Peter Ranken

Director of Sustainability & Passivhaus Designer

Peter Ranken is an experienced Architect who has completed a number of master planning, housing and extra care projects. Peter has a particular interest in designing sustainable buildings and in 2009 gained a MSc in Environmental Design and Engineering from University College London.

His 28-dwelling Code 6 carbon neutral housing development in Basildon was awarded the Sustainable Larger Housing Project of the Year in 2012 by Sustainable Homes magazine. While his work on Foleshill Health Centre, the first Passivhaus medical building for the NHS, culminated in over 10 regional and national awards.

Peter heads Accredited Passivhaus Design, a separate arm of Tooley Foster and is the Passivhaus designer for the first new build Passivhaus in Hackney. He is the Sustainability Assessor for Tooley Foster; a trained BREEAM Accredited Professional; trained BREEAM Education and Multi-Residential Assessor and a Certified Passivhaus Designer. He is also associate lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, where he contributes Passivhaus thinking to modules on environmental building performance.

Peter Ranken joined Tooley Foster in 2005, becoming Director of Sustainability in 2021.

Keith Everitt

Consultant

Keith Everitt steps down

Having Joined the practice in 1985, Keith Everitt has taken the decision to retire from frontline duties at the practice. Keith helped shape us into the modern, people led organisation we are today and led many of the projects that have been central to that progression.

With 37 years' experience in commercial, community, retirement living and dementia care projects, including award-winning schemes at Highdown Court and Grange Farm, he has a deep understanding of the issues faced by everyone involved in the construction and design process.

The depth of his knowledge in dementia care led to him becoming Design Associate for Stirling University’s Dementia Services Development Centre and part-time lecturer at the University of East London and at the Architectural Association. While his long association with RIBA culminated in 1998 with his Chairmanship of the Eastern Region.

Since 2002, he has tirelessly supported homeless projects in NE London, becoming Chair of the WFCNS from 2004, and providing serving on the Forest Road YMCA and serving on a range of committees and boards up until late last year.

Keith became Partner (then Director) at Tooley Foster in 2001 and his solution focused approach and intuitive sense for steering projects and teams forward will be missed around the office. Luckily for us however, he’s not moving too far, and will be dropping by to guide and enlighten in equal measure in 2023 and beyond but no longer an active Director of the company.

Michael Courtenay

Associate Director

Michael Courtenay is an Associate Director Architect and he became the office BIM Coordinator in 2019, He is working to develop the practice’s workflow to improve efficiency across the office.

He specialises in residential and healthcare work, focusing on RIBA Stages 3, 4 & 5 of large scale high rise residential and mixed use developments for large house builders/developers such as Greenview Court in Southall for Galliard Homes.

Michael excels in technical detailing and has extensive experience of Revit, which is used throughout projects, for the production of parametric based models suitable for design and construction.  He has developed the Practice’s Revit templates and has had significant involvement with the preparation of the studios BEP (BIM Execution Plan). He is our Design Quality Manager.

Michael Courtenay, who has over 12 years of experience as an Architect. He joined Tooley Foster in 2000, becoming an Associate in 2019, and a Associate Director in 2023.

Colin Merifield

Associate Director

Colin Merifield joined Tooley Foster in 2022 as an Associate. He has extensive experience within the Residential and Later Living sectors. This extends through all work stages from design to delivery, taking lead on multiple scales of new build and refurbishment development. 

With a focus on designing and delivering buildings with purpose, Colin has worked in both the private and public sectors on challenging and varied sites. He places particular emphasis on a design-led approach driven from context, high quality buildings and place making for people focussed spaces, thus ensuring that design quality is transferred through to the delivery of a scheme.

Within the office Colin manages the practice’s publicity and advocates the process of mentoring, where he promotes an ethos of teamwork, whether it be within the practice or with clients, consultants and contractors.

Colin became an Associate Director in 2023.

