Experience

TOM HOLBROOK PhD BA(hons) Dip Arch RIBA

Founding DirectorProfessor in Architecture (Urbanism) industry fellow at RMIT University

Date of Birth 2 March 1966

Nationality British

Professor Tom Holbrook’s design research has developed an approach to strategic thinking that explores the dynamic between architecture and the scale of infrastructure and landscape. The relationship between research and practice has encouraged design innovation and a fresh attitude towards conservation, environmental sustainability and complex regeneration projects.

Tom came to architecture tangentially from a background in film-making and theatre. He was apprenticed as a Stage Carpenter. He studied at Kingston Polytechnic and the University of Cambridge, and returned there to teach two years after qualifying. He co-founded 5th Studio in 1997.

Tom is a regular visiting critic and lecturer at various universities. He holds a research professorship at RMIT University, Barcelona, Melbourne and Ho Chi Minh City. He is an External Examiner at London Metropolitan University and the MARCH school, Moscow, and contributes to teaching at the London School of Economics Cities Programme and at Central St Martins. He is part of the founding group for the new London School of Architecture.

Tom regularly contributes critical writing and opinion to a variety of media; he is a founder member of the London Legacy Development Corporation’s Quality Panel for the Olympic Park, the design panel for HS2, the UK’s highspeed rail project, and a design advisor to the Greater London Authority. He is a member of Theatrum Mundi - an international network of urbanists and artists that offers a forum for cross-disciplinary discussion about cultural and public space in the city.

2Qualifications PhD RMIT University, Australia. part of the invitational reflective practice doctoral programme at RMIT.

RIBA Part III: 1995 University of Cambridge Department of Architecture

Diploma in Architecture: 1991 - 1993 University of Cambridge Department of Architecture

BA (hons) Art and Design: 1986 - 1990, Kingston Polytechnic

Awards Building Design’s Masterplanning Architect of the Year Award, 2012 New London Award - Public Space, 2012 Best Lower Carbon Building 2011 Refurb, Rethink & Retrofit Award British Construction Industry Awards 2009 - Local Authority Award Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award 2009 - Finalist International Urban Landscape Award 2009 - Silver Prize Landscape Institute President’s Award 2009, Strategic Landscape LABC Sustainable Construction Award 2009 BURA Regeneration Award 2008 - finalist 40 Under 40; Architects’ Journal / Corus, 2005 - winner Young Architect of the Year Award, 2004 – runner up RIBA Award 2014 - winner RIBA Award 2010 - winner RIBA Award 2005 - shortlisted RIBA Award 2004 - shortlisted RIBA Award 2003 - winner RIBA Spirit of Innovation Award 2003 & 2011 - winner

Academic Research Fellowship at RMIT, Barcelona, funded by the EU- ADAPT-r Marie Curie program. . Associate Lecturer at Central St Martins, MA Cities & Innovation Guest Practice at London School of Economics Cities Programme Urban Studies Leader, London School of Architecture External Examiner at London Metropolitan University, 2011-2014 External Examiner at MARCH School, Moscow, 2012-2015 University of Cambridge – Department of Architecture, Studio Master – 1996-2005; Director of Studies in Architecture, Magdalene College Cambridge, 1999-03. Personal Tom is married with two teenage daughters. He is a keen sailor and enjoys running and winter sports. He is a member of the Riverbank Club, which swims in the River Cam. His spare time is spent cooking and reading.

