Following a career spanning 40 years, Beech Williamson's retirement marks a time of recognition of his direct impact on the UK's educational landscape. A landscape which has undoubtedly shaped the lives of many future architects.
Helen Taylor FRIBA, Director at Scott Brownrigg and former convenor of RIBA Schools Client Forum, illustrates Beech Williamson's impact on the profession of architecture and the built environment as a whole.
Anyone who has worked on a project funded by the Department for Education (DfE) will know the name Timothy John “Beech” Willamson - an architect and stalwart member of the School Design and Building Unit, or Design Team, at the DfE.
Beech Williamson originally joined the department in 1981 under its then head, Graham Parker, and together with his wife and colleague Alison Wadsworth, has played a pivotal role in setting the parameters for school design. Legend says that he voluntarily approached the “grumpiest man in the department” to work with him on curriculum analysis and schedules of accommodation, using the advanced “Excel for Macintosh” programme. He persisted and became the author of a whole range of continuously evolving Excel spreadsheets well known by education architects across the country.
His role was not just limited to spreadsheets. Beech was directly involved in several design and building projects for schools and colleges across the country, including as a design advisor for King James I Academy in County Durham.
Alongside these projects, he authored highly valuable design and area guidance documents - the famous DfE Building Bulletins. Sadly, the SSLD (Standard Specifications Layouts and Dimensions) were less long-lasting documents.
He was also involved in a series of government initiatives and funding models including City Technology Colleges, grant-maintained schools, the specialist schools programme, Building Schools for the Future (BSF), private finance initiative, the Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP), and baseline designs.
Until now, Beech Williamson has continued working on initiatives to drive best practice in school design standards, including supporting Modern Methods of Construction and reducing waste - demonstrating his enduring commitment to continual improvement. His work developing the GenZero schools design brief has paved the way for a new generation of sustainable, low carbon, biophilic schools.
Beech’s commitment to education design is renowned and, despite the broad range of his remit and contributions, he always willingly answered individual emails from the many architects looking for advice on navigating the DfE’s guidance. His work highlights the important contribution made by architects within public bodies in creating the parameters for good design.
The humanistic tradition in post-war British architecture is exemplified by the work of Beech and all his colleagues at the DfE's Architects and Buildings Branch - setting the standards for design quality in capital investment that other departments emulate.
Beech’s contribution to the Building Bulletins, output specifications, and crucially, the schedules of accommodation, created the rational basis which has underpinned the successful delivery of all its capital programmes of the last 30 years.
We all have encountered Beech in our various roles as practising architects, members of the RIBA Schools Client Forum, Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) advisors and design champions, schools and educationalists, as well as the other consultants and contractors involved. Every individual who has worked alongside Beech knows first-hand the importance of his work and the support he has given.
Beech’s contribution to the school environment and his commitment and loyalty to the department are owed proper recognition. While architects often rely on quantifiable metrics, Beech's impact on the profession transcends this. Over the past 40 years, Beech Williamson has left an endurable mark that inspires the field of architecture in countless, immeasurable ways.
Testimonials
"Having known Beech for over 20 years I have benefitted from his legendary wisdom on all things to do with area guidelines on many occasions – even if we did disagree agreeably from time to time! He is the embodiment of public service, balancing government priorities with a willingness to listen and be collaborative, and to continually push for innovation within the sector.
Much of his work has been behind the scenes, and he is never one to seek the limelight, but his expertise is part of pretty much every DfE-funded project we undertake and should be recognised and celebrated. I simply can’t imagine DfE without him and he will be a very hard act to follow."
- Dr Sharon Wright, the-learning-crowd
"It’s been an honour and a pleasure to work with Beech. His knowledge, understanding and intelligence have transformed school design and it is all delivered with his brilliantly dry sense of humour."
- Neil Young, architect at Lyall Bills and Young
"Beech has played a pivotal role in setting the parameters for school design. Along with many others in our profession, we hope that his contribution to the school environment and his commitment and loyalty to the department are given proper recognition."
- Steve Ballantyne, architect and DfE Design Advisor
"Beech’s work highlights the important contribution made by architects within public bodies in creating the parameters for good design."
- John Waldron, architect at Spaces for Learning
"This year marks the 75th anniversary of the first Building Bulletins and Beech’s career spans 40 of that remarkable 75 years from the era of David and Mary Medd, through the Kenneth Baker revolution to BSF and Free Schools. Throughout his time Beech has demonstrated outstanding leadership in setting educational space standards and promoting good design.
Together with his wife and partner Alison Wadsworth, Beech has contributed to the size and shape of schools for generations of young people. Above all Beech has been a highly valued member of the Design Team - dedicated, curious, witty and a true friend. He will be greatly missed."
- Crawford Wright RIBA, Head of Architecture and Design: Schools and Colleges
