About the Editors

Dr Sharon Wright

Dr Sharon Wright is a leading education space planner who has worked on school capital projects since 2002, acting as an education adviser supporting client engagement and the design process to both clients and contractors. She has particular expertise in brief development, design review and evaluation, and has worked on all forms of procurement across primary, secondary and special schools. She has written and spoken about educational design in the UK, Australia and Korea, and has supported numerous design projects in England and in the Middle East. Sharon has a Doctorate in Education from King’s College London where her research focused on the history of community schooling and lessons for current policymakers. She authored the Department for Education and Skills publication ‘Designing Schools for Extended Services’ and is a founding co-editor of the online publication ‘Learning Spaces’. She has been managing director of the not-for-profit company School Works, and a senior associate and interim chief executive of the British Council for School Environments. She is an Affiliate Member of the RIBA and member of the RIBA Validation Panel as a co-professional.

Nick Mirchandani

Nick Mirchandani is a RIBA Chartered Architect and a Director of ArchitecturePLB, a practice that specialises in designing for education at all ages, from early years to universities. Since joining the practice in 1997, he has focused almost entirely on the school sector, working under a range of procurement systems including traditional construction contracts, design and build and various forms of public-private partnerships. Nick has been personally involved in over 30 school projects including primary, secondary and all-through facilities as well as a number of special educational needs schools and boarding accommodation. He has experience of working in both the state and independent sectors and of new-build and refurbishment. With over 18 years’ experience of designing and delivering schools, Nick is accredited as a RIBA Client Adviser. His school designs have been widely published and appear as examples of best practice in official guidance and advisory documents. He regularly speaks at education design conferences and is an occasional contributor in the architectural and construction press.