William Filmer-Sankey

William Filmer-Sankey

MA DPhil FSA MCIfA

Director and Trustee

William leads our highly respected Conservation and Urbanism groups. He is an architectural historian and archaeologist, with a particular interest in using an understanding of the past to create great places for the present and future.

William’s projects reflect the diversity of our conservation and urbanism work. Historic railway infrastructure is a particular area of interest, with major electrification and station upgrade projects from Bristol Temple Meads to Edinburgh Waverley for Network Rail and HS1, and support to Crossrail and HS2 on the impacts of tunnelling on the historic environment.

William read history at New College, Oxford and then completed his DPhil at the Institute of Archaeology/New College. From 1992-2000 he was the Director of the Victorian Society where he sought to introduce a more pro-active engagement with building owners and architects while maintaining the Society’s role as the advocate of nineteenth-century design. He joined Alan Baxter in 2000.

His work on major cultural and educational institutions includes the Barbican Arts Centre, the Royal Albert Hall, Yorkshire Museum and the Bristol Beacon, as well as Oxford colleges, UCL and Birmingham University. His team has prepared

Conservation Plans for the National Trust and four English cathedrals, and Conservation Area Appraisals for the historic cores of York and Oxford. He has also appeared as an Expert Witness at a number of important Public Inquiries.

William brings a robust, academic approach to researching and understanding how buildings and places have developed. This informs the development of proposals which build on historic strengths and put right weaknesses.