Ian Law steps down as Partner

After 22 years at PDP London, Ian Law has stepped down as a Partner, moving to a consultancy role.

Ian joined the practice (then Paul Davis and Partners) in January 2000 as an architect, later becoming an Associate and then a Partner in April 2007. He has worked on over 40 projects in that time, most recently on the magnificent redevelopment of John Nash’s sweeping Park Crescent to form prime residences at Regent’s Crescent, and the sensitive proposals for the redevelopment and refurbishment on the King’s Road of Chelsea Cinema with its iconic 1930s facade.

With an eye for detail and a passion for our historic built environment, Ian has always brought an incredible level of expertise to the heritage projects in the practice. He has been involved in a broad range of building types, from new build offices and high quality listed residential buildings, through to public sector housing and healthcare.

As the lead for many complex developments, Ian has met the numerous challenges associated with this type of project, with a strategic approach and positive outlook. With his interest lying in the whole design and construction process, Ian has enjoyed a particular focus on the strategy and team coordination which often accompanies the complexity associated with these larger scale projects.

Regent’s Crescent, the only Grade I listed facade to be rebuilt in the UK.

When asked what his favourite part of the job is, Ian replies, rather diplomatically, that he enjoys all the stages in their turn. He is particularly fond of the bigger jobs, the ones that don’t reveal themselves to you from the outset but rather unfold as you go along. To be involved in the design and delivery of those jobs is pretty rewarding, he says.

His proudest moment is seeing projects like Duke of York Square materialise, along with Regent’s Crescent and 3-10 Grosvenor Crescent. All really difficult projects in their own way, all incredibly demanding but completely worth it in Ian’s eyes. ‘Duke of York Square is one of those places that everyone knows; when you’re on holiday and you talk to people about what you do, almost everyone knows it, has visited it and knows what you’re talking about, which is always a good thing!’ says Ian.

Duke of York Square - the redevelopment of the former Duke of York’s headquarters, King’s Road, Chelsea created the first new public square in London’s West End for more than a century.

Associate, Iain McLellan, who has worked closely with Ian on a number of complex projects over the years, reveals their secret to solving those tricky project issues:

‘We always enjoyed chewing the cud after difficult meetings with his favourite Lavazza coffee, his depth of experience plugged all the gaps and thereafter we could see the way forward on any problem.’

Grosvenor Crescent - a terrace of eight Grade II listed houses off Belgrave Square which were returned to residential use, including 15 magnificent prime apartments.

Whilst Ian has stepped down as a Partner, he will still be a familiar face around the office as he moves into a consultancy role, bringing his expertise and knowledge to our project teams and being a mentor to our staff.

‘Ian has been an incredible mentor to me and many young architects. He has shown us how to navigate such a complex sector as the construction industry... maybe that's because he is also an excellent sailor...!’ Marion Baeli, Partner

So, what will Ian be doing when he’s not helping around the practice?

‘I’m going to start (trying) to play the piano a lot more now. It sounds brilliant to me already but everyone else who hears it says it doesn’t sound so great, so I need to practise more. There will also be travelling and I’d like to learn Italian but that might be a step too far! I’ve got a friend in Tangier and I thought it would be fun to take a train down there and another friend in Lisbon who I’d like to visit. I’ve also got a bundle of knackered old cars (read: classic) which I’m going to fiddle around with - all the things I’ve never really had the time to do anything with. There’s loads of stuff around the house and garden that needs doing. Also, I imagine, a fair bit of babysitting…’

Ian has been a calm, reassuring and inspiring voice in the practice over the past two decades. We will certainly miss seeing him every day, but cherish the times when he pops in for a coffee, to help mentor staff, or lend his expertise to a project. Thank you for everything, Ian.

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