Studio

Eric Sey
Director

Eric, Director and Chartered Architect, has a proven track record in the end-to-end design and delivery of developments, for both public, private and public/private partnerships.

He has been instrumental in the realisation of a number of major regeneration initiatives that have benefitted from his experience in land promotion, negotiation and consultation throughout the planning process, and an understanding of the commercial imperatives.

His primary focus is the realisation of mixed-use urban developments, driven by his passion for urban design, regeneration and placemaking. This is bolstered by his considerable experience of the residential sector specifically strategic land promotion, build to rent, care and student housing, which is further supported by our collective track record which includes hotels, commercial, retail and leisure developments.

Eric leads the practice’s Design Directorate and Staff & Training programme, and is responsible for driving the continual development of our people, and the value this brings to our business. When he’s not riding his bike into the studio, he’ll be on the water sailing, or, on the occasional track day, burning some rubber.

Martin Dobbs
Director

Martin is a Chartered Architectural Technologist and Building Engineer with over 30 years’ experience designing, detailing and delivering buildings in a variety of sectors.

With a passion for producing high quality, well detailed buildings, Martin enjoys working closely with contractors from early design stages through to completion on site, helping to ensure delivery is within budget and on programme.

His expertise includes all aspects of residential (from bespoke one-off homes to strategic masterplanning), historic and listed buildings, hotels, commercial and education projects. This wide range of experience has allowed Martin to develop many long lasting and fruitful relationships with clients, consultants and contractors. He leaves no stone unturned in delivering, driving and managing projects with meticulous attention to detail. It’s safe to say he enjoys a challenge and finding new ways to drive projects forward.

Always keen to share his enthusiasm for architecture and construction, Martin is a strong team player and dedicated director – he’s always the first one in and last one out of the studio. When he does manage to take some time off, he loves to travel and seek out new adventures, which has recently seen him trekking in Patagonia and husky sledding in Finland.

Mark Amey
Director

Mark is a Chartered Architect with over 15 years’ in the profession. He has a wide range of experience in the commercial, mixed-use, residential and education sectors, with special expertise in designing and delivering hotel and leisure projects.

Mark has been responsible for designing and delivering a wide variety of projects across the UK – ranging from Madeira Road Student Accommodation in Bournemouth to multiple schemes for BLOC Hotels across London and Birmingham. He has a passion for producing high quality, well detailed buildings and enjoys working closely with clients and contractors to ensure efficient delivery.

Mark is always up for a challenge and is one of the most competitive members of the team – whether he’s battling it out on the golf course or playing casual table tennis at lunch, he’ll always be looking for the win.

Dave Evans
Associate

A Chartered Architect since 1997, and former qualified Architectural Technician since 1987, Dave has over 30 years’ experience of working with both private and public sector clients. He combines the knowledge and skills of a lead designer and project leader with a solid background in construction techniques and technical design.

Dave’s main areas of expertise are conceptual design, helping clients develop their project briefs, early stage feasibility studies, site masterplanning, liaison with planning authorities and other key stakeholders, and public consultations. Dave is a skilled visualiser, able to quickly translate clients’ ideas and project briefs into three dimensional sketches, to explore potential design solutions.

Dave has a track record of delivering successful planning approvals across the south for contemporary luxury houses and apartments, both new and remodelled, many of which are on sensitive, rural and waterside locations. He also has considerable experience in education projects, including higher and further education schemes, from masterplanning of school and college campuses, to the detailed design of new teaching facilities.

When not hunched over a stack of tracing paper with a fast-moving felt tip pen in hand, Dave likes to try and get out on his motorbike (when he’s not taking it apart to ‘fix’ it).

Dai Hannaford
Senior Associate

Dai is an Architect with over ten years’ experience across a variety of sectors. He has worked on and delivered a wide range of projects from residential and mixed-use developments in London, to new school and university facilities across the country.

He enjoys working in the early stages of projects, helping clients to define the brief and using his experience to provide innovative solutions even in the most challenging of situations.

Dai also has substantial experience of project delivery and taking those exciting initial concepts through the technical stages and on to site. He enjoys building successful working relationships with contractors to ensure those all important details that really elevate the quality of the finished building are considered throughout.

As an Associate, he works across multiple projects and interacts with all staff members on aspects of project work and practice management, and he encourages, mentors and motivates everyone to achieve to the best of their abilities. This enthusiasm occasionally overlaps with his passion for triathlon and multi-sport competitions and has resulted in studio entries to various events which always seem like such a good idea at the time.

Anne Whitley
Office Administrator

Anne joined the team here at BrightSpace in Summer 2020 after working in the construction industry for many years in a variety of roles. Her experience stretches across all aspects of business support and has known the Directors here for many years prior to joining the team. 

She has two grown-up daughters and recently received the amazing news of becoming a grandmother. When outside of the office, you can catch Anne and her two baby dogs walking on the beach or exploring the countryside. 

Jonathan Taylor
Associate

Jonathan is a Chartered Architect with over 11 years’ experience in architectural practice. He has worked across many sectors at all work stages, with a particular expertise in residential led mixed-use urban projects and residential masterplanning. As part of his studies he specialised in Urban Design.

