New era as Martin Stockley bows out

MARTIN Stockley has left the Manchester engineering practice that carries his name to set up on his own.

His shares in Stockley have been acquired by two other shareholders and founding directors Julian Broster and Stephen O’Malley.

Mr Stockley originally founded Martin Stockley Associates in 1996 and was a founding director at Stockley in 2009.

The practice will retain the trading name Stockley and continue to operate from offices in Manchester and London.

Mr O’Malley described the move as the “natural evolution of the practice” and said Mr Stockley was keen to pursue other interests.

He is chairman of the Places Matter! design review panel and a member of a number of design and advisory panels, including a number with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and English Heritage.

Mr Stockley’s new practice is called Stockley Urban Engineering which also has offices in London and Manchester. It will operate as part of the Iesis Ltd, a Bristol and London-based group of companies which Mr Stockley chairs.

He is already working on several major projects including a masterplan for a creative quarter based in 370 hectares of central Moscow for the Mayor’s office in the Russian city. 

He said: “Stockley Urban Engineering is a new company but very much follows the approach and aims of the Stockley practice of the past sixteen years. The structure within Iesis allows me the freedom to continue to explore my wider interests as well as remaining involved with the essential stuff of making things.”

In a statement Mr Broster and Mr O’Malley said: “Martin is highly-regarded in the industry for his track record in the design of high-quality public spaces and buildings. Martin will be concentrating on his portfolio of commissions outside of the practice.

“We value the experience of working with Martin and we wish him well. We will be keeping the Stockley name in short-to-medium term. However, we are exploring options for re-naming the practice as it grows and to reflect the long-term ambitions of its people.”

The practice’s structural engineering work in the North west includes Urbis, now the National Football Museum, apartment block No 1 Deansgate, the re-development of Piccadilly Basin, and the ‘Chips’ building in New Islington.

The 16-strong team is working on projects such as the Altrincham masterplan and the ISIS apartment scheme at Islington Wharf, Manchester.