Confidence in Creativity & Innovation

With a head full of knowledge, and a deep-rooted passion for architecture, David Coundon has a broad scope of experience. Covering most building types including arts, commercial, leisure, educational, sports retail and mixed-use schemes, he often works on projects that focus on culture, community, and innovation.

David is a Director and Team Leader at SPACE Architects, with nearly 4 decades experience of leading and motivating multi-disciplinary teams to create award-winning projects. Confident in his expertise, David understands how to bring a client’s vision to life through both hand-drawn sketches and digital tools.

He has contributed to award-winning regeneration schemes such as the Hopetown transformation (which won both the 2025 HRA Railway 200 award for Outstanding Visitor Attraction and the 2024 North East Culture Award for Best Museum or Cultural Venue), Stockton Globe (which won the 2022 RICS Awards North East Public Sector Project of the year) and Darlington Hippodrome (which won both the 2019 Selwyn Goldsmith Awards for Universal Design and the 2019 RICS Awards North East Building Conservation award).

Inspired by the alternative thinkers within Architecture, such as Bernard Tschumi and Rem Koolhaas, David champions imagination, inventiveness and innovation through his designs. His creative nature is reflected in his personal life, where he enjoys art, music (both listening and playing), cooking and extensive reading. This passion for the arts enhances and supports David’s work, showing through everything he designs.

As a self-assured leader, and confident collaborator, David is driven and dedicated to creating community-focused, original and practical builds. David is also a supportive and strategic mentor for members of his team, and an outgoing individual in the office. Leading on both nationally significant projects, such as Hopetown, and more personal projects, such as the redesign of our very own offices, David’s creativity and innovation has impacted every inch of SPACE Architects and left a lasting legacy on the region.