ABIR's Directors

Giles Ings RIBA

Giles is a founding director of the award winning ABIR architects. He commenced his architectural career and education in 1983, qualifying as an architectural technologist in 1988 and having completed his degree at Plymouth Polytechnic and his diploma at Brighton University qualified as a Chartered Architect in 1995. In 1996 he became a partner, then later a director, of DRP Architects.

Giles’ professional experience covers a wide variety of sectors and is rooted in community and public sector projects.

Recent projects have included the design and delivery of numerous award-winning projects including the playful Boscombe Beach Huts and the highly contextual beach house in Shoreham, both RIBA Award winning projects. In addition, the recent works on the newbuild Gateway Project Visitor Centre for the Weald & Downland Living Museum and the Volk’s Electric Railway Visitor Centre have both attracted widespread public recognition and commendation for their design quality and delivery through the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Giles’ passion for architectural design-led projects has guided ABIR architects to working on some high-profile projects with the studio being well known for delivery of beautifully designed and well detailed buildings that engage with the wider public and the communities they are based within.

Giles’ other experience includes multiple housing schemes, a variety of community projects, including work for Local Authorities, homeless organisations, affordable housing providers, charities and community organisations as well as many Listed Buildings and heritage projects.

He is former chair of the Mid Sussex Design Awards and Design Review Panel and also former Chair of the Sussex Branch of the RIBA. Currently he sits on the Mid Sussex Design Review Panel and is a lecturer at Brighton University tutoring RIBA Part 3 students in Architecture and Occupational Therapy students at the school of Integrated Health Sciences.

Giles has been a Sussex Heritage Trust Awards judge for over 15 years and past RIBA regional awards judge and is the recipient of many local and national architecture awards.

Following over two decades of pro bono support of local third sector community organisations and projects, Giles became a Trustee of Martlets Hospice in January 2017 and chairs their Safety, Health, Fire & Facilities Governance Committee and Martlets Building Enhancement Governance Committee.

Matthew Richardson RIBA

Matthew is a founding director of the award winning ABIR architects and commenced his architectural career and education in 1985. After training as an architectural technologist, he completed his degree & post-graduate diploma in architecture, subsequently qualifying as a Chartered Architect. Having set up as a sole practitioner he then became a partner & later director of DRP Architects.

Matthew’s professional experience covers a wide variety of sectors both in the UK and Mainland Europe, initially working in retail design and subsequently healthcare, residential and education.

With more recent work on public sector projects, Matthew led the multiple award winning newbuild Gateway Project Visitor Centre for the Weald & Downland Living Museum which has attracted widespread public recognition and commendation for its design quality and delivery through the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Other notable projects include the award winning new build housing, education & life skills facilities for a homeless and vulnerable client base, the extensive refurbishment of a grade 2 listed manor building and new build accommodation and education works within the grounds for students. Matthew was also the lead architect for a large mixed-use housing scheme in central London.

Often working with local authorities and housing associations as well as clients on one-off new-build family houses, Matthew’s passion for architectural design-led projects is borne out through ABIR’s Studio being synonymous for the design and delivery of high quality and well detailed buildings. His approach with all projects is to ensure the practice ethos and collaborative design-led focus are at the forefront of ABIR’s portfolio, delivering beautiful buildings that engage with the wider public and the communities they are based within.

He is former chair and current panel member of the Eastbourne District Council Design Review Panel as well as currently sitting on both the Lewes DC and Rother Design Review Panels. A former Chair of the Sussex Branch of the RIBA and RIBA Awards Regional Judge, Matthew champions high quality design and lectures at Brighton University tutoring RIBA Part 3 students in Architecture.