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Tom Cotton

Position: Associate Director - Oxford

Having originally spent four years at Associated Architects from 2013 to 2017, Thomas returned to the practice in 2020 after a period of working internationally. He was made Associate in 2021 and Associate Director in 2024.

He undertook his architectural education at Liverpool John Moores University and the Birmingham School of Architecture and Design at Birmingham City University, completing his Part III with RIBA North West.

Thomas has a wide-ranging portfolio of work spanning eight years that includes residential, commercial, educational and cultural sectors, gained at Associated Architects and other award-winning studios in Europe and the Middle-East. He has valuable experience of all project work stages from feasibility through to completion, as well as several years experience of using and leading teams in BIM to coordinate information and produce drawing packages as part of large multi-disciplinary project teams.

He has acted as project architect to lead a variety of projects, notably the Emily Wilding Building at Royal Holloway University of London, a bold and ambitious building that expanded the library provision which would also include a student services centre. This new facility successfully contributes to a high quality experience for students during their time at the institution, providing them with a state-of-the-art modern library and wide range of student services.

Current and Recent Projects

Emily Wilding Building, Royal Holloway University of London: 10,500sq.m new build BREEAM Excellent library and student centre in sensitive historic campus setting designed using Passivhaus design principles. Set within a sensitive historic campus, the new £42m building also provides specialist exhibition and archive facilities.

University of Wolverhampton National Brownfield Institute: Creating a facility to research and develop new construction methods and ways of regenerating contaminated land, and a third project for AA at the site of the former Springfield Brewery.

Somerville College Dining Hall, Oxford: Scheme of refurbishment to improve lighting and acoustics within the Grade II listed College dining hall.

London South East Colleges Greenwich Campus, London: A new BREEAM Outstanding scheme to replace existing facility, phased to allow the College to remain open during demolition/construction.

London South East Colleges Bromley Campus: Masterplan to the College’s largest campus, in addition to refurbishment of a 1959 teaching block.

Royal Holloway