Awards:

2015

Shortlisted Westlegate TowerNorwich

RIBA Regional Award

2014

Winner Wildfowl CottageFen DittonCambridge

RIBA Regional Award

Winner Wildfowl CottageFen DittonCambridge

RIBA Small Project Award

2012

Winner Projects in the Lea Valley, London

Architect of the Year Award; Masterplanning Architect of the YearBuilding Design

Winner ‘Stitching the Olympic Fringe’, London

New London Award for Public Spaces

2011Winner Wolfson Flats,

Churchill CollegeArchitects’ Journal Refurb, Rethink and Retrofit ‘Best Lower Carbon Building’ and ‘Large Housing’ Awards

2010

Winner Creative Exchange, St Neots

RIBA Award

Silver Medal Lea River Park International Urban Landscape Award,Frankfurt

Winner Creative Exchange,St Neots

RIBA Spirit of Ingenuity Award

Winner Garden Court, St Catharine’s College

RIBA Spirit of Ingenuity Award

Selected Awards, Exhibitions & Publications

2009Finalist Creative Exchange,

St NeotsPrime Minister’s Better Public Building Award

Winner Creative Exchange, St Neots

British Construction Industry Awards - Local Authority Award

Honourable mention

Creative Exchange, St Neots

World Architecture News Civic Building Award

Commended Creative Exchange, St Neots

AR Awards for Emerging Architecture

Winner East London Green Grid (contributor)

World Architecture Festival 2009 ‘Future Landscape’ award and Festival’s “Highly Commended” award

Winner East London Green Grid (contributor)

Landscape Institute President’s Award, Strategic Landscape Planning Award,

Finalist Lea River Park BURA Regeneration Award

Winner Creative Exchange, St Neots

LABC Sustainable Construction Award

2008 Winner Wolfson BuildingTrinity College

David Urwin Award

2007 Shortlisted Wolfson BuildingTrinity College

RIBA Award

2005 Winner 40 Under 40; Architects’ Journal / CorusShortlisted House in

KensingtonRIBA Award

2004 Runner-up Young Architect of the Year Award; Building Design

Shortlisted Darwin College RIBA Award

2003 Winner Victoria Street RIBA Award

Winner Victoria Street RIBA Spirit of Innovation Award

3Exhibitions:

2016 Summer International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam: The Next Economy; Stour City &the Enabling State, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

2015 Spring Four Visions for the Future of Housing.Royal Academy, London.

2014 Summer International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam: Urban by Nature; Lea River Park exhibited in the Kunsthal, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

2013 Spring Inspirations: architects & the buildings that inspire them, The Gallery Redchurch Street, London E2.

2012 Summer Lea River Park exhibited in: Plan Architektur Biennale Köln / M:AI Museum für Architektur und Ingenieurkunst NRW, Germany.

Summer London Festival of Architecture - charrette at Ovaltown, London

2011 Autumn Ein Schloss fur Andermatt; entry in International planning competition, Andermatt, Switzerland.

Summer Spazio Giovani alla Frontiera: entry in International architectural competition, Gorizia, Italy / Goriza, Slovenia.

2010 Autumn RIBA Buildings of the Year, RIBA, Portland Place, London.Autumn The Mayor’s Great Spaces, Conference & Exhibition, Palestra, London.

Summer London Festival of Architecture - charrette at Waterloo Place, London.

Spring City Visions: 1910-2010; TU Berlin, Group show, exhibited in London, Paris, Berlin, Chicago.

2009 London Open City: exhibition at Somerset House, London, then Architecture Biennial, Bucharest.

2008 Autumn London’s Towns, New London Architecture.Autumn Kings Cross Charrette: AJ exhibition The Building Centre, London.Jun-Jul Dark Waters: Part of London Festival of Architecture.Apr-Jun Des Res: London’s Housing Challenge, New London Architecture.

Feb Architects In Practice: The Photographs of Tim Soar, RIBA 66 Portland Place.

Jan-Feb Waterfront London: Rediscovering the rivers and canals of the capital. New London Architecture Gallery, London.

2006 Jan Compendium – the Work of the University of Cambridge School of Architecture. RIBA, Portland Place, London.

40 Under 40; Architects’ Journal / Corus, Victoria & Albert Museum and touring nationally.

2005 Autumn Föhn. Invited exhibition at Chelsea Space, London.

2002 Spring Make Your Case. Architecture Foundation, London, & nationally.

2001 Spring Architecture Foundation: Presences: An installation by 5th Studio and Paul Coldwell. Architecture Foundation Gallery, Bury Street, London.

