NICHOLAS JOHNSTON - ARCHITECT

Sadly one of our founders Nicholas Johnston, passed away in March 2022.

Nicky's projects have ranged far and wide, but perhaps the greatest were Wormsley in Buckinghamshire for J Paul Getty and Glympton in Oxfordshire.

Country Life magazine described Nicky as 'The Gentleman Architect' and the 'unsung genius among British contemporary architects'.

His client list included the Kents, our King's father in-law, the Sutherlands, Strathmores, Shaftsbury, Crawford, Glenconner and Cavendish.

Other eminent clients included Heinz, Getty, Sackler and Said as well as the likes of Mick Jagger, Lucian Freud and George Melly along with financiers such as the Barings, Flemings, Hambros and Sainsburys.

In 1985 Nicky combined practices with Peter Cave and Anne Bessey - and established the foundations of Johnston Cave Associates, a practice that thrives to this day, continues many of his projects and still relies on his inspiration.

Nicky had an ability to walk into any room and be drawn to one architectural feature that is not quite architecturally correct and say to the client 'wouldn't it be nice if we could just move that?'.

He had an assured handling of space and his intuitive understanding of British vernacular architecture is captured in his delightful architectural sketches that express the building's quality, character and potential for sympathetic restoration and exciting additions.

Nicky always had an instinctive understanding for both the clients’ needs and the building’s potential and would resolve these with bold, imaginative and deft ideas.

He delighted us in the office with his wisdom, imagination, patience, inspiration, curiosity, interest and his mischievous sense of humour.

We shall miss him and will endeavour to honour his memory in continuing his influence in the work we do.