Senior Staff
Ian Beaumont DIRECTOR - BA (Hons) Dip Arch RIBA
Ian is a founding director of MBLA Architects + Urbanists, bringing over 30 years of experience in design, planning and commercial issues to his work in architecture and urbanism. He is responsible for the design direction of many of the Practice’s key projects, providing the strategic creative thinking that has brought with it critical acclaim.
Ian enjoyed a distinguished academic career and has combined architectural best practice with his work in the academic world with 15 years as a design tutor at the Manchester School of Architecture. Since 2000 Ian has brought his breadth of knowledge to his role as examiner in professional practice in London and the North West. Ian is a past president of the Manchester Society of Architects and a past member of the National Council of the R.I.B.A serving on a number of committees and advisory panels.
His recent work at MBLA includes major regeneration projects in the North West along with award winning city centre projects together with sensitive high quality small and medium scale projects set in conservation areas and sites of historic importance. Ian is a member of the CABE affiliated North West Design Review Panel - Places Matter and an academician with the Academy of Urbanism.
Andy Avery DIRECTOR - BA(Hons) Dip Arch Dip UD RIBA
Andy graduated from Oxford Polytechnic School of Architecture in 1986 having obtained separate honours in both Architecture and in Urban Design and commenced work in the office of Stephenson Mills in Manchester. He became a key associate member of MBLA Architects + Urbanists on its original formation in 1988 and subsequently appointed director in 1996.
Throughout his career Andy has designed, coordinated and managed a wide variety of major developments for the practice ranging through individual, public and private sector projects. Andy is responsible for the management of the design process within the office, overseeing consistency and thoroughness from conceptual design to completed buildings for a wide range of projects, including those in the health, community, education, residential and commercial sectors. Andy also inputs into the practices urban design and master planning work and was joint author of the Urban Design code for the redevelopment of Hulme in Manchester. This proved a model document that has been developed for use throughout the city and adapted for use in many different forms across the UK.
Andy is an external examiner for the RIBA Advanced Diploma in Professional Practice in Architecture.
John Riley ASSOCIATE - Ba(Hons) Dip Arch RIBA
John has extensive knowledge of building procurement from small scale to large multi-million pound projects. His experience spans from early design stages to completion on site in the private and public sectors. He is responsible for a number of the practice’s design and build contracts with both commercial developers and contractors. These have more recently included several large residential developments in Manchester city centre.
He has received a number of RIBA awards for his designs, been twice shortlisted for National Housing Design Awards and has exhibited work at The Royal Academy in London.
