Nathan Lonsdale

Nathan Lonsdale is Partner and Director of Spacelab. He trained at the Manchester School of Architecture and Birmingham School of Architecture, UCE. In 1997 he was an Associate at Chiltern Cunningham Architects before leaving in 1999 to set up an Architecture and Project Management Department as part of a large Property Strategy Group. Nathan set up Spacelab with fellow director Andrew Budgen in 2002.

With 15 years of experience, Nathan has taken a lead role nationally and internationally on projects ranging from £50,000 to £20Million. He has extensive knowledge as a client, Design Coordinator and Project manager for Bauer, Emap, WPP and many more. Nathan is responsible for total Project Management control at Spacelab

Andrew Budgen

Andrew is a founding Partner and Director of Spacelab, and the creative design brain behind the practice, overseeing all design and innovation within Spacelab. Before setting up Spacelab, he worked on large projects for a number of mid-size practices, including Buschow Henley and Ian Simpson Architects.

He is a future thinker, seeing buildings, towns and cities as a stage for the elements that affect our lives, including culture, technology, and social networks. His ability to analyse and understand these elements, then design and create built forms that allows space to flourish, is a rare, award-winning and exciting talent.

At Spacelab, Andrew has made it his mission to help clients appreciate the impact – positive and negative – of their space. “People often don’t understand space, or look at it as an asset,’ he says. ‘But an understanding of how it works can really affect people, and their environments, for the better.” 

Robin Lonsdale

Robin is responsible for the technical detailing at Spacelab, managing the design delivery from first sketch to final completion so they meet their brief, their deadline, and their budget. He joined in 2003, having worked as an architect in London and Manchester for four years before, and completed a year of training in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

With a vast knowledge of materials and construction methods, Rob is skilled at finding the most efficient and effective ways to turn ideas into built form. From our housing developments in Tanzania to our RIBA Award-winning Orangery for Great Ormond Street Hospital, he oversees people and processes and uses his expert problem-solving skills to keep everything on track, making sure the most complex architectural details are finished to the highest standard.

Robin was made a Director at Spacelab in 2011.

Kerstin Sailer

Dr Kerstin Sailer is a Lecturer at the Bartlett School of Graduate Studies at University College London and over a period of 4 years was responsible for developing and implementing Spacelab’s workplace research methodology. She now acts as our Director of Research and Innovation, specialising in complex buildings, organisational theory and behaviour, social network analysis and architectural research methods using Space Syntax theory. Kerstin is a trained architect from Germany, where she completed her Diploma in Architecture (University of Hannover), as well as her PhD thesis "The Space-Organisation Relationship" (Technical University of Dresden). She has won several awards and scholarships for her research and has been invited to present her work at a variety of national and international conferences and workshops.

Petros Koutsolampros

Petros studied Architectural Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens before completing an MSc in Adaptive Architecture and Computation at The Bartlett, University College London.

Petros joined Spacelab in February 2013 working under a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between Spacelab and University College London to synthesise and digitise information on office buildings and their occupants to be developed externally as a new service to clients and support internal decision making processes.

Shelley Hanks

Shelley joined Spacelab in April 2011, bringing with her strong business management skills gained within her previous career in the floristry industry. Having worked within a number of small privately owned businesses Shelley has developed a versatile skill set including staff management, invoicing, stock control, new business and sales.

Shelley has implemented a host of systems and procedures at Spacelab which ensure the office runs smoothly and efficiently. She is responsible for our business accounting and cash flow, along with drafting policies and staff contracts in line with legislation. Shelley is a dedicated and valuable member of staff, and the glue that holds Spacelab together!

Aabid Raheem

Aabid qualified as an Architect in India, going on to work for Vastu Shilpa Consultants on a range of high profile cultural buildings and later Auromode Atellier, where he assisted on a number of projects for the acclaimed Auroville development.

Aabid relocated to London to study a Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Studies at The Bartlett, UCL. He joined Spacelab in April 2011 as a Spatial Analyst and has been involved in the workplace analysis of several of our most significant projects, including Ogilvy Frankfurt, ASOS, The Mill and Leo Burnett.

Aabid has an in depth understanding of various methods and tools for analysing networks of space and people. He is the co-author of research paper ‘The Generative Office Building’ delivered at the 8th International Space Syntax Symposium in 2012.

Christine Myers

Christine graduated in Interior Design from Glasgow School of Art in 2005. She started her career with Michael Laird Architects in Edinburgh, working on Microsoft’s Edinburgh Headquarters and various financial sector projects for Standard Life and RBS.

