About

Mark Titman, a senior lecturer in architecture at Greenwich University for twenty years has run his award winning art and architecture design studio Titman Design since 1998, with Sarah Titman. Titman Design is a small design based practice working in Blackheath, Greenwich that specialises in providing affordable, modern designs that are in keeping with traditional values and materials; a design approach we call contemporary-traditional. We also work on projects across the rest of S.E. London, Wareham and The Isles of Purbeck.

Our expertise is in the designing of houses and extensions. We make minimalist interventions on heritage buildings that successfully gain planning permissions in conservation areas for listed buildings. We also design contemporary houses and installations and draw and paint using varied techniques of digital or other media, including: various rendering softwares, photocollage, watercolour, oil, acrylic, pastel and ink. With our design based ethos we bring delightful spaces to life and bring character to any project of any scale. Our design skills have also gained us recognition, winning international design competitions and awards, including: RIBA Bronze medalist finalist, Winner of Calla Homes' Masterplan Competition for Winchester, Rotating Windshelter RIBA Competition and Drinking Fountain RIBA Competition for Tiffany and Co, in The Royal Parks.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Mark's business partner and wife, Sarah Titman, and he work as a team and Sarah manages the studio. Sarah has been manager to David Chipperfield, Su Rogers, John Miller, Anish Kapoor and Kathryn Findlay. Mark, qualified in 1992 with  B.A.Hons (First w. Distinction) DipArch RIBA II,  and has worked in offices as an assistant to Trevor Horne, Richard Horden and John Miller. In order to keep overheads down, we employ a team of several specialists who work for us on a job package basis; from around SE London. As a small design practice we have reduced overheads and offer excellent value design services for various design projects. We pride ourselves on excellent design, attention to detail and getting the best possible designs implemented well; through the integration of clients’ specific requirements, working with craftspeople and specialists and exhaustively exploring options.

Our aim is to create beautiful spaces, images, products and objects of delight. As Mark also paints in various media, designs furniture and products and sculpts - all these disciplines combine to inform the general design ethos of the practice. Mark was a research fellow at the Royal College of Art where he studied the evolution and development trends of the English household, new products and services (including the BUS system and Lifetime Homes) and the housing needs of the older user. Mark was also a design consultant for a chemical engineer, Nelson Space; helping to prepare a paper that was presented to The European Space Agency at The Hague. This combined design and management experience, along with the various design projects and writings we undertake, allows us to integrate elements of function and delightful detail to make our designs integrated with more than just buildings - to help make the home and a house that much more sociable, connected, well furnished and valued.

CLIENTS

We have built lasting relationships with developers for whom we have found sites, initiated joint ventures, prepared feasibility studies, gained planning permissions and implemented and monitored construction. We have worked with English Heritage, Landmark Trust and other conservation groups, including The Royal Parks Foundation. Mark also works closely with the family members of each household to create intimate spaces at smaller scales, in which a small element of delight is usually found and incorporated into the build. Mark was most privileged to have been trained by Pascal Schooning (AA unit master), Francisco Sanin (AA unit master and master-planner for The Uffizzi Gallery) and Elia Zhenghelis (AA unit master and founder of OMA) and so can turn the design process through various strategies of the design exploration process and conclusion; including abstract formalism, traditional vernacular and classical and modern contemporary. This offers a diverse range of design opportunities for many tastes and aesthetic sensibilities- enough to satisfy almost any client.

In terms of housing, we have extensive experience of working with planners and conservation officers in and around Lewisham and Greenwich. We have successfully negotiated permissions and/or seen through to completion projects at: Hampton Court, Green Park, Blackheath Station, Charlton Park, St Johns Park, King George Street, Royal Hill, Maze Hill, Greenwich South Street, Langton Way and many others. These relationships we have with the planners has led us to an almost 100% success rate that gives clients confidence when approaching us.

You can find testimonials from many of the Titman Design clientele here, alternatively you can head over to the 'Work' listings to see an expansive catalogue of Design & Development projects that Mark has undertaken.

PHILOSOPHY

Our interests in green issues, art and design have led to exhibitions at The London Arts Fair, The Building Centre, Stephen Lawrence Gallery, Core Gallery, Bearspace and The Business Design Centre and have been explored in talks and papers given at the Royal Academy, Royal College of Art, Greenwich University and the Architectural Association.  Publications have included “A Green Apocalypse”, “Zip Zap Zoom: A Z-A of Cyberspace”, “Stretch City”, “Watching the Watchers”, "The New Pastoralists" and “The Evolution of The English Household; and the Older Person”. Each year Mark at Greenwich University organised the GREENwich Forum at the Royal Naval College which looked at ways nature can be delightfully incorporated into design of various sorts, as a response to today’s burgeoning global situation - and its demand for simply energy saving design. Invited key note speakers included Kathryn Findlay, OMA, Neil Spiller, Christian Kerrigan, MVRDV, Dr Rachel Armstrong, Jeremy Till, Liam Young, ABK and others.

Mark says: “We mustn’t forget that the key to good architecture and space today is firmness and commodity and, yet even more importantly than ever, an element of timeless Delight tempered with common sense and a reverence for Nature, Humanity and Soul.”

Mark Titman

Architecture and Design

Senior Lecturer in Architecture; The Bartlett and Greenwich University

Winner of Calla Homes Winchester Housing Design Award

Winner of RIBA’s Revolving Windshelter Design Award, with Arup Engineers

Winner of Tiffany’s 'Over The Water' Fountain Award for The Royal Parks

RIBA Bronze Medal Nominee

Research Fellow Royal College of Art

Assistant Consultant to E.S.A.

Judge for d3 Design Competitions

Founder and director of The GREENwich Forum