Spotlight On CCG Members - Ann Vanner - March 2020

Mar, 4 2020

~~If you are a creative person you’ll notice the world around you and how certain things can inspire your next creative project. This is often how an architectural mind works. They look up and make observations of specific details in buildings which will influence a potential job in the future.

This month’s ‘Spotlight on CCG Members’ has such a mind. Let us learn more about Lancashire based Ann Vanner.

Ann started out as an Architect/Architectural Technologist and she has a huge range of practice experience at all stages of the design and construction phase, both in the UK and abroad. She has made a huge contