Laurie McKenzie
Laurie is a chartered Architect (ARB, RIBA) who completed a Sustainable Building Conservation Master’s with distinction in 2023. Her Part I and II studies, along with her IHBC-accredited second Master’s were completed at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University, whilst she completed her Part III at Cambridge University, qualifying in 2016.
Her experience ranges across multiple sectors, but with particular focus on high-end bespoke residential, education and ecclesiastical projects. The common themes being works to listed buildings, sensitive additions to conservation areas, or new-build eco-homes rooted in traditional breathable construction principles. She has worked for large Nationally-renowned conservation practices and smaller specialised ones. After spending a decade working in and around Cambridge, she relocated to Hampshire in May 2024. Since she has been captivated by its beautiful landscape, vernacular buildings and the South Downs.
She has particular expertise and experience in the challenges of getting consent for Photovoltaics (PV) on high significance buildings and integrating Net Zero and Decarbonisation Strategies into existing planning tools and legislation. Laurie was involved with the reroofing and PV project at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, and was project architect for the York Minster and Ripon cathedral PV and decarbonisation mastersplans. Another notable project was helping to get the last-working Grade II* listed Bellfoundry in the UK off the Heritage at Risk Register, whilst enhancing its visitor offering. Most recently, she was responsible for running the refurbishment of a Grade II listed 17th Century coach house and stables into guest facilities, on-site, on an extremely accelerated programme. This project not only tested her collaborative working methods and contractual acuity, but also her leadership and management skills.
These skills, alongside Laurie’s holistic project-running experience, are what she hopes to bring to the Manorwood family, paired with her passion to deliver the harmonious integration of sustainable design into the conservation or traditional construction of our heritage assets.