NATIONAL property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard has strengthened its top team with the announcement of two senior promotions across its design and architecture departments. Steve Cummings, who joined the firm in 2008 as a project architect, will take over as national director for architecture, following on the success of long-standing national director Paul Rothera in the post.  David Shaw has been promoted to national design director – a strategic appointment with a focus on further enhancing design quality across all of Pick Everard’s disciplines. The promotions form part of the firm’s ambitious plans for continued growth and will see the approach across the discipline developed and strengthened, with clients benefiting from enhanced innovative, sustainable, and design-focused solutions.  The practice is also pleased to confirm that former national director for architecture, Paul Rothera, will continue with the firm. Paul has been a driving force behind the firm achieving its 2020 strategic plan and will be integral to the development and realisation of the firm’s strategic plan for 2025. Paul will also continue to work closely with David and Steve in support of the continued success of the architectural discipline. David and Steve have a long-standing friendship, having first met while completing their Architecture Part II studies at the University of Nottingham, both graduating in 2003. They gained their Professional Accreditation in 2005 while working together at a well-respected design-orientated Nottingham practice, where they worked together until 2008 when Steve joined Pick Everard in their London office. Since then Steve has developed his career working for some of Pick Everard’s most important clients, predominately focusing on the education and commercial sectors. He said: “I have been part of the Pick Everard team for nearly 12 years now. During this time, I have thoroughly enjoyed working across three offices and the practice has given me the support, flexibility, and opportunity to realise my career goals. I have thoroughly enjoyed playing a part in delivering inspiring and practical design for our clients during that time. I am excited about the challenge and opportunity, for continued success for the practice, which my new role will bring. “We have already made some great progress in growing and developing this area of the business under Paul’s leadership. I am excited about shaping how we move architecture at Pick Everard forwards, build on our already very strong team and continue to enhance our capability to ensure we are the architect of choice for our clients across all sectors and regions. Alongside our architects, we have an excellent interior design team, and a growing BIM management offer, giving us lots of exciting new opportunities to work with clients to deliver great design solutions. “After so many years of knowing and working with David, I’m really looking forward to collaborating with him and the wider team to promote design excellence in everything we do and ensure we deliver better together.” David spent several years gaining experience across multiple sectors including higher education, health and master planning, before joining Pick Everard in 2016 as an associate.  Now taking on a new role within the firm – national design director – David said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to develop the design offering throughout the business and co-ordinate our approach across our design teams. A fully integrated design approach working with a holistic, innovative, collaborative, and sustainable design focus from the outset of the project will provide exemplar solutions for our clients while driving our environmental agenda. I am passionate about this and am determined to challenge and raise our quality bar even higher. “Pick Everard is an ambitious firm. I am very proud of the progress we have already made in transforming the business since I arrived nearly four years ago and am excited about what the future has to bring. It will be fantastic to continue working alongside Steve and the whole team to improve our services and bring our big plans for the future to fruition.  “There will undoubtedly be a lot to learn from the current COVID-19 situation to ensure that our teams can embrace a more flexible work-life balance, finding the way in which they deliver the best possible design service across the board – we must use this as an opportunity to springboard and be more agile and deliver better for our clients. Equally, we are in a position to help our clients move to a new normal for their day to day operations.” Since joining the practice, David and Steve have worked on high-profile projects and have helped to build an exceptional architecture and design team through strategic recruitment and collaboration with universities to support and recruit the best graduates. They have forged a strong working relationship during their four years together at Pick Everard and the Partnership believe this will benefit the practice moving forward.  David Nisbet, partner at Pick Everard, said the promotions recognised the hard work and dedication of the duo. He said: “Both Steve and David have worked tirelessly to grow and develop the design and architecture offering at the firm and they have both made important contributions to the firm already, so we are very pleased to welcome them to the management team.  “Investing in and developing our people is a hugely important part of our strategy for growth and these two senior promotions are indicative of that commitment to our people. I would like to congratulate them both and am looking forward to working with them as we develop the business further over the coming months and years. “We are delighted to have retained Paul Rothera within the firm in his new strategic role. In the past five years, Paul has led the architectural discipline in delivering a 40% increase in income and has significantly lifted the status of our architectural team, who are now ranked 56 in the AJ Top 100.  “Paul has been a driving force in achieving a greater talent density within the business, through strategic appointments, growth opportunities, and the development of a unique graduate