Mark French, former Director, and Principal Architect of the practice has retired after spending 35 years at the Hawarden office. Ainlsey Gommon would like to thank Mark for all he has brought to the practice through his dedication and years of experience and wishes him the best of luck in the future.
Mark wrote an announcement on LinkedIn as below:
“As many of you will know by now, I retired on 30 September 2023, after nearly 35 years with Ainsley Gommon Architects
I joined Ainsley Gommon as a Chartered Architect in January 1989, became an Associate in 1992 and a director in 2003. As a director for 20 years, I am happy to have been part of many important initiatives in the growth and development of the practice. Most recently, with the help of Cwmpas, I led the successful transition to Employee Ownership, completed in March this year.
During my long career at AGA, I have been lucky to be involved in the design and management of so many interesting and inspiring projects throughout Wales, the Marches and NW England across a varied range of sectors, including education and health projects, urban renewal, and low carbon housing. A small selection of these feature in the pictures below.
I would like to thank all the clients, consultants, contractors, Local Authority and Welsh Government officers I have worked with, and the Royal Society of Architects in Wales, for the support they have given me and the practice over the years.
I am proud of the work AGA continues to produce and believe that well designed and sustainable buildings and places can really make a difference to people’s well-being. Many of my most satisfying projects have been those that involved engaging with residents and user groups to understand their needs and aspirations.
As a Professional Practice mentor, I enjoyed supporting many students who successfully completed their professional experience and qualified as Architects while at AGA, and I maintain a keen interest in emerging architecture.
Most of all, it has been a pleasure to be part of the Ainsley Gommon family all these years. I will miss the companionship of my colleagues and friends in the office, but I know they will continue to thrive in the new Employee-Owned era of the practice.”
