Davidsons Homes graduate trainee qualifies as RIBA architect
Matthew Sanders, who was a graduate trainee at Ibstock based Davidsons Homes has recently qualified as a RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) and ARB (Architects Registration Board) Architect. Mathew, 25, joined Davidsons in 2013 on a summer scheme and was subsequently offered a sponsorship to complete the final year of his masters degree along with the offer of a job at the end of the graduate trainee scheme.
He undertook his undergraduate degree at Lincoln University and then worked for RIBA past President Jack Pringle at the international architecture firm Pringle Brandon Perkins and Will in London for one year. He studied for his Masters Degree in Architecture at Nottingham Trent University and completed the Part III course at Nottingham University to become a fully qualified RIBA architect.
Matthew said “I took a different approach to the graduate trainee scheme – I knew which department I wanted to be in, as I was training to become an RIBA architect. I immediately worked within the design and technical department at Davidsons for the period leading up to me qualifying. Davidsons graduate scheme was highly effective and allowed me to be mentored by a number of key players within the housing industry”.
Matthew continued “My role as a fully qualified architect now sees me overseeing the architectural and technical design aspects of a development, including scheme and sketch design, planning submissions, building control warranties and site inspections. I am also involved in designing new house types and layouts for a number of future developments”.
“I think the commitment, both in time, and financially, that Davidsons have given me to enable me to complete my studies and becoming a fully qualified RIBA architect, demonstrates Davidsons dedication to producing outstanding designs for the developments and homes we build. It’s unusual for a RIBA architect to be working within the house building industry, but it’s something I feel should become more appealing to graduates and future architects given the need for good quality design led housing projects”.
In his spare time, Matthew enjoys keeping fit – he’s a regular gym goer and has taken part in a number of obstacle runs with colleagues for charity.
Iain Pickering, Davidsons Design Director, said “It’s a fantastic achievement on Matthew’s part and we are delighted that our graduate scheme is bringing fresh talent into the company and the industry. Matthew will be helping to develop new home designs and development layouts as we grow. There are several new developments planned for Leicestershire in the coming months and more in the wider Midlands”.
Last year Davidsons completed their 1000th home since starting building homes in 2008. They also received five stars in the National Home Builders Federation/NHBC customer satisfaction survey – for the third year in a row.
Currently Davidsons have developments in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire. For more information visit: www.davidsonsgroup.co.uk