Hi there, I’m Rob.

I’m Rob, a Chartered Architect based in New Mills, High Peak, with over 30 years experience, delivering high quality buildings that people love using.

Whether you’re improving your home or your workplace, I start with the same question: what do you need this space to do for you? From there, I shape a design that fits your day-to-day life (or how your team works), not just what looks good on paper.

With three decades of experience across dozens of sectors, I can help simplify and manage the entire process for you, exceeding your expectations of the value I can add to your project while ensuring you are fully engaged, informed and in charge of the outcomes.

Let's talk about your project
(a helpful chat, not a sales pitch)

My way of working

The success of any building project comes down to one thing: understanding what you actually need from your space, and why. So I start by listening, asking the right questions, and gently testing assumptions. That’s how we get past “presumed requirements” and arrive at a brief that truly fits your life (or how your business works).

I don’t arrive with a fixed style or a pre-set solution. Every project is shaped around your priorities, alongside the practical realities: the site, the existing building, planning policy, legislation, and building regulations.

More often than not, this approach unlocks options clients hadn’t considered and helps you make the most of the space you have, stretch the budget further, and avoid expensive missteps later on.

How I got here

I knew I wanted to be an architect from the age of 11, and I became a Chartered Architect in 2002. I’m registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and chartered with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

Since then, I’ve worked in award-winning practices in London, and as owner-director of Ayshford in Essex, across a wide mix of domestic and commercial projects for private clients, public bodies, organisations, and charities.

Working on projects up to £10m+, often involving complex existing buildings and sensitive reuse, has given me a sharp eye for opportunity, efficiency, and sustainable development.

Over the years I’ve led (and sat in on) hundreds of meetings: client briefings, design workshops, consultant coordination, builder selection, stakeholder sessions, planning discussions, building control consultations, and site meetings. It means I know where projects can wobble and how to keep them steady.

Outside of work

Originally from Essex, I met my wife in 2014 who is from the High Peak and made the decision to relocate north in 2017 where we now live along with my stepson.

I set up Rob Westbrook Architects in 2017 to focus on smaller-scale work. From a front porch to £2–3m new builds, where I can be more hands-on, more client-focused, and have more impact with tighter budgets where every penny really matters.

When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me enjoying the Peak District - out walking, playing golf, or spending time with family and friends.