Since joining us in 2014, Jonathan has worked on several mixed-use schemes in Bournemouth and Southampton and been involved in many challenging planning applications with a complex assembly of uses and highly constrained sites. He enjoys being involved in the early stages of concept design and likes to see projects organically evolve through to completion. He uses his creativity, eye for detail, problem-solving ability and commercial understanding to deliver projects that meet the client’s aspirations from both design and financial perspectives.

Outside of the studio, you’ll find Jonathan on the south coast fishing for his supper, or cheering on his beloved Tottenham Hotspur as they fight for that Champions League place.

Angela Loperfido
Senior Architect

Angela joined the team in the summer of 2019 and has over 15 years’ experience working across many sectors. Graduating and qualifying as an Architect at the University of Architecture in Florence, Italy, she has always had a strong interest for archeological sites and historical buildings.

Working across all the work stages, Angela has a particular interest in the residential and education sector, building a strong working relationship with clients and contractors to ensure the successful delivery of each project. 

When not in the office, Angela loves to explore new places, practicing yoga, and being a ‘seasonal runner’ in the spring and summer. 

Canan Sheth
Office Manager

Canan joined BrightSpace as our Office Manager in 2019 and is the first point of contact for everyone visiting our office. After living in Dubai for the past six years, Canan worked for the Jumeirah Group and flew all over the World as cabin crew for FlyDubai over a three-year period.

With an appreciation and passion for art, Canan loves to sketch and paint in her spare time. She also likes to relax by playing the guitar or baking fresh cakes for all to enjoy… they certainly get a Hollywood handshake from us!

Charlotte Earnshaw
Architect

Charlotte recently joined the team as a Part II graduate from the Oxford School of Architecture. Having specialised in architectural regeneration, Charlotte has a passion for reuse of spaces and believes that the evolution of existing architecture is the key to successful design intervention. Following a year of dedication as the Vice President and Lectures Coordinator of OxArch (the Oxford Architecture Society), Charlotte received the Hunter Johnston Doric Prize for outstanding contribution to the School of Architecture.

With a passion for community-led design, Charlotte is interested in working on well-integrated and socially aware design interventions. Despite her enthusiasm for teamwork, Charlotte is hungry for success and cannot wait to take on the competition in lunch hour table tennis tournaments.

Aside from architecture, Charlotte loves skiing and spends as much time as possible on the mountains. She also tours the UK in her VW camper at weekends and can be found outdoors hiking, biking, climbing and coasteering.

Lee Boyce
Senior Architectural Technologist

Lee is an Architectural Technologist with over 10 years’ experience. During this time he has worked on and delivered a wide range of projects, gaining experience within the high-end shop fit out, high-end residential, retirement living and Commercial Projects. 

Lee produces coordinated Revit models, detailed working plans and construction details. He enjoys going to site and working closely with the contractor to ensure the project is delivered on time, while also to a high standard. Outside of work, Lee has a passion for producing music and DJ’ing around the country.

Sam King
Part I Architectural Assistant

Sam joined the team in 2020 and brings with her two years of professional experience after graduating with a BA (Hones) Architecture degree at the Arts University Bournemouth. Her final year project explored the world of edible architecture and its connection between food, texture and materials.

Sam is currently undertaking her Part II at Oxford Brookes and is looking forward to using her recent experience in practice. Always one to explore new places, Sam loves to travel to new countries, ski and is a big shopaholic. Rumour has it that Sam could give Tom Cruise a run for his money at making cocktails… although this is yet to be proven.

David Martin
Associate

David is a Chartered Architectural Technologist with over 15 years’ experience. During this time he has worked on and delivered a wide range of projects gaining experience within the high-end residential, hotel, education and listed buildings sectors.

David produces carefully researched and detailed working drawings with a focus on performance and commercial efficiency. He enjoys working closely with the contractor to ensure his technical knowledge and love of detailing buildings is reflected in the final product.

As an AFC Bournemouth supporter, when David isn’t enjoying the club’s current glory years at the weekends, he can be found off-road on his mountain bike.

Ailsa Holdcroft
Architect

Ailsa excelled in her university studies, achieving first-class honours for her Part II and studying abroad in Germany at the Dessau Institute of Architecture where she was awarded the Frank Horton Prize for most interesting drawing during her masters degree.

Enthusiastic and hardworking, Ailsa is always on the lookout for the next exciting project to bring to the studio. She has worked across many sectors and has a healthy appetite to learn new skills and apply her innovative presentations skills to our work. Ailsa is always organising the next design charrette and gets everyone together for our weekly staff meetings, discussing all things new in the world of architecture and design.

As well as working hard here in the studio, Ailsa is up at the crack of dawn everyday looking after her horses, Rufus and April.

Lezanne van der Vyver
Architectural Designer

Jack Lodge
Marketing Coordinator | Architectural Assistant

Jack joined the team in 2015 after graduating from the Arts University Bournemouth with a first-class honours degree. While at university, he was lucky enough to collaborate with Sunseeker International to design a new global headquarters and The National Trust, where he designed and built a future-proof beach hut.

