Joanna Bacon

An architect who has worked on an extensive project range from a classroom building to a 40-storey tower, Jo leads our practice. While always involved in some key large projects her focus is on the success of the practice as a whole. She plays an important role in defining and implementing our strategy as well as overseeing our operations. On the move throughout much of the day, she can be found going from desk-to-desk across our studios engaging with us all.

She was the partner in charge of 100 Bishopsgate, leading a collaborative team on a highly complex project comprising a tower and neighbouring buildings in the City of London for ten years. She particularly enjoys working with commercial clients and has valuable experience gained from delivery of major projects including BBC Media Village in White City as well as urban studies and masterplans in London Victoria and Regent Street.

Jo’s past work includes several of our key education projects: new graduate housing for Newnham College, Cambridge and the construction of two buildings at the University of Cambridge’s Sidgwick Site – the Faculty of English and Institute of Criminology. She was project architect for Sarum Hall School, one of the practice’s early influential works.

Jo is also actively involved in fostering architectural culture. Jo spent many years taking an active role at the RIBA, as a Vice President International; member and then Chair of the Awards Group; as a Councillor and Board Member Trustee. Jo champions equality and diversity in practice and chaired the RIBA Gender Pay Working Group which produced a report #CloseTheGap in 2018. She was shortlisted for the AJ’s Woman Architect of the Year Award in 2015 and is a Trustee of the Architectural Association. She has lectured in the US, China and the Middle East. For a few years in the 1990s, she lived in Hong Kong and Shanghai, teaching architecture at the University of Hong Kong.

Jo trained at the University of Cambridge, where she was tutored by Bob Allies.