David Johnson joined Trevor Dannatt in practice in 1983 and together they formed Dannatt, Johnson Architects in 1994.

David trained at the University of Manchester where he gained an early appreciation of the philosophy and theory of reusing existing buildings and sites for new uses. This interest has evolved through practice and now accounts for a significant proportion of the studio’s work. He is registered as an Architect Accredited in Building Conservation, has lectured in the UK and abroad, and has been an external examiner at the University of Portsmouth.

He has worked on major rehabilitation and conservation projects in the practice as well as on the design of new buildings for the arts and education, and has worked with the Council of Europe exploring the assessment and potential rehabilitation of historic buildings and urban centres in the Balkans and Black Sea Countries.

Since joining the practice in 1995, Carl’s main area of work has been in the realisation and direction of a diverse range of large refurbishment and new build projects. These have included the refurbishment of the former Royal Naval complex of buildings which form the centerpiece of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage site for the University of Greenwich, and major buildings for the Royal Academy of Arts in Burlington Gardens.

Carl’s technical skills include extensive experience of the integration of building services within historic building fabric, fire design in historic buildings, and a broad knowledge of building construction technology from modern ecologically-driven methods of construction to use of historic building materials. Specialist areas of practice include the resolution of modern servicing and functional need within historic buildings, working with clients with multiple user groups and stakeholders, and the delivery of complex and phased refurbishment works within occupied buildings.

Jonathan joined the practice in 1990, and became a partner in 2004.

His wide range of experience in educational work from pre-schools to 5 different Universities has promoted an extensive knowledge of different forms of project and building procurement combined with a constructive approach to project management.

Jonathan also has significant experience in building conservation and refurbishment of all grades of listed building including working with English Heritage at Dover Castle and running a number of projects on the world heritage sites at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich and at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, and is a member of SPAB. He is registered as an Architect Accredited in Building Conservation.

Other interests include all aspects of sustainable design and construction with practical experience, working on projects with the London Borough of Ealing on a low carbon Children and Adult Service Centre and at Kingston University on the Centre for Sustainable Communities Achieved through Integrated Professional Education.

Sophie Potter joined the practice in 2005 and became a partner in 2013.

Sophie completed her training at the University of Queensland and gained initial experience in Brisbane, Japan and Singapore before moving to the UK. Her interest in the decorative arts and the reuse and conservation of buildings and interiors has promoted the development of a strong interior design focus within the practice and a widening of the practice approach to architecture.

Specific practice experience in the arts sector with work at the Natural History Museum, the Barbican Centre and the British Museum has helped strengthen a design led approach and her strong interpersonal skills have helped bring individuals together to work as a team, offering a high level of support for clients.

Elizabeth joined Dannatt, Johnson Architects in November 2004 as Office Manager. Her skills include use of a wide range of software packages including Quickbooks, Indesign, and Microsoft office. She also speaks French, and has studied German and Italian.

Elizabeth’s role is to assist the partners with the running of the practice, including managing and monitoring the finances, human resources, and IT systems, and ensuring the smooth everyday running of the office.

Since working for Dannatt, Johnson Architects, she has been responsible for all matters relating to running the business, from paying staff, invoices and people on time, tracking finances, drawing up staff contracts, assisting with production and proof reading of documents for clients and prospective clients as well as being the first point of contact to the practice.

Freja joined Dannatt Johnson Architects in 2019 after completing her Part II studies at Oxford Brookes University, specialising in International Architectural Regeneration and Development. She enjoys a research-led approach to design, exploring the Shared Economy for her final year masters project. Her scheme proposed spaces for combining education with the cultivation and sharing of future foods, with a view to reduce waste and inefficiencies that exist within the current food system, whilst improving health and community.

Freja has a particular interest and knowledge of traditional built forms, construction techniques and material treatments. Her diverse experience includes working on hospitality projects in Nicaragua, Central America and as a Research Assistant to the Editor in Chief of the Encyclopaedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World Ed. II. She is currently working on various visitor experience projects at Syon House and Woburn Abbey.

Robert joined Dannatt Johnson Architects in 2022 after completing his Part II studies at the University of Strathclyde.

He enjoys a collaborative based approach to design with a particular focus on adaptive re-use. His final year masters project sought to explore a new intergenerational typology within a disused auction house based in Bedford. Dedicated to the town’s role within the lace industry, the project proposes a series of learning and communal spaces that build upon traditional and contemporary community settings.

Before DJA, he has worked on residential projects and gained experience on large-scale training centres and sport stadia where he was involved from masterplanning to detailed design.

As an avid traveller, he has also participated in volunteer work, including constructing a kindergarten in Nepal as part of the relief effort following the earthquake in 2015.

Rob is currently working on commercial projects at Syon house and projects including a care home and library for London Borough of Lambeth.

Marta joined the practice in June 2023. She is a qualified architect who studied at the University of Naples “Federico II” and the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL.

With her international architectural collective Profferlo, she participated in the design of various exhibitions, and temporary and permanent pavilions in southern Italy. In 2020 she won the competition “City Benches” for the London Festival of Architecture and delivered a public bench that was exhibited in the City of London and then donated to a primary school in Bethnal Green.

She is also interested in creating connections between architects and co-founded the project “Little Domestic Architectures”, also exhibited in East London in 2021 and later published as a book. She was invited to lecture on LDA at the Universities of Naples and Bolzano.

Her portfolio includes small residential renovations both in Italy and London with attention to material and the use of light. She also has enthusiasm for interventions on heritage fabric, particularly developed with her master thesis on lighting analysis for one of the suburban villas of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Pompeii.

With DJA she is currently working on various commercial projects at Syon Park, including the refurbishment of office and retail spaces and interventions to improve the access and comfort of a Grade I listed building.

Juliana joined Dannatt, Johnson Architects in September 2024. She qualified as an architect in Uruguay in 2023 from the Facultad de Arquitectura Diseño y Urbanismo Udelar in Montevideo Uruguay, having also studied at L’École Nationale Dupérieure d’Architecture de Paris-La Villette (ENSAPLV). Her final project was a Japanese-influenced house and office in a neglected 46m2 brownfield site in Montevideo’s old town; bringing out material simplicity and prioritising space and light within the constrained area.

Interior design enthusiast, she previously worked as a graphic designer, a high-end residential Project Manager in Montevideo, as well as a commercial Project Manager Punta del Este, Uruguay.

Juliana is currently working on a number of jobs within the City of London and British Museum.