Robin Stewart
Director, Education and Public Buildings, UK
ARB, RIBA
Robin embraces collaborative design, taking clients on a journey that gives them genuine ownership of their building.
Based in Newcastle since 2006, he leads our UK Education and Public Buildings work.
Robin takes time to understand the brief and how clients use their existing spaces. By bringing stakeholders together and listening to their ideas, he makes the design process collaborative and enjoyable, building valued relationships that lead to repeat work.
He understands that universities and colleges operate like small cities with diverse people, activities, and building types. He has designed engineering hubs, laboratories, computing facilities, and student accommodation, with a focus on creating flexible, innovative spaces for learning, collaboration, and hands-on training.
His work embeds accessibility and inclusion, drawing on our special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) experience. His versatility extends to public buildings, from contemporary art museums and theaters to innovation hubs.
Decarbonization is central to his work. He prioritizes adaptive reuse, taking a fabric-first approach and connecting campus buildings to low-carbon heat networks. Embodied and operational carbon data-inform design decisions, help clients understand their options.
Robin values the chance to give back by mentoring the next generation of architects, encouraging fresh perspectives and exchanging ideas that advance design.