Katie Tonkinson

Katie has worked for Hawkins\Brown since 2002. In 2014, Katie returned to her home city of Manchester to establish Hawkins\Brown Studio North. Studio North forms a part of the practice’s growth strategy, helping it to nurture local talent in a city that has always had a strong architectural community, as well as offering prospects outside of London for some of our existing staff.

Katie’s particular interest is in establishing a studio that puts people first, that designs and delivers, that works across all sectors and embraces projects across a range of scales. Katie is also keen to keep the studio local, in the ‘Manchester way,’ with openness, inclusivity and a focus on collaboration. It is exciting for Katie to see so many opportunities emerging in the city she grew up in, as well as wider initiatives underpinned by the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ agenda. She believes that Manchester has the right ingredients to support and foster design excellence: an innovative mayor, a catalyst for change, a history of building partnerships and the ability to survive, adapt and grow.

Katie has a diverse background of project based experience. Her portfolio features a number of high-profile, large-scale, mixed-use, urban regeneration projects and she is particularly experienced in the creative re-use of existing buildings and reimagining of complex sites.

Katie enjoys all aspects of the business - looking at new opportunities, developing client relationships, nurturing local talent and growing a happy studio. Katie is also fast becoming a prominent spokesperson for architecture in the North.