- Architect Jo Wright to lead the London studio beginning January 2023
- Her focus on sustainability will bolster the studio’s industry-leading efforts
- She will be the studio’s first female managing director
LONDON–Perkins&Will, the global architecture and design firm behind projects such as The Oxford Science Park, Oxford, UCL PEARL, London, and One Microsoft Court, Dublin, has appointed architect and designer Jo Wright as managing director of the firm’s London studio. Wright will join the firm in January 2023, leading the practice into a new era that will soon include a new headquarters at the Perkins&Will designed 150 Holborn. She will oversee the firm’s regional strategy across a wide range of sectors, including life sciences, healthcare, education, commercial interiors, and hospitality.
Bringing a breadth of experience to the leadership role
Wright has extensive knowledge of the UK market and over 30 years of experience leading the design and delivery of projects across a wide range of scales and sectors, including commercial offices, hospitality, culture, higher education, healthcare, and urban design. Wright’s experience in complex urban design and placemaking will complement the studio’s expertise in innovation campuses and life sciences, providing further value to clients in these growing sectors.
Driving the net-zero agenda
Wright, whose sustainability credits include some of the UK’s first BREEAM Outstanding certified buildings, will also help champion the London studio’s efforts to decarbonize the built environment, strengthening its already robust leadership in carbon reduction.
Advocating DE&I in the built environment
Wright is a long-time advocate of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), and will be the London studio’s first female managing director. She is a founder member of the Equilibrium Network, which brings together senior women in the construction industry to promote the benefits of greater gender diversity at executive level.
Robert Brown, principal and interim managing director, Perkins&Will London, commented: “Jo’s in-depth knowledge of the UK market and unparalleled experience across various sectors will be invaluable to her role in strengthening and steering the London studio’s presence in 2023 and beyond.”
Jo Wright, managing director, Perkins&Will London, said: “Perkins&Will is a global market leader, and the London studio has a reputation for delivering high-quality design with a serious focus on sustainability. I look forward to the challenge of so many fantastic projects and bringing my knowledge and skillset to the table.
2023 is set to pose many challenges, and unlike the last economic downturn, climate change is likely to remain at the top of the agenda. Like many industries, sustainability is a priority for architecture and design professionals. Ensuring new buildings and bringing all assets up to the highest sustainability standards will be key to reducing the built environment’s contribution to carbon emissions.”