Publications:

Westlegate Tower, NorwichRIBA Journal, (London, UK) January 2016. Westlegate Tower, NorwichBuilding Design, (London, UK) Feb 14 2013. Saving the Landscape Bauwelt: London 2012: 26 October 2012.

The Exalted Lea ValleyArchitects’ Journal, (London, UK) Aug 30 2012.

Two Tales of the Waterfront; Rowan Moore, Observer July 15 2012.

Kensington Church Street project in: Concrete Elegance 5, Concrete Centre, 2011.

For King and Community; Architects: 5th Studio, Building Design, (London, UK) Jan 29 2010.

Architecture 10, RIBA Buildings of the Year, Merrell, London 2010.

‘Good Ordinariness’ in Architecture: Russell Street Graduate Hostel, St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, Architects’ Journal, (London, UK) Jan 28 2010.

Sustainable & Architectonic: Creative Exchange; 5th Studio, C3, (Seoul, Korea) Dec 9 2009.

Sporting Comeback, Regeneration and Renewal, (London, UK) Nov 23 2009.

Local hero, OnOffice, (London, UK) Mar 2009.

Creative Cross-Pollination, Elemente, (Calgary, Canada) Mar/Apr 2009.

Cross Section: The enterprise centre by 5th Studio, MARK, (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Feb/Mar 2009.

East London and the 2012 Parklands: a new sustainable mixed-use city district, ‘Scape, (Wageningen, Netherlands) Feb 2009.

Revitalisering af industriområde, Arkitektur DK, (Denmark) Jan 15 2009.

London: Lea River Park, The Plan, (Bologna, Italy) Jan 2009.

Sustainability in practice in Architects’ Journal, (London, UK) July 30 2009.

Special issue. British Construction Industry Awards 2009: celebrating the very best in construction and engineering in Architects’ Journal (BCIA Awards Supplement), (London, UK) Oct 2009.

Fairfield Road, Tower Hamlets, London in Special Issue: Housing, Building Design, (London, UK) Oct 23 2009.

Fairfield Road, Tower Hamlets, London, Architects’ Journal (Special Issue: Housing), (London, UK) Feb 28 2008.

Rising tide: new waterfront architecture, RIBA Journal, (London, UK) June 2008.

Going with the flow; Architects: 5th Studio with landscape architects: Latz & Partner, Building Design, (London, UK) July 11 2008.

King’s Cross charrette, Architects’ Journal, (London, UK), Sept 4 2008.

Getting creative; Architects: 5th Studio, Building, (London, UK) Oct 24 2008.

A civic endeavour; Architects: 5th Studio, Architects’ Journal, (London, UK) Nov 13 2008.

Great sites to behold, The Times Higher Education Supplement, (London, UK) Mar 23 2007.

5th Studio unleashes creativity, Architects’ Journal, (London, UK) Jan 18 2007.

Oatmeal days are over, Building Design, (London, UK) Nov 24 2006.

Cambridge squared away; Architects: 5th Studio, Building Design, (London, UK) Nov 10 2006.

Under that 3ft pile of quano..., The Times Higher Education Supplement, (London, UK) Nov 2 2006.

First look: how this garden grows in Cambridge; Architects: 5th Studio, Building Design, (London, UK) Sept 23 2005.

Stairs in their eyes; Architects: 5th Studio, Building Design, (London, UK) Oct 7 2005.

5th Studio in East London, Architecture Today, (London, UK) Oct 2005.

Victoria Street, Cambridge: RIBA Awards 2003, Architects’ Journal, (London, UK) June 19 2003.

Light therapy; Architects: 5th Studio, Architects’ Journal, (London, UK) Sept 4 2003.

Clare Melhuish reviews ... Presences - commonality in art and architecture, Architects’ Journal, (London, UK) May 17 2001.

