We have an outstanding Rights of Lights department, who have worked on hundreds of cases over the years. But we know talent when we see it and are delighted to have been joined by Peter Spence, an expert in the field who we know will help take us to new heights.
Originally Peter started in architecture, where he worked as an architectural technologist. During that career he got involved in a lot of 3D modelling which he really enjoyed. As he was looking for jobs in London doing 3D modelling, he attended an interview where they talked to him about Rights of Light.
Peter laughingly admits:
At the time, I had no idea what they were talking about!
After starting in the role as the 3D modeller for the company, Peter quickly took on the role of a fully qualified Rights of Lights surveyor, stepping quite naturally from the modelling and analysis to a more client facing position, where he would meet with clients and offer advice based on his quickly accumulated knowledge.
Although I have become more involved in the client-facing work, I have never really left the CAD modelling aspect of the work behind.” Peter admits. “But rather I try to keep my hand in to all the aspects of the work.
Having worked in Rights of Light for the almost two decades, Peter has progressed from one role into another, moving from surveyor, to senior surveyor, to being an Associate in the firm he worked at prior to joining AWH.
In that role, he was asked whether he would like to oversee the Rights of Light department following the resignation of one of the partners.
At that point I was sort of dealing with all the Rights of Light jobs on my own, so it wasn’t too daunting when the partner left, as I felt like I was doing the job anyway.
One of the things that attracted Peter to the role at AWH is the extensive support that exists between the different departments and Directors. Knowing that he is able to call on people with experience in reaching new clients for help, is something that Peter says was missing in some of his previous roles. He is looking forward to working more closely with our Sales Director, Jamie Chamberlain, and other members of the AWH team to build the business.
When asked what it is about working in Rights of Light he enjoys most, Peter responded:
I like the fact that there are a variety of the tasks involved. It’s one of the reasons I like to keep my hand in the modelling, because the role includes such a large range of things to do. For example, one day I might be creating a model, the next I might be writing a report and the next I might be meeting with a client and discussing their design and offering them some advice.
Another thing Peter finds fascinating about the role is getting to see designs for new buildings and how these change throughout the design process.
Some of the buildings I have worked on, you might end up going through five or six different design processes, where they do an initial design and over time you see it change, and not always because of Rights of Light or Sunlight/Daylight considerations.
Peter has worked on many projects over the years where he has been brought in early in the design phase to offer advice, pointing out where possible issues might occur, and providing solutions to avoid potential issues later in the development process.
Because I have been doing it for so long, it is interesting to walk around London and pass buildings where I was involved in the design process, say 10 years ago. It is always nice to think “I worked on that”.
Peter has spent most of his career working in London. Having worked on many projects in the capital, he now feels like he knows the City like the back his hand. However, he does also travel further afield at times, and enjoys seeing other cities and how the different local planning offices and councils work. He was especially pleased to have recently been able to work on a project in his home-town of Glasgow.
Peter is excited to be part of a larger team and have the opportunity to help develop and grow it even further. He is looking forward to working the rest of the team at AWH to expand an already strong presence in the Rights of Light and Daylight/Sunlight arena.
If you would like to speak to Peter or another member of the Rights of Light team, please call us on 0800 071 5517 or email admin@awh.co.uk. We look forward to being able to help you identify solutions to possible Rights of Light or Daylight/Sunlight infringements.