Gianni Botsford
Gianni Botsford, Director & Head of Design, was born in Venice, Italy in 1960. He originally studied Interior Design at Kingston University (84-86) and worked for a number of practices in London from 86-94. He completed his education at the Architectural Association, London (94-96), in Professor John Frazer’s Evolutionary Architecture Unit, before setting up Gianni Botsford Architects in 1996 which he continues to direct. He was appointed AA Research Fellow in 1997 and has taught at the AA, London Metropolitan University and the Welsh School of Architecture in Cardiff, currently teaches at the RCA in London, and has run a unit in the annual Studio in the Woods since its inception, as well as being a visiting critic at the AA, Bartlett, Cambridge, St John Cass and Bath Universities. He was recently a member of the RIBA Awards Group and sat on the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Architecture Appraisal Panel for ten years. The recipient of numerous awards for built projects in the UK and abroad, he has also lectured in the UK, India, the USA, Taiwan and Mexico on the work of the practice. His research work at the AA and subsequently with Arup into the optimisation of the control of natural light has been used throughout the projects the studio has built and developed.
James Eagle
James Eagle obtained his Master’s Degree in Architecture at Greenwich University under the supervision of Professor Neil Spiller and Dr Rachel Armstrong. Graduating with distinction, James won the RIBA Selsa Prize, was nominated for the RIBA President’s Medals, and shortlisted for both the Jerwood and Derwent Drawing Prizes. His research interests include biological living architectural systems, computational design, biodigital design methodologies and surrealism and has been published by Wiley in AD Surrealism in Architecture and exhibited across the UK. James completed his professional qualifications with the RIBA and is a UK registered architect. Since joining GBA in 2008 he has worked on many projects across differing typologies and work stages from concept to construction, including 13A Pond St, House in a Garden, White on White, Two Stair House, Villa Arcipelago, Pink Sand Pavilion, Rise and Fall and the Welbeck Collections Gallery.
Anahi Copponex
Anahi Copponex studied fashion at Kingston University before starting her career at Marithe & Francois Girbaud in Paris. On returning to the UK she worked for a number of designers including Ally Capellino and Sara Sturgeon, before moving towards the areas of costume and theatre design. Her collaborations over the years with GBA range from material research, modelmaking, and the testing of approaches to light, space and the body.
Oli Martin
Oli studied at the University of Portsmouth and the Welsh School of Architecture at Cardiff University, where he studied in the Local Adaptation unit under Gianni Botsford and Kate Darby. His thesis involved digitally scanning a single oak tree using LiDar technology to unlock the structural potential of the complex geometries of its branches. It hoped to challenge resource efficiency and create an adaptive architecture that is driven by environment and material. Alongside his thesis, Oli took part in the design and construction of an experimental and generative oak pavilion in the Wyre Forest. Professionally, he has experience on a range of typologies, including large mixed-use projects, historically significant buildings and private homes.
Past Staff
- Shamimma Ahmed
- Yasser Al Sahael
- Ran Ankori
- Arslan Arkallayev
- Stephanie Aue
- Denis Balent
- Eduardo Barata di Olivera
- Paolo Barkett
- Toby Burgess
- Christian Cappelli
- Maya Carni
- Jernej Cencic
- Sang Min Cha
- Daniel Chan
- Sam Craig
- Sarah Custance
- Kate Darby
- Nittai Edelman
- James Ford
- Richard Green
- Martin Gruenanger
- Jack Hay
- Sei Hosaka
- Hitoshi Ihara
- Kosuke Ino
- Makito Ito
- Patrick Janssen
- Carmen Jimenez Fernandez
- Orit Kaufman
- Charlotte Khatso
- Minghsuan Lo
- Valle Medina
- Haya Morowa
- Matthew Morrish
- Yo Murata
- Raita Nakajima
- Federico Nassetti
- Mike O’Hanlon
- Ian Page
- Luigi Parise
- Lucia Pflucker
- Malek Pierre Arif
- Shogo Sakimura
- Gabriel Sanchiz
- Hideaki Takenaga
- Hiroshi Takeyama
- Liz Tatarintseva
- Luka Travas
- Moeko Urano
- Geoff Whittaker
- Geoff Wilkinson
- Rion Willard
- Sara Wong
- Andrew Yau
- Kriss Zilgalvis