Nigel Goulding

Director

Nigel Goulding specialises in new-build residential development; his experience also includes refurbishments, conversions and small scale commercial buildings. His main focus is from concept through the planning process then working with colleagues to achieve completed developments. This has often been on complex and constricted sites in and around London including Green Belt, conservation areas and involving or adjoining listed buildings.

Nigel leads the Small Building Team within the Practice, having historically primarily worked with small development companies and builder-developers towards the smaller end of the development field.  Since joining Tooley Foster, Nigel’s skills have also been applied to a wider range of schemes in some of our core areas of work, including care, later living and education for existing and new clients.

Nigel, who has 30 years of experience as an Architect, joined Tooley Foster as an Associate in 2014 and became a Director in 2021.

Keith Varnes

Senior Associate Director

Keith Varnes specialises in education, where his experience ranges from nursery to secondary school buildings in both the private and public sectors. Keith is a former Chair of Governors of a primary school in Redbridge, giving him added insight into what is required when designing for education. He also highly experienced with extra care, high quality residential, listed buildings and complex refurbishment projects.

His measure of his success is Saffron Hall for Saffron Walden County High school, a world class Auditorium;

Regional Winner of the Civic Trust Awards 2015

Winner of the RICS East of England Awards 2014 for ‘Design through Innovation’ and ‘Project of the Year’ Award

His attention to detail has led him to become responsible for the Practice’s Quality Management System (ISO 9001:2015).

He is an Incorporated Member of the Association for Project Safety (APS). He leads Construction Health and safety and Principle Designer matters under the CDM regulations 2015. 

Keith Varnes joined the practice as an Architect in 1998 and has been a Senior Associate since 2007, and Senior Associate Director in 2023.

Khosro Bashi

Managing Director

Khosro Bashi specialises in care homes and primary healthcare buildings. His expertise in the dementia care market led to his appointment as Design Associate for Stirling University’s Dementia Services Development Centre and recently as a Design Associate with Hammond Care.

Khosro has achieved many critically acclaimed awards in the care sector;

Anjulita Court, Bedford for The Ibbett Trust won a Pinders Healthcare Design Award in 2010, was a Finalist in the Housing Design Awards 2010 and a Regional Finalist in the Civic Trust Awards 2012.

Foxburrow Grange in Colchester for Outlook Care, which was a finalist in the Pinders Healthcare Design Awards 2014 for ‘Best Small Dementia Unit’

Arlington Manor in Cambridge for Hallmark Care Homes, which was Winner in the Pinders Healthcare Design Awards 2019 for ‘Best New Care Home’

Khosro is responsible for HR matters including gaining the Investors in People Silver Standard accreditation. He also leads the development of the studio BIM , IT and facilities management.

Khosro Bashi joined Tooley Foster as an Architect in 1989, becoming a Partner in 2003 and Managing Director in 2021.

Chris Chelebi

Senior Associate Director

Chris Chelebi specialises in residential and healthcare work, focussing on the design and construction of extra care housing and care homes. These often include facilities for those living with dementia and utilise key design principles to create accessible and distinctive dementia-friendly environments.

His recent achievements have involved a number of projects on complex, restricted or sensitive sites with typically high client expectations which he deliver’s with outstanding results.

Foxburrow Grange in Colchester for Outlook Care, which was a finalist in the Pinders Healthcare Design Awards 2014 for ‘Best Small Dementia Unit’

Arlington Manor in Cambridge for Hallmark Care Homes, which was Winner in the Pinders Healthcare Design Awards 2019 for ‘Best New Care Home’

Chris has extensive experience of Revit. This is used throughout projects as a tool for the production of design and construction drawings and also to effectively communicate 3D concepts and ideas early in the design process. He is the Human Resources Manager

Chris Chelebi, who has over 20 years of experience as an Architect. He joined Tooley Foster in 2004, becoming an Associate in 2016, and a Senior Associate Director in 2023.