Chris is a chartered architect with over 30 years' experience and is passionate about providing the best possible quality of environment for his clients.
"There is a tendency to think of the practice as being mine, that it’s all about Chris Loyn. This is understandable, but absolutely not the case. Loyn + Co works as a design studio: we all share and take ownership of our designs. It has become a wonderfully talented team; many colleagues are past students of mine. We still draw and sketch by hand as well as use computers. Our office is really an extension of university life. Our solutions are always contextual and site specific."
As the founder of Loyn + Co Architects, he set up in practice in 1987. Together with the team, he works both locally and nationally. Completed projects have included numerous one-off residential commissions, multiple housing and apartment schemes, as well as arts, commercial and ecclesiastical schemes. Chris has a strong design philosophy providing bespoke projects that build on a consistency of language and techniques developed and tested over time. In 2015 Chris received the Dewi Prys-Thomas Award for his personal contribution to architecture in Wales.
Chris is a founder parent of Bobath Children's Therapy Centre Wales: a charity for children in Wales who have cerebral palsy. His youngest son, Jack, born in 1989, has cerebral palsy. As a result of his direct first-hand experience, the practice have undertaken many architectural projects – either adapting existing buildings or constructing new – to meet the needs of individuals, families or organizations involved with disability.
Chris is a visiting / external tutor at The Welsh School of Architecture and also teaches at a range of other Universities in the UK. Chris was recently awarded the title of Professor of Practice at University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Chris also runs a drawing course at The Wales Institute for Sustainable Education at the Centre for Alternative Technology.
Chris is also a well-recognised artist and a member of the Royal Watercolour Society of Wales, exhibitions of his work have been held in South Wales and London, including at the Royal Institute of British Architects. He has made regular contributions on radio and television, and was a presenter on the BAFTA award winning series 'Hot Houses' which featured many examples of the practice's work
Originally from Chiswick, West London, Victoria graduated from the Welsh School of Architecture in 2007. She joined Loyn + Co Architects in 2008 having previously worked at Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects and Block Architecture in London. Whilst at PTEa her principal role was assisting on the refurbishment and extension of the Grade II Listed Brockwell Park Lido. Victoria was made a Director at Loyn + Co in 2018.
Her projects at Loyn + Co allow Victoria, a chartered architect, to work with a wide variety of clients and families on their existing and proposed homes, as well as a mixture of mixed use schemes and community projects. Victoria has been project architect on one of the practice's largest multi housing projects to date, 104 new homes at Porth Teigr, a new sustainable neighbourhood by igloo regeneration in the heart of Cardiff Bay. Two of her most recently completed projects include Conway Mews, a scheme for eight houses on a tight suburban site in Pontcanna, Cardiff and most recently Vila Mir, a unique family home on a steeply sloping site in Abergavenny.
Victoria has a particular focus on the notion of 'how we live now' and architecture of 'the everyday', combining this research with her own lessons learnt from working in practice. Her work exploring this research has been exhibited at Ruthin Craft Centre and the Bay Arts Gallery. Victoria is a visiting tutor and critic at the Welsh School of Architecture and is also a trained ‘Building for Life’ assessor. She is also proud owner of one of the practice's three office dogs, Woody. A miniature wire haired dachshund with a penchant for naturally lit interiors where he can bask all day in the sun.
James was brought up in a small coastal town in Wales before going to study at Oxford School of Architecture, Oxford Brookes. He joined Loyn + Co Architects in 2008 after graduating with first-class honours in Interior Architecture. James was made a Director in 2018 and leads all new project enquiries together with PR for the practice alongside running and overseeing core projects.
James has been project designer for some of the practice's most prestigious and demanding projects including the multi award winning Stormy Castle, which was named as Britain’s Best New Home in 2014 and Outhouse, nominated for the Stirling Prize in 2016. He has experience on a variety of residential schemes - many within sensitive sites and ‘Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ - and has worked on Grade II Listed dwellings. He has also successfully delivered commercial projects including a café and ice cream parlour in his hometown of Porthcawl. More recently James was the project designer for a dwelling built for the former Archbishop of Wales and his late wife. He has also been the project lead for challenging projects which have been granted consent under Paragraph 80 of NPPF, the so-called ‘Country House Clause’, which is the means of gaining approval for an exceptional one-off house on a site where refusal would normally be expected.
