Kate Cooper

Founder and Lead Architect

Kate is passionate about helping homeowners achieve a better way of living by designing bespoke residential homes. She has a real passion for local vernacular and period architecture, having spent formative years completing sensitive, surgical conservation and restoration work. She also developed a real soft spot for transforming mid-century homes when she renovated her own post-war, ugly duckling into a contemporary eco home and studio.

Though her passion is for home architecture in the areas surrounding her childhood village, Kate has worked all over the world managing multimillion pound projects in the leisure, retail and healthcare sectors. Before returning to Newbury with her young family to set up Absolute Architecture, Kate worked for leading architectural firms in Edinburgh, Seville and London.

When she gets some spare time, Kate is embarking on the renovation of a holiday home on the Isle of Wight, unable to resist another personal project! She also enjoys walking the dog – Barney, paddle boarding, cycling up hills and taking on crazy running challenges.

Tom Cullen

Project Manager

After graduating in Civil Engineering from Belfast University Tom’s career has taken him across the UK; from Guernsey to Kew Gardens. He has amassed a lot of experience within the heritage sector after working for both the National Trust and English Heritage which perhaps explains his love of overcoming challenges and his expert problem-solving skills. Tom loves meeting and working with new people, building trusted relationships, and ensuring projects run and are completed to expectations.

In his spare time, he loves being with his large family, walking, camping and brewing (as well as drinking) his own beer.

Stephen Simkins

Senior Architect

Stephen’s architectural focus is on placemaking. He is driven by designs that not only offer solutions to the clients’ needs but designs that also create an exciting place for clients to enjoy living and working. After completing his post graduate Diploma at Oxford Brookes University Stephen began his career at an architectural practice in Singapore before moving back to the UK where he was a partner in a joint architecture and town planning practice in Abingdon, Oxfordshire for 20 years.

Now a valid member of the Absolute Architecture team, Stephen enjoys escaping to the mountains in his spare time. He is slowly trying to get to the highest point of every country in Europe, a task that he admits is getting more challenging the older he gets!

Kate Waite

Office manager

Having spent most of her career working in the property field, Kate is now turning her organisational skills to Absolute Architecture. She makes sure the office runs smoothly – keeping on top of everything from invoicing and credit control to making sure there is milk in the fridge.

Having grown up in Lymington, Kate still loves to get onto the water whenever possible but, as well as sailing, also enjoys clay pigeon shooting and the ongoing training of her working dogs.

Jo Mitchell

Project Manager

Jo is a stickler for detail. Ensuring all projects are managed with the utmost attention, Jo is focused on every project achieving the desired space and interior that the client has always envisioned, down to every detail. From her initial studies at the University of West London, Jo’s career path is a truly international one spanning from Europe to the Far East.

Back on UK soil she relaxes by managing her own home renovation project, taking in the British countryside on long dog walks and indulging in good food with family and friends.

Gareth Talbot

Senior Architect

Gareth is an experienced Architect working across a range of sectors, scales and complexities. He is passionate about the design and delivery of creative sustainable buildings that are long-lasting, capitalise on passive benefits and achieve low energy solutions.

Qualifying at Portsmouth University, his career has been focused around Hampshire and Berkshire. He is the resident sportsman at Absolute Architecture, enjoying squash, tennis, cycling and sailing in his spare time.

Ben Fisher

Senior Technical Architect

Ben is driven by transforming peoples’ homes to create contemporary spaces that are bespoke to their needs. After achieving his qualifications at Arts University Bournemouth and Nottingham University his work has taken him to London, Vienna, Berlin and Winchester before joining Absolute Architecture.

With a passion for design, it’s unsurprising that he enjoys his own DIY and house refurbishment projects in his spare time, alongside a good work out at the gym and cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

Sara Mardle

Architectural Technologist

Completing her BSc Hons in Architectural Technology at London South Bank University in 2010 Sara went on to achieve her Chartership three years later. She gets a real kick out of seeing a drawing come to life; taking a brilliantly designed project to completion is Sara’s raison d'être as a Technologist.

With the majority of her career focused in Berkshire, Sara enjoys making time to run and going to gigs to relax and unwind.

Berenice Breux

Part Two Architectural Assistant

Berenice’s architectural career began with an internship in Manchester having previously studied architecture in France and Poland. After falling in love with the English culture she moved to London and spent 3 years gaining experience on a wide range of typologies including residential and commercial. At Absolute Architecture she thoroughly enjoys being able to take projects from concept through to completion with the highest attention to detail.

In her spare time Berenice loves being outdoors and exploring new restaurants.

Robert Waugh

Surveyor

Before joining Absolute Architecture, Robert worked in Farnborough, Fleet and Basingstoke. He thoroughly enjoys getting to know his clients and helping to create a design they love and a home that brings happiness.

In his spare time Robert can often be found on the golf course, cheering on his football team or spending quality time with his family.