Yorkshire-based chartered architects practice, Race Cottam Associates, is restructuring its senior management team as part of its long-term development and expansion plans.
The company, which specialises in the designing of acute, primary care and private health projects, will now be spearheaded by long-serving director, David Speddings, who succeeds company co-founder, David Cottam, as managing director.
Joining Speddings on the company’s new board of directors will be Pauline Lake, who is responsible for business development and specialises in the schools sector; and Laurie Cottam, who will take the lead in the company’s civic, public sector and commercial projects.
The changes come on the back of a period of sustained growth for the practice, which was established in 1993.
Recent projects include the UK’s-first integrated Cataract Centre at Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital; the design of a series of in-theatre intra-operative MRI scanners across the country, including at the Walton Centre in Liverpool; and the design of the award-winning St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield.
Speddings said: “It's an honour for me personally to be succeeding David Cottam as managing director.
“Having spent such a large portion of my career at Race Cottam Associates, I've learnt an awful lot from David and owe him a great deal for helping shape my progression.
“I'm delighted to be joined on the new company board by Laurie and Pauline.
“Together, we will work to build on the solid foundations that David and Peter Race laid down almost 25 years ago - foundations which have seen the business grow from strength to strength.
“We have significant and exciting projects in the pipeline and we’re extremely excited to be leading Race Cottam into its next generation.”
Cottam, who as part of the new management structure will take on a more-strategic role, added: “I’m very excited at the direction the business is heading following a period of sustained growth and success.
“Race Cottam Associates is in safe hands. David Speddings and I have worked with Pauline and Laurie closely in the build-up to this announcement and are confident in their complementary abilities and their strong commitment to take the business forward into the next period of its development."