Jack supports our design team as an Architectural Assistant and also plays a pivotal role in helping to communicate the practice’s aims and ambitions as our Marketing Coordinator.

Although a bit of a tech guy, he’s a lover of hand drawing, being more than willing to move the mouse and keyboard aside in favor of a fountain pen and roll of tracing paper. Jack is also a keen landscape photographer, traveling across the country to capture the next sunrise or sunset and share it all with his followers.

Alex Berger
Part I Architectural Assistant

Alex joined the team here at BrightSpace in 2020 after graduating with a First Class Honours from the University of Portsmouth. He has a passion for being creative, being extremely experienced in the Adobe Suite and always looking for an opportunity to step away from the machines, and get putting pen to paper to sketch out his ideas. 

While at University, Alex's final year project was focused on encouraging social interaction and the engagement of creative collaboration within hybrid-housing schemes, something we are looking forward to seeing him expand on in practice. 

Throughout his time with us, Alex has shown a keen interest in keeping up to date with the world of architecture, and even co-founded "Dilly-dally with Ally and Cally" where himself and Callum give the team a weekly news update during our staff meetings - a great laugh every time. When he isn't deep into a project, all 6'6 of him is likely to be spotted on the courts playing either tennis or basketball, two of his favourite sports.

Callum Barnden
Part I Architectural Assistant

Born and raised in Portsmouth, Callum graduated from the University of Portsmouth in 2020, with a First-Class BA(Hons) degree in Architecture. At University, he took a key interest in the soulful side of architecture, travelling to Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Museum Berlin specifically to write his dissertation. Enjoy developing architectural visualization through the Adobe Suite, with a fine attention to detail. 

At BrightSpace, he is keen to get involved in as many work stages and sectors as possible, to develop his skills and understanding of the profession. Callum's life goal is to pursue a career working on architectural projects that are engaging, rewarding and have a positive impact on its surrounding community.

Being a HUGE football fan, his weekends are spent as a season ticket holder at Portsmouth FC, so as you can imagine, him and Dave Hodgson get on, very well... he also likes getting away on holiday in the sun and walking his pet dog.

Philip Luke
Senior Technologist | BIM Coordinator

Philip has over 10 years’ experience working on residential and commercial projects.

With a strong technical background and a passion for design, Philip joined us after returning to the UK from Australia in 2016. His enthusiasm and professional approach support the creation of strong working relationships with colleagues, clients and consultants.

Philip’s experience of BIM procedures has been key in our push to deliver projects to BIM level 2 standards. Philip provides training and assistance to all members of staff in using Revit and other BIM software.

After sitting at his desk delivering project after project, Philip enjoys to get outside and cycle, run, walk, snowboard and surf. Although the waves are a bit on the small side compared to Perth, he’s glad that he doesn’t have to worry about any sharks making a surprise appearance.

Joao Virtudes
Architectural Technician

After completing his MSc Sustainable Building Design at Southampton Solent University, Joao joined the BrightSpace team in 2020 as an Architectural Technician. His past experiences include working for luxury retail clients, assisting with the delivery of complex design projects within the likes of Harrods and Selfridges in London. 

In his spare time, Joao is a big football follower and tunes in weekly to watch his favourite team Sporting CP from Portugal, Lisbon. Being an avid traveller, Joao is always hopping on and off planes, with his favourite place visited so far being Bali.

Nichole Tumbaga
Architectural Technologist

Nichole recently joined the team here at BrightSPACE after graduating from Southampton Solent University with a First-Class Honours degree in Architectural Design and Technology. While at University, Nichole received the award for Best Landmark Project in Memory of the Titanic from CIAT. 

Born in Florence, Nichole has always had a passion for beauty and arts. She is keen to share her enthusiasm for photography, design and fashion and loves travelling and going to the theatre. Already thinking about doing her Masters, Nichole is looking to learn and master her skills in physical architecture 3D modelling and experimenting with different materials. 

Nichole likes to keep fit by attending gym and fitness classes but has told us she will never give up chocolates, cakes, cookies, or ice cream…

Dave Hodgson
Senior Architectural Technologist

Melissa Balloni Carpino
Senior Architectural Designer

Mel recently joined the team as a Senior Architectural Designer in the Summer of 2021. She has worked both in the UK and Brazil for the last 20 years and has now settled locally in Bournemouth.

Mel's home country is Brazil. Graduating and qualifying as an Architect and Urbanist from Mackenzie University in São Paulo, Brazil, she has worked in a variety of sectors including residential, master planning, educational, and public buildings.

Her passion for architecture is clear to see and she loves the whole design process, from briefings with the client to following through with the technical stages. Mel is fantastic at building strong working relationships with clients and contractors to ensure the successful delivery of her projects.

When Mel is out of the office, she loves to explore new places, travel, explore with her camera, and play tennis. She is also a big lover of having family and friends round for a meal and a bottle (or three) of vinho.