As James puts it, neither of them are purists; they are not led purely by design; they are not driven solely by architectural, financial or practical building requirements; instead they focus on the vital balance between these disciplines, to create spaces that ‘work’, that people can use naturally and intuitively.  Both share a passion for finding the ‘heart’ of a house.

James is officially Head of Technical Design but as he points out it would be more appropriate to describe his role as Technical Choreographer.

James is officially Head of Technical Design but as he points out it would be more appropriate to describe his role as Technical Choreographer. He fine-tunes the details of every design and plans for the seamless integration of all the technical components. Success for James is when technology enhances a home without being seen.

He’s constantly seeking out intelligent design solutions, looking to create spaces that improve on the original.  His passion is to create homes that are great to live in, function perfectly, and still feel like home.

As a Designer, Production Manager & Technical Consultant, James has worked across a range of different disciplines. In West End theatres, working as lead technical designer, he oversaw the fluency of interaction between the technical and artistic teams, to ensure the best possible experience for audiences, and the best possible working solutions for the performers and technical crew.

As a Lighting Integration Consultant in the aviation industry, James’ work on the development of the Airbus A380 for Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and Cathay Pacific developed solutions to how technical and engineering elements interfaced with the visual design of the 1st Class & Business Class cabins. 

Now James applies the same expertise to each OakenStone project.  He keeps one eye firmly on comfort and the aesthetic, whilst achieving technical mastery behind the scenes. 

James still loves the theatre and tries to take in a show whenever he has the time (which is not often given how busy he is!).  He’s also a keen runner and cyclist and has lived in Derbyshire with his family for over twenty years.