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RIBAJ Rising Star

Nathalie Baxter Riba Rising Star 2017 Lh

Architect Nathalie Baxter has been awarded a place in the 2017 RIBAJ Rising Stars cohort. This prestigious honour is presented to the rising architects that are making a difference in architecture and the built environment.

As a result of this fantastic achievement Nathalie has been profiled by the RIBA journal, receiving great praise for the amount she has achieved in the three years since completing her architecture part 2 qualification.

“Nathalie Baxter impressed the judges with the way she spotted an issue – the lack of voice for recent part 3 graduates – and is doing something about it”, the profile reads. “After gaining her part 3 at Newcastle University last year (winning the prize for best graduating student) she set up the Young Architectural Practitioners Forum with the RIBA in the North East and was then elected chair.”

The YAPF aims to support architects in their first eight years of qualification to help build networks across the profession. Judge and revered architect, Mary Duggan, said of Nathalie’s achievements, “She is opening up the debate on what a part 3 architect is”.

Judges also cited Nathalie’s role as project architect on our state-of-the-art workplace for City Electrical Factors in Durham, as well as her interest in supporting collaboration between disciplines in the construction industry. She recently received a scholarship to study interdisciplinary design and management at Cambridge University.

Nathalie was not the only architect from our practice in the running to receive a place in the final cohort, Lee McLaughlin and Nick Heyward also featuring in the Rising Stars shortlist. No other practice had more than one entrant shortlisted. The judges felt that this fact “highlighted ‘something very good’ going on in the practice”.

Nick Deeming, Partner at FaulknerBrowns, said: “Nathalie has an outstanding skill set. Her inspiring attributes have allowed her to develop strong working relationships with her colleagues, students and wider project teams. We are all very proud of her achievements, and those of all of our shortlisted individuals, and we will continue to support their development with big hopes for the future.” 

Nathalie commented on her achievement saying: “It is an honour to be named an RIBAJ Rising Star of 2017 alongside a cohort of ambitious and innovative young people. I’d like to thank FaulknerBrowns Architects for providing me with the support required to undertake roles both at practice level and within the wider construction industry. Following the shortlisting of my two colleagues and I, it is great that the RIBA Journal recognize that 'something very good' is going on within the practice!"