Christine joined Spacelab in July 2010, and has since managed a number of prestigious projects, including the BCO Award winning Edinburgh Headquarters for Virgin Money and the implementation of all Virgin Money Lounges in Edinburgh, Norwich and Manchester and the flagship branch in Guildford.  

Christine was made an Associate in 2012.

Steve Davies

Steve is a Project Architect with a passion for precision detailing. He’s our man for drainage and guttering, balconies and balustrades, brickwork and tiling. Steve works on the detailed design of all our architectural projects helping to give them the Spacelab stamp of perfection.

He started his career working for a large multi-disciplinary practice where he built his experience working on public sector buildings including community centres, schools and housing estate regeneration. Steve worked for a smaller architectural practise where he honed his skills on new build mixed use and residential schemes before moving to Spacelab.

Nicole Allegri

Nicole graduated in Architecture from the University of Bath in 2004. She has worked for a number of large architectural and interiors firms including Woods Bagot and Capita.

Nicole specialises in the design of commercial office interiors having built strong experience working on a range of projects for major clients including Ernst & Young, Olswang, Citi Group, Crown Prosecution Services and Allied Irish Bank.

Nicole joined Spacelab in May 2012 as an Interior Designer, and has worked on a variety of schemes including Virgin Management, Ogilvy and JWT.

Emma Hunter

Emma worked as a Brand Manager for 5 years looking after top consumer brands before studying an MA in Interior Spatial Design at the Chelsea College of Art & Design.

She worked with Lewis & Hickey Architects in Edinburgh on a range of schemes including University of Edinburgh Library and the Natwest flagship store. Emma joined Spacelab in 2010 and has worked on a range of schemes including Virgin Money re-brand schemes and Virgin Management HQ.

Emma is a Sculptor in her spare time and has undertaken a range of commissions including a piece in the new Regents Quarter for developer British Land. She also teaches master classes in the subject to local schools.

Monika Choudhary

Monika qualified as an Architect in India, working for Fabian Ostner and Shama Dalvi on low cost and sustainable housing projects and Tsunami re-habitation schemes. She relocated to London to study Sustainable Environmental Design at the Architectural Association to develop her experience in this field.

Monika joined Spacelab in 2009 following a placement with Space Syntax. She has since worked on a range of new build architecture and interior schemes, for clients including Emap, Wieden + Kennedy and JWT. Monika has developed expertise in the practical application of spatial analysis and is a lynchpin of the Spacelab team.

Taryn Berkley

Taryn is a confident Interior Designer with heaps of experience. Initially training and working in her native Australia, Taryn moved to the UK to work for Woods Bagot on a variety of exciting schemes for high profile international clients including Hakkasan and HSBC.

Taryn brings expertise in the design of luxury and corporate environments to the Spacelab team and works with some of our leading clients. She has a bachelors degree in Business which compliments her strategic planning and client facing skills, also making her an excellent project manager.

Marcus Emblem

Marcus graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2012 and joined Spacelab as an Architectural Assistant where he provides valuable assistance on a variety of architectural and interiors projects.

Marcus previously worked for Ashdown Specialist Contractors Ltd., where he gained onsite knowledge of building methods and materials, providing him with an advanced understanding of architectural technology.

Fernanda Sakr

Fernanda studied Architecture & Urbanism in Sao Paulo, Brazil and worked as a designer on a range of masterplanning and residential schemes for different cities around Brazil.

She relocated to London to study the MSc in Advanced Architectural Studies at The Bartlett, UCL and went on to work for Space Syntax Ltd as a Project Consultant for a number of high profile schemes including The Pinnacle, Heygate Estate Masterplan and Broadgate Arena Masterplan. Fernanda joined Spacelab in November 2012 and has been the lead analyst on a workplace study for one of our major clients.

Fernanda has developed expertise in evidence-based space syntax approach to planning and design, incorporating research and spatial analysis. She is a guest lecturer at the MSc Advanced Architectural Studies at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London.

Kara Wood

Since joining Spacelab in 2006, Kara has played a key role in the ongoing success of the business through her commitment to clients and projects from concept through to completion.

As lead designer, Kara has worked on a wide range of projects from initial spaceplanning & concept, to material specification & coordination on site, particularly in the design of workplace environments. Her knowledge of materials, furniture and finishes, along with an ability to keep ahead of the latest interior trends provides Spacelab with a clear creative edge. Her attention to detail delivers design continuity and ensures the final scheme is as exciting for her clients as the initial concept. Kara was made Associate at Spacelab in 2011, and Associate Director in 2012.