Barbara Weiss, Director

Since founding Barbara Weiss Architects in1987, Barbara Weiss has enjoyed a notable career spanning practice and advocacy, leading her practice with a consistent commitment to design excellence and a thoughtful approach to the built environment. Her portfolio of work reflects a wide-ranging engagement with a variety of architectural sectors, as represented by significant community/cultural buildings, healthcare facilities and highly bespoke residential designs, alongside a sustained contribution to debate and activism within the profession.

In addition to practice Barbara has held teaching positions, co-authored popular books bridging the gap between clients and the architectural profession (Do It with an Architect, written with Louis Hellman) and contributed many articles to the architectural press. She is a respected voice in architectural discourse and has played a leading role in initiatives such as Women in Architecture (WIA) and the Skyline Campaign, reflecting her dedication to shaping the cultural and civic role of architecture.

Barbara’s judgement and expertise is also widely recognised through her work as a juror and assessor. She has served on the Civic Trust and CABE Design Review panel (for the Building Schools of the Future initiative), as well as holding juror roles for the RIBA awards, LB Kensington and Chelsea Quality Review Panel, Architect of the Year Awards and Design South-East, amongst others. Alongside these roles, Barbara has been committed to supporting the next generation of future architects, mentoring through the Social Mobility Foundation but also tutoring sixth-form students through The Access Project.

Earlier in her career, Barbara worked for globally acclaimed architects Philip Johnson–John Burgee and Richard Meier in New York, and with Stirling Wilford and Associates in London, where she contributed as Project Architect to several significant international projects. Born and raised in Milan and trained in Geneva and London, she brings a truly international perspective to her work.

David Cawston is an architect and co-director at Barbara Weiss Architects. He joined the practice in early 2023 and he is currently leading a range of residential, healthcare and community projects, alongside co-ordinating Barbara Weiss Architects business development, corporate strategy, and marketing.

David began his career in practice in 2004 at Cullinan Studio where he worked for 7 years as a director in the cooperative. In 2011 he joined Piercy & Company where he was Associate and then Associate Director. Over his 11 years there, he oversaw projects in the Commercial and Adaptive Re-use sectors as well as co-leading one of the practice’s three studios.

David studied at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne University where he was nominated for the RIBA President’s Medal, and subsequently became a member of the RIBA. He enjoys the academic and theoretical side of architecture and has been a visiting tutor at Kingston University.