JOINT HEAD OF ARCHITECTURE
STUDIO LEADERSHIP: BRISTOL

Having joined the Bristol studio shortly after its founding in 2016, Tom has played a pivotal role in establishing the practice’s reputation in the South West, championing design quality, fostering regional relationships, and promoting a positive studio culture. Determined and focused in his approach, he strives to deliver work of the highest quality, guided by strong design aspirations, clear communication, and a committed work ethic.

Tom continues to be active across the Education, Arts and Culture, Industrial and Residential sectors. An excellent communicator, he thrives in collaborative environments, whether working with internal teams, large multidisciplinary project groups, or engaging directly with clients, stakeholders, and communities. Tom is passionate about the narrative and impact of architecture within communities, recognising how profoundly the built environment can influence people’s lives from everyday experiences to long-term impacts. He places strong emphasis on clear communication as the foundation of successful projects and is also highly experienced in leading BIM Level 2 projects, using 3D modelling as a tool for coordination and public engagement.

With his role as an Associate Director of the practice and Bristol Studio Leader Tom is part of the practice wide Senior Leadership Team and Operational Management Group.

JOINT HEAD OF ARCHITECTURE
STUDIO LEADERSHIP : LIVERPOOL

Rhiannon joined Austin-Smith:Lord in 2014 with experience in Project Management as a graduate, after studying at the University of Liverpool.

Rhiannon’s experience involves in many large-scale projects, spanning multiple sectors. This is primarily centred around Arts and Culture and Higher Education, where a community focus features at the heart of her work. Expanding on this, Rhiannon also has experience working in Transport and Leisure, broadening her knowledge. Rhiannon has enjoyed working on both new build and refurbishment projects, including those in listed buildings, and has had the benefit of working with a combined approach where required.

She prides herself on having a keen eye for detail and cross discipline coordination, developed through working closely with diverse project teams throughout the design stages. Rhiannon values the working relationships developed throughout the course of projects, and aims to instil a positive and creative design process.

Since becoming an Associate Director in 2025, Rhiannon is part of the practice wide Management Team and has held a Studio leadership role in Liverpool for a number of years.
Rhiannon maintains strong links with both the University of Liverpool and John Moores University, valuing the opportunity to join regular student review panels at both schools.