People

from left to right: Mike Joy, Elliot Goodall, John Middleton, John Goom, Adam Bennett, Penny Ellis, Lauretta Withey, Malcolm James.

We are an RIBA Chartered Practice led by principal, John C Goom and an associate John Middleton supported by technical and administration staff. We can also offer services as CDM Co-ordinators and have close relationships with Quantity Surveyors and Structural Engineers.
 

John C Goom

Principal

BA, Dip.Arch, AABC, RIBA, Lethaby Scholar

John has specialised in the care and conservation of historic buildings since his student days in Bristol. A dissertation on conservation projects in Venice was followed by the Lethaby (SPAB) Scholarship in 1975, at the time the only practical training in conservation.

Since completing the Scholarship he has worked in private practices in Bedfordshire, Derbyshire and Warwickshire and established this practice in 1994, all specialising in conservation work. He is a chartered member of the RIBA and an Architect Accredited in Building Conservation.

His intention in setting up the practice was to establish a firm that would provide a personalised service to all those who look after historic buildings of all periods.

He was a member of the SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) Main Committee (1986-2004) and represented the SPAB in its opposition to the draft British Standard for the Repair of Historic Buildings resulting in a much more sympathetic final document. He was a member of the Derby Diocesan Advisory Committee 1986-88 and now serves on the Gloucester Diocesan Advisory Committee.

John is registered on the list of architects undertaking Quinquennial Inspections in Hereford, Gloucester, Coventry and Lichfield Diocese. He is also appointed to look after National Trust properties in the Wessex, West Midlands and Thames and Solent regions. He is also a commissioned architect for English Heritage West Midlands region through their Joint Scheme for Churches.

John is keen to promote the practical conservation of both buildings and landscapes through the voluntary sector and is currently Honorary Technical Advisor to the Wychavon Building Preservation Trust and is commissioned architect to the Woodchester Mansion Trust and the Spon End Building Preservation Trust in Coventry. He has also acted as a consultant to various national amenity societies.

He is very concerned about maintaining traditional skills and techniques. Several projects, notably Woodchester Mansion and Spon End, have been used for training craftsmen. He has lectured on conservation at various masonry colleges as well as at the Architectural Association and other conservation courses. As chairman of the Herefordshire Stone Tile Project he helped rekindle a dwindling local industry.

He lives in the Cotswolds and his interests (apart from ancient buildings) include music (playing cello), fell walking and theatre.
 

John Middleton

Associate

BA (Hons), Dip Arch, RIBA, MaPs

John is a qualified Chartered Architect and a graduate of Birmingham School of Architecture. He joined the practice in 1997 and has been an Associate with the practice since 2004.

Previously John worked for a practice involved with projects in the education and commercial sectors and also spent several years working with a residential developer on new build housing projects.

Since joining the practice he has been involved many of the practice’s projects including major conservation projects such as the West Range at Woodchester Mansion in Gloucestershire, the repair of churches large and small; he was project architect for the initial repair phase at Umberslade Baptist Chapel near Hockley Heath and large country houses including Perrycroft in Herefordshire a Grade II* listed arts and crafts house in Herefordshire designed by CFA Voysey. He has also been involved with several small domestic extension projects.

John’s main interest lies in the adaptation and reuse of old buildings and new design in historic settings. Particularly the multi layered complexity and the inherent qualities of character, history and place and the challenge of creating a symbiotic the relationship between old and new.

He is currently project architect for the conversion and adaptation of the Georgian Stables at Hellens Manor in Herefordshire to short stay residential accommodation. He is also heavily involved in the conservation of several follies for the National Trust at Croome Park in Worcestershire and he has acted as project architect for the repair of the Park Seat, Rotunda and currently on site the Panorama.

He is currently developing designs for a new south porch and reception facilities at Studley Parish church in Warwickshire.

John is a member of the RIBA and The Society For the Protection of Ancient Buildings and has also undertaken their Repair Course. He is continuing his studies and is part way through an MA in Intervention Architecture.

Elliot Goodall

Architectural Assistant

BArch (Hons)

Elliot graduated from Plymouth University School of Architecture in 2005 and joined the practice the following summer as an Architectural Assistant.

He has been involved in the development of drawings for many of the practice’s projects including Spon Street Coventry and the Wain House at Hellens. He has also been involved in a series of small design projects, including the design of a garden of remembrance at St Lawrence Church in Gloucester and minor adaptations to the Village Hall in Badgeworth, Gloucester.

Elliot has a keen interest in the re-use and adaptation of redundant buildings, and has recently assisted in the design work for the conversion of former RAF hospital to a visitor centre at Croome Park in Worcestershire.

He is currently assisting in the preparation of design proposals for the conversion of a series of traditional farm buildings to domestic use at Sheephouse Farm Maidenhead and the internal re-planning and rear extension to a Cotswold stone and timber framed house in Broadway. He has also completed design proposals for a second garden of remembrance for St Mary’s Church in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham.

Elliot shares his spare time between creative and exhilarating pursuits, which include painting, illustrating & downhill mountain biking.

Mike Joy
Senior Architectural Technician
BSc (Arch), DipBldgCons(RICS)

Mike joined the practice in early 2008 after twenty years working on country houses and churches in the Cotswolds area, including work featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs programme.

Mike graduated from Cardiff University, and also completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Building Conservation in 1998. He has qualified as a CDM Co-ordinator, and is currently studying to qualify as a Chartered Surveyor.

Mike is involved with several of the practice’s repair projects, including the re-roofing of Shipton Sollars Church in Gloucestershire for the Churches Conservation Trust, and window repairs at St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Blockley. He has also prepared detailed repair schemes for timber frame buildings in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
He is currently also involved in developing detailed major repair scheme for St Peter’s Church Daylesford.

Mike is a long- standing member of the SPAB, Vernacular Architecture Group and Council for British Archaeology. He has a particular interest in historic building construction and evolution, especially the analysis of building fabric to discover evidence of previous forms and patterns of use. He is also interested in the pathology of buildings; being the study of causes and processes of decay of building fabric, and the means of prevention and repair.

Adam Bennett
Junior Technical Assistant

Initially trained as a joiner, Adam obtained his NVQ Level 3 in Bench Joinery in 2007.  He joined the practice in April 2008 as a junior technical assistant and is currently studying towards his HNC Building Studies at Birmingham City University.