Lucy Brittain

Partner, Project Director

Lucy is a Project Director and member of Cullinan Studio’s leadership team, with experience across low-carbon housing, community healthcare, cultural, and higher education projects. Her approach is grounded in close collaboration with clients, communities and building users, bringing empathy, clarity and practical insight to complex briefs.

Lucy is currently leading complex housing retrofit projects for the London Borough of Islington, acting as Project Director and Building Regulations Principal Designer.

A particular focus of Lucy’s work is evidence-based design with a strong interest in environmental psychology. Her postgraduate research explored how innate landscape preferences can inform therapeutic environments - principles she applied to the award-winning Catkin Centre and Sunflower House at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. The timber-lined facility balances the security requirements of Tier 4 mental healthcare with a calm, non-institutional setting organised around gardens and continuous views of nature.

Lucy also worked closely with Ted Cullinan to deliver Maggie’s Newcastle and later led its second phase: a low-carbon mass-timber annex set within the centre’s garden landscape. Clients have praised her extensive knowledge of materials and construction, strong design judgement and ability to develop creative solutions.

She regularly contributes to industry events on healthy, therapeutic and sustainable design, while supporting the next generation of architects through team leadership and mentoring.