Koha
Maori term for a gift, donation, or contribution
We are a practice of both UK and New Zealand Registered Architects based in Penryn, near Falmouth, Cornwall. We believe that design is a collaborative process, where each person makes a valuable contribution in bringing their unique talents and gifts to a project.
Koha Architects formed in 2012 following the successful bid for the Old Cathedral School project in Truro, Cornwall.
Founders Gary Wyatt and Derek Jackson share a long history of collaborating on projects through the years together in Sheffield, Barcelona, Manchester and London. We have over 60 years of combined experience in practice across a wide range of building types and various market sectors in Cornwall, the UK generally, and overseas including Spain and New Zealand.
Koha is made up of a small team of architects in Cornwall that enjoys working together on projects of varying size and complexity, which helps us to remain flexible in our approach. We like to collaborate with other consultants and technical specialists, and lead large teams throughout a project.
Listening to our clients, understanding their hopes and aspirations, and developing a good working relationship is very important to us, and we hope that clients enjoy their experience of working with Koha Architects.
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Gary Wyatt
Director, Registered Architect
Gary is a UK and New Zealand (Voluntary Suspension) Registered Architect with 33 years of experience working and studying within the Architectural profession, 20 of those years as a registered architect and the remainder as an Architectural Technician and Architectural Assistant.
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Derek Jackson
Director, Chartered Architect
Derek has consistently produced imaginative responses to many challenging briefs. He has led many prestigious developments including the creation of new live recording studios for MTV in Leicester Square.
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Bernard Vella
Director, Registered Architect
Bernard grew up in Malta where he obtained his degree in architecture. Subsequently, he worked for three years in Malta and two years in Sydney developing mostly high-end residential as part of his working practice. Upon his return to Malta, he was the director of an award-winning practice. He joined Koha Architects in October 2020.
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Caroline Jackson
Finance Manager
Caroline joined the team in March 2014. Her main role is to provide administrative support for the team which ranges from bookkeeping to client documentation. She has many years of experience in both office administration and IT.
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Neil Wyatt
Consultant Architect, NZ
Neil is a UK registered Senior Architect with 35 years experience in the industry, the past 20 years working within New Zealand. Neil has led a wide range of projects within the Public and private sectors. His projects are often large and complex and are across a wide range of building typologies.
Local Collaborations
Falmouth University
We have been fortunate to teach at the School of Architecture, Design, and Interiors at Falmouth University on multiple occasions, holding lectures, seminars, and workshops. We often mentor (and sometimes hire) the next generation of architects who graduate from Falmouth.
Work Experience
The Koha team are passionate about Cornwall and the South West, a hub of creativity and innovation - there’s plenty to support and nurture here. We welcome work experience students who are interested in sustainability and the built environment.
Unlocking Potential
We are proud to partner with Cornish business Unlocking Potential as part of their Future Focus project. In this video from 2018, we take you on a brief tour of our office, discuss the meaning behind Koha, our projects and give a sneak peek into some VR experiments.