has been the formula to Lees Associates’ success? And what do the coming years look like for London’s high-end architecture practice? LA Partner, Andrew Paulson explains.
Over the years, Lees Associates has worked with some of the world’s most elite brands, delivering projects that consistently exceed our clients’ ambitions. When I joined in 2003, John Lees’ co-Director Richard Benns had retired and Kathryn Archer (who’d been at the company since 1988) had stepped up to Partner, leading all of the practice’s hotel, retail and commercial projects including projects at The Savoy Hotel and Selfridges.
I joined Lees Associates as a Part Two Architectural Assistant, straight out of university, having previously gained experience of high-end and conservation projects at Donald Insall Associates and Stuart Page Architects, a small practice in Kent. I completed my qualifications in 2006 and became a Chartered Architect.
Within two years of joining, I was promoted to an Associate, so very early on there was a career path laid out for me. In 2011, when John Lees – Lees Associates’ Founder who established his eponymous practice in 1981 – retired, I was a Partner within eight years. Quite a rapid ascent when I reflect back now! My own journey is something I like to remind our team of now; the opportunity to progress to the top of Lees Associates is open to anyone.
We are always excited to develop our current team and have recently made a number of promotions within the company. It gives me great satisfaction and pride to nurture others within the team and help them reach their potential.
Today’s LA team
Company growth
As with many businesses that have been around as long as us, Lees Associates has expanded and contracted depending on the economic climate. At the moment we are in a great position; projects keep coming through and we have 15 members of staff, which is a sweet-spot that works for us.
The size of our team is reflective of the quality of personal service we provide. From the first day I started, John Lees was very involved in all of our projects. I saw first-hand how much our high-end clients respected and appreciated the personal service he gave to each and every one of them. And the talent we have in our current team means we can continue to offer the same unrivalled service.
Kathryn and I are very hands on. It’s important for us to not just be seen as the face of a business that no one actually engages with; our clients know that one of the two partners will always have a direct role in their project. We're not just there to win a job but to work as closely as possible with our clients.
Evolution
Lees Associates has naturally evolved as a business. John Lees was always keen to harness new technologies, which is why we were an early adopter of CAD. John tied his flag to the mast of ArchiCAD – the market-leading BIM package in the early 1990s – and we’re using it to this day because it’s still the best out there.
I myself have long been an advocate for BIM, particularly because of its benefits within the high-end market. Our clients can walk through our model and have a clear image of what their spaces will look like, and they can quickly see the value of working with us. BIM is intuitive and compelling, and definitely a USP for us.
Every project we undertake, we deliver through BIM. It enables us to work collaboratively with project teams and has incredible visualisation capabilities. Our approach to technology further illustrates Lees Associates’ desire and willingness to always be the best we can for our clients and team.
Personal highlights
In my 18 years at Lees Associates, I have overseen some incredible prime and super-prime residential projects. Client confidentiality is paramount but there are two projects that stand out for me. Firstly, Dixton Manor, a glorious Jacobean Cotswold manor house, which we conserved, refurbished and extended. It was a privilege to help preserve such an historic property.
Dixton Manor, Gloucestershire
And secondly, a penthouse at One Hyde Park. Among the most expensive apartments in the world, the complexity of the design that we coordinated among an international team of designers was a proud achievement.
Celebration
As we celebrate Lees Associates’ 40th anniversary, it is an appropriate time for us to take stock of just how much we have achieved. We want to continue our great work in order to consolidate our position as one of the top premium London architectural practices, and indeed a luxury British brand, which is a badge of honour that holds a lot of cachet internationally.
Our anniversary is the perfect time to thank all of those who have been part of our incredible team, as well as the many wonderful clients for whom it has been our pleasure to work over the years – for their contribution to our success, and what has been a truly memorable 40 years. Here’s to the next chapter, and to the next 40 years of Lees Associates.
Find out more by watching our special 40th anniversary video below.