“New Architects II: a Guide to Britain’s Best Architectural Practices”, Merrell / Architecture Foundation; London, 2001.

Staircase in a Victorian house, Eden Street, Cambridge: Holztreppen [Wooden Staircases], Deutsche Bauzeitung, (Stuttgart, Germany) May 2001.

Out of the Ordinary - Ellie Duffy reviews Presences Exhibition in Building Design, (London, UK) Mar 30 2001. Extended Victorian House in Cambridge: AJ Small Projects, Architects’ Journal, (London, UK) Jan 20 2000.

Stabilising Staircase; Architects: 5th Studio, Architects’ Journal, (London, UK), Dec 16/23 1999.

Family Planning; Architects for alterations: 5th Studio, RIBA Journal (Interiors Supplement), (London, UK), Sept 1999.

PresencesInstallation at the Architecture Foundation Gallery, Bury Street, 2001.

7Writing (Tom Holbrook)

Forthcoming

From Furniture to Infrastructure: Expanding Disciplinary - PhD thesis to be published in Ashgate’s Design Research in Architecture Series, Routledge, London. Autumn 2016.

Completed

Castles & Pavilions: Creating New Hybrid Places of Exchange. Chapter in AD Pavilions, Pop Ups and Parasols: The Impact of Social Media on Physical Space, Edited by Leon van Schaik & Fleur Watson ISBN: 978-1-118-82901-1 Wiley London, May 2015.

From January 2014 - contributor on Architecture - The Annual Register, (first published in 1758 under the editorship of Edmund Burke; the longest-running serial publication in the English language).

Kraftwerk: review of C-Mine project, Genk, Belgium: 51N4E. Architectural Review (London, UK), August 2013.

Market Values - review of Stadhuis project, Ghent, Belgium: Robbrecht en Daem / Marie José van Hee. Architectural Review (London, UK), February 2013.

Postcards from Venice: Impressions of the Architecture Biennale, Venice. Building Design, (London, UK) 5 September 2012.

Town & Gown, Niall McLaughlin’s student accommodation building at Somerville College, Oxford. Architecture Today (London, UK), March 2012.

Energy Masterplanning & Urbanism. Topos 75 (Munich, Germany), Summer 2011

Book Review: From a Distance - Review of Distance & Engagement by Alice Foxley / Vogt. Building Design, (London, UK) Jan 21 2011.

Book Review: Ecological Urbanism, Ed. by Mohsen Mostafavi & Gareth Doherty. Building Design, (London, UK) 7 April 2011 Tom Holbrook’s Inspiration - The Adelphi. Building Design, (London, UK) Oct 29 2010.

Abstract Expression: Review of lecture by Bas Smets. Building Design, (London, UK) July 9 2010.

My Kind of Town: Tom Holbrook, Architecture Today, (London, UK) no. 208, May 2010.

The Beauty of ‘Making Do’, Building Design, Review of lecture by Jan De Vylder, Architecten De Vylder Vinck Taillieu (London, UK) Feb 12 2010.

Oh Brave New World, Building Design, (London, UK) Apr 18 2008.

8Compendium: the work of the University of Cambridge Department of Architecture Edited by Tom Holbrook. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK 2006.ISBN-10: 090324800X

Includes essays by Dalibor Vesely, Anthony Vidler, Professor Dean Hawkes, Andrew Saint and Rowan Moore.

Drawing You In; Building Design, (London, UK) Aug 11 2006.

Are they House-proud in Harlow?, Building Design, (London, UK) Apr 23 2004.

Getting Caught in the Act, Building Design, (London, UK) Nov 20 1998.

Presences: The Common Place in Architecture and Art (London: Architecture Foundation). Catalogue for exhibition at the Architecture Foundation, London, 2001. ISBN-10: 0951906763.

Includes numbered prints and articles:

The commonplace. Tom Holbrook; From private to public and back again: Paul Coldwell; Notes on new and old work: Fred Scott; Impresences of the world - culture as referential system: Peter Carl.