James represented the practice on the BBC series ‘Building Dream Homes’ which followed the construction of Upside Down House and in 2017 appeared alongside Alan Titchmarsh in 'Love your Home and Garden' presenting the 'Home' aspects of the show. He has exhibited work in the UK and abroad and is a guest critic at University of Westminster and Oxford Brookes University as well as being a regular Studio Tutor at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University.
A true people’s person, James’ passions are to create spaces that truly work, to get to know each and every client, their detailed brief and aspirations as well as to deliver rational, contextual and beautiful schemes from inside out.
Enireth (who is known to everyone as En) is originally from North Wales and is a fluent Welsh speaker. En moved to Cardiff at the age of 17. She has experience of managing small and large projects in private, public and voluntary sector organisations. She has managed several offices specialising in HR, Finance, Accounting and large corporate events. Enireth joined Loyn + Co in 2013 and along with her two Westies, Ralph and Daisy, she can usually be found on the ground floor of our offices in Glebe Street, Penarth. Enireth was made a Director at Loyn + Co in 2018.
En brings order and structure to a very busy and thriving practice. She is responsible for all elements of the day to day operational management of the practice, including organising the other Directors, finance, HR and facilities. En also works with two other organisations, one is UCAN Productions, a not for profit cooperative working with blind and visually impaired children and young people all over Wales, and the other is Keima Ltd who are an independent company empowering the wireless industry with innovative network planning solutions.
Mae Enireth (sy'n cael ei hadnabod i bawb fel En) yn wreiddiol o Ogledd Cymru ac mae'n siaradwr Cymraeg rhugl. Symudodd En i Gaerdydd yn 17 oed. Mae ganddi brofiad o reoli prosiectau bach a mawr mewn sefydliadau sector preifat, cyhoeddus a gwirfoddol. Mae hi wedi rheoli sawl swyddfa sy'n arbenigo mewn Adnoddau Dynol, Cyllid, Cyfrifeg a digwyddiadau corfforaethol mawr. Ymunodd Enireth â Loyn + Co yn 2013 ac ynghyd â’i ddau gi bach Westie, Ralph a Daisy, mae hi fel arfer i’w gweld ar lawr gwaelod ein swyddfeydd yn Glebe Street, Penarth. Gwnaethpwyd Enireth yn Gyfarwyddwr yn Loyn + Co yn 2018.
Mae En yn dod â threfn a strwythur i swyddfa brysur a llewyrchus iawn. Mae hi'n gyfrifol am bob elfen o reolaeth weithredol y swyddfa gan gynnwys trefnu y Cyfarwyddwyr eraill, cyllid, Anoddau Dynol a chyfleusterau. Mae En hefyd yn gweithio gyda dau sefydliad arall, un yw UCAN Productions, cwmni cydweithredol dielw sy'n gweithio gyda phlant a phobl ifanc ddall a phobl â nam ar eu golwg ledled Cymru, a'r llall yw Keima Ltd sy'n gwmni annibynnol sy'n grymuso'r diwydiant diwifr gyda rhwydwaith arloesol a cynllunio atebion.
Originally from a small village near Aberystwyth Gari moved to Cardiff to study and alongside his architectural qualifications also holds a Business Degree. He has worked for a number of practises of various sizes during his career and found his home at Loyn + Co Architects in 2015. As a Chartered Architectural Technologist he has enjoyed a wide-ranging role on a diverse range of projects during his career, with experience in both the public and private sectors. He is passionate about delivering schemes which make a difference to people’s everyday lives; as he truly believes that architecture plays a vital role in improving our society. The Welsh spelling of his name is also a subtle indicator that he is a fluent Welsh speaker.
He has experience in a variety of sectors, from residential and leisure to education and commercial. Gari has experience of different role responsibilities; sometimes leading teams, sometimes supporting others but always keen to support the client in realising their vision. Thanks to having two young children he professes to having very little spare time, but if you catch him cycling, swimming, reading or re-designing his own house for the umpteenth time then it’s likely he has managed to sneak in a few minutes to himself.
Yn wreiddiol o bentref bach ger Aberystwyth symudodd Gari i Gaerdydd i astudio, ac ochr yn ochr â'i gymwysterau pensaernïol mae ganddo hefyd Radd Busnes. Mae wedi gweithio i nifer o bractisau o wahanol feintiau yn ystod ei yrfa ond fe ddaeth o hyd i'w gartref yn Loyn + Co yn 2015. Fel Technolegydd Pensaernïol Siartredig mae wedi mwynhau rôl eang yn gweithio ar nifer o brosiectau amrywiol yn ystod ei yrfa, gyda profiad yn y sectorau cyhoeddus a phreifat. Mae'n angerddol am gyflawni cynlluniau sy'n gwneud gwahaniaeth i fywydau beunyddiol pobl; gan ei fod yn wirioneddol gredu bod pensaernïaeth yn chwarae rhan hanfodol wrth wella ein cymdeithas. Mae sillafu Cymraeg ei enw hefyd yn ddangosydd cynnil ei fod yn siaradwr Cymraeg rhugl.
Mae ganddo brofiad mewn amrywiaeth o sectorau, o breswyl a hamdden i addysg a masnachol. Mae gan Gari brofiad o wahanol gyfrifoldebau rôl; weithiau'n arwain timau, weithiau'n cefnogi eraill ond bob amser yn awyddus i gefnogi'r cleient i wireddu ei weledigaeth. Diolch i gael dau blentyn ifanc mae'n proffesu cael ychydig iawn o amser sbâr, ond os byddwch chi'n ei ddal yn beicio, nofio, darllen neu ail-ddylunio ei dŷ ei hun am y canfed tro, yna mae'n debygol ei fod wedi llwyddo i sleifio mewn ychydig funudau iddo'i hun.
Tim grew up in Bath before moving to Brighton to study Architecture and later Westminster University. Before joining Loyn + Co in 2016 Tim worked for Sheppard Robson in London where he worked on several award-winning commercial office projects as well as many mixed use residential schemes. He was also the project lead for a Zero Carbon research project for the Kingfisher Group (B&Q).
Since joining Loyn + Co Tim has worked on a variety of projects from adapting individual homes to the needs of disabled clients to large scale mixed use and residential schemes including new houses in the countryside, known as the country house or Paragraph 80 of the National Planning Policy Framework. More specifically, he was the project lead for ‘Parc Hadau’ which is an innovative zero carbon housing scheme for 35 homes and a community building. Working with our clients Sero Homes the project is the first in the UK to go to the full extent of the green building council’s definition of zero carbon. In addition, Tim led the team for an off grid zero carbon classroom on the top of the Rhigos Mountain.
As a result of the success of this project Tim has been invited to speak at conferences and universities about our work on zero carbon housing. We believe this exchange in knowledge is vital in the world’s shift to zero carbon over the coming years. Tim has a passion for designing high quality and thoughtful homes and housing. He also has a wealth of knowledge regarding low energy and zero carbon design both in terms of operational energy use as well as embodied energy or construction and materials.
Outside of work you can find Tim enjoying the great outdoors and Welsh countryside with his family or mountain biking with friends. He is also a keen snowboarder and surfer and enjoys making time to get away whenever he can.
Originally from the East Midlands, Jenny moved to Cardiff in 2010 to study at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University. There she met Chris Loyn and found his care and enthusiasm for people and placemaking to be infectious. After working in Bristol as a Part II Designer, Jenny moved back to Wales and joined Loyn + Co in 2017. She qualified as an Architect the following year having achieved a distinction in the Part III Diploma.
Jenny finds joy in working at a variety of scales, and relishes the challenge of striving for excellence no matter what the brief. Whilst working in Bristol, she gained experience working on a number of large scale residential masterplans in the South West, and has brought this skillset forward to several multi-housing projects at Loyn + Co. Jenny has also worked on various smaller projects, including extensions and alterations, replacement dwellings, and a yoga studio in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
Jenny also fosters a keen interest in photography, and has recently had the privilege of documenting some of Loyn + Co’s work. When not designing buildings or taking pictures of them, she will be out walking in the Brecon Beacons which we are so lucky to have nearby.
Akash graduated from the Welsh School of Architecture, class of 2017 and has returned to Loyn + Co as a Part II Architectural Assistant. During his time at the WSA, Akash was tutored by Chris Loyn and worked with Loyn + Co as a Part I, in 2015.
As a Part I, Akash was exposed to a range of different aspects within the field, from communicating with clients in order to understand their needs and develop the design brief, to ultimately leading a project up to the stage of acquiring planning permission. The project comprised of internal alternations and the addition of a ‘Viewing Room’, to an existing, Grade II listed building in Carmarthen. The scheme sought to sensitively but distinctly highlight the relationship between the new and the old.
Akash is interested in the embodiment of Silence in Architecture. In particular, how architecture can enhance the relationship between man and the essence of being. Akash’s focus in architecture stems from his background in fine art and curiosity in philosophy.
Concerned for our sense of self, Akash dedicated both his Dissertation and Design Thesis to the matter, with the intention of investigating an approach that enables the creation of a ‘body’ for the ‘bodiless’, through the careful orchestration of the fundamental design principles in architecture, such as, volume, repetition, space, light and proportion. The purpose of this research was to formulate a methodology that creates richer, more profound experiences that aid living beings to acquire a sense of belonging within their place in the world.
Originally from North London, Abi made Cardiff her home in 2004 to study at the Welsh School of Architecture. She first joined the practice after graduating in 2007 and having been inspired by her tutor, Chris Loyn’s, obsession with detail and materials and his passion for people.
Abi passionately believes in the positive impact that well-designed architecture can make on the everyday living as well as the bigger community picture. She qualified as an architect at Loyn + Co in 2011 and prides herself in working with the team at collaborative, supportive efforts to create beautiful, functional architecture.
Abi has worked on residential alterations and extensions as well as new build projects, ranging from sensitive conservation areas, denser suburban locations to open rural sites. She also has experience working with clients and families needing to adapt their homes to suit physical needs and promote independence, which she has found particularly rewarding.
Some of the highlights of her collaborative work include leading the technical package for 2 new build dwellings overlooking the Bristol Channel in Sully, working with the team on the planning submission for award winning ‘Outhouse’ and delivering sensitive residential projects on site, such as ‘Heol Hir Barns’, a 159m2 sustainable extension to a converted brick barn in North Cardiff.
Outside of her day job, Abi enjoys family life, photography, swimming and church community.
Hailing from Malaysia, Angeline moved to Cardiff in 2018 to embark on her architecture journey. She has recently graduated from the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University and joined Loyn + Co in August 2021 as a Part I Assistant alongside returning to WSA to pursue the March course.
Angeline is interested in the symbiosis of architecture and people. Where architecture can influence and affect people in their daily lives, similarly, the behaviours of people can elicit and direct a response from architecture. She has explored this within the context of sustainability in her final year project that is a response to the wasteful seaside town culture, aiming to influence change through thoughtful architecture and the adaptation of a circular economy.
Outside of architecture, Angeline enjoys keeping active by playing netball and going bouldering. She also has an interest in film photography and occasionally paints to relax.
Originally from the Derbyshire/Yorkshire border near Sheffield, Phillip moved to Wales in 2016. He studied Architecture at Liverpool University and then at Hughes Hall, Cambridge on the masters programme (MPhil)
in Environmental Design. This has given Phillip a passion and skillset for creating low-energy buildings through simple passive means, something he integrates into his projects at all scales.Prior to joining Loyn + Co Phillip worked at practices across the UK and Germany known for producing innovative, high quality buildings including RCKa in London, Sauerbruch Hutton in Berlin and Rural Office in west Wales. This experience has seen him involved in high-profile, award winning projects including Park House, Harpenden - winner of Best Older People’s Housing Development at the Inside Housing Awards 2019; Hortesley, Seaford - winner of the HAPPI Award 2019 and M9 Museum shortlisted for the EU Mies van der Rohe Award.
Phillip is also a Registrant on the RIBA Conservation Register and is working towards formal accreditation through the work he is involved with at Loyn + Co with historic buildings. This builds on a research Masters degree in Design History from the Royal College of Art / V&A Museum where he specialised in British mid-Century modernism and the work and writings of Sir Frederick Gibberd.
Phillip has taught and lectured as a tutor on the BSc Architecture Programme at Cardiff University and has previously been a visiting critic at London Metropolitan University and Cambridge University.
Adam grew up in Bridgend, South Wales before going to study at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University. Adam joined Loyn + Co as a Part I in 2020 after completing his BSc in Architecture. He has recently accepted the offer to continue working at Loyn + Co while he completes his Master’s Degree at Cardiff University.
Throughout Adam’s final year of his degree, he became interested in the theories of ‘Phenomenology and Being’ by Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty and others. This led Adam to dedicate his final year essay to this topic, culminating in a study trip to Germany to investigate how buildings can create meaningful connections with their occupants.
Adam continues to foster a keen interest in sketching with water-colours and with charcoal and always keeps a sketchbook to hand. He also enjoys keeping active and has recently joined Windsor tennis club in Penarth where he plays regularly.
