William Filmer-Sankey

William Filmer-Sankey

MA DPhil FSA MCIfA

Director and Trustee

William 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. He read history as an Undergraduate 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 19th century design.

He is now a Strategic Director and Trustee at Alan Baxter, leading our respected conservation and urban design groups. This requires a robust approach to researching and understanding how buildings have developed, as a basis for development of proposals which build on their historic strengths and put right their historic weaknesses. On occasions, this can involve significant levels of intervention as, for example, at the Stirling Prize-winning Newport Street Gallery in London, where a row of part-listed former theatre scenery painting workshops were converted to contemporary gallery use.

William and his team work on a wide variety of projects, from Conservation Plans and Heritage Statements to Masterplans, from Medieval Cathedrals to 20th century universities and 21st century garden towns, and from major public bodies, landowners and charities to private developers and owners. He heads the practice’s widely respected work on historic infrastructure, particularly railways, with major projects for Network Rail, Crossrail and HS2.