User:Oliverbridge

OLIVER BRIDGE ARCHITECT

Oliver began his architectural career working for his father, Roderick Bridge who is a parochial architect of West Oxfordshire.

Roderick specializes in the vernacular architecture of West Oxfordshire and also worked as a property developer during the 70s and 80s.

His formative years were therefore spent observing the mechanisms of the traditional design process, the planning process as well as the construction process through the countless renovations, extensions, barn conversions and new builds that Roderick has been responsible for.

Prior to entering University at 22 he worked first as a cabinet maker and then as a joiner and began his first hand experience of the construction process at 18. These experiences informed his passion for detail and construction.

Oliver began at Oxford Brookes University in 1992 as a student of building studies before transferring to architecture the following year.

During his degree course he continued to explore and research his first passion of vernacular architecture and through studying the philosophy and work of William Morris, John Ruskin and the Arts and Crafts movement of the 1800s he developed an understanding of design theory and philosophy.

His major construction study project during his second year consisted of a detailed study of one timber building from the Tolstoyon anarchic settlement of Whiteways, Oxfordshire.

Under the tutorship of Professor Murray Fraser Oliver developed a complete understanding of architectural history and became interested and passionate about modern and contemporary architecture.

He worked during his year out for Douglas Riach Architects, an Office based in Oxford and returned to Oxford Brookes University for his diploma architecture studies in 1996.

During his diploma studies he began to become interested in ecological, green and healthy architecture culminating in his obtaining 2 diplomas during those years, the first in architecture and the second in Energy Efficient Design. The EED course was headed by professor Susan Roaf the architect who in 1995 designed the Oxford Eco House.

His major architectural design project explored the concepts of the integration of plants and vegetation in to the built environment and examined the physiological and psychological benefits of vegetation both within the home and in the wider context of the City.

On leaving university in 1999 Oliver was offered a position with Grimshaw architects, initially to work on the National Space Science Centre, one of the lottery funded Millenium projects. Grimshaw architects were pioneers of the British Hi Tec movement along with Richard Rogers, Norman Fosters and Michael Hopkins. Their work is industrially influenced and uncompromisingly modern and characterised by a fine, and fastidious attention to construction details.

While there Oliver delivered a presentation to the practice on his Diploma project subject of plants in the built environment. This talk drew on the research of Nasa research scientist Bill Wolverton who had researched and identified the method in which plants absorb and digest VOCs from the air through his work with the Bio Home.

His interest and competence in architectural detailing coupled with his grasp of the computer, in particular 3d modelling using Microstation led him to become increasingly involved with the visual elements of the buildings interior and exterior.

Following his time with Grimshaw Oliver spent time in Nepal working for a Swedish NGO on the design and construction of forest ranger stations before returning to England where over the following years Oliver worked on a variety of projects at the world famous multidisciplinary firm ARUP.

While with Arup he worked on projects including the national stadium of Abu Dhabi, the Stratford and Ebbsfleet International Stations (CTRL) as well as smaller projects for Tubelines (London Underground). In all of these projects Oliver took leading roles working on the design and detailing of the envelope and façade elements.

In 2002 I moved to France with Betty where we married and our first son Jude was born in Albi. During this Sabbatical period I investigated and researched the local vernacular building traditions of the area and developed his french language skills whilst working as roofer laying the traditional Loze slates typical of this region.

On returning to London in 2003 his previous experience, expertise and interest in front end façade design as well as general detailing led to Oliver accepting a number of roles as Lead Façade Architect through 2003-2006.

During these years he assisted in the design development and detailed design of façade packages for several commercial and design led London based architectural practices.

In 2006 he set up his own architectural practice and for 3 years worked on a variety of residential projects for private and developer clients.

During these initial years of private practice Oliver worked again with his father on residential projects in West Oxfordshire as well as for clients in London. The range of projects during this period included vernacular, victorian, georgian, as well as modern house types.

Roderick has increasingly become interested in environmentalism and his work reflects this in the increasing numbers of highly insulated timber framed extensions and new houses that he has been involved with over the last 15 years.

His Fathers work has informed his interest in timber frame construction and with its obvious benefits in regard to capital cost, carbon footprint and environmental performance this method of building has more and more become his favoured approach for residential architecture.

During this period Oliver was also involved with ecological design and carried out an eco renovation of a property in Oxford that involved the use of natural materials such as lambs wool insulation, straw boarding with lime plaster, and green oak construction.

In 2009 following the financial downturn in the UK housing market Oliver returned to commercial façade design again at Arup where he headed up the detailed envelope packages for the prestigious 1bn Dollar National Stadium of Abu Dhabi.

Working closely with Arup facades Oliver ran a team of architects to develop the detailed design and tender documentation for each of the external envelope packages for this 60,000 seater stadium. These packages included in particular the curtain walling, the 2 roofing packages to the fixed and what is believed to be the largest moving roof in the world as well as the podium facade packages.

Oliver is currently working on a freelance basis for both individual and developer clients in London, Oxfordshire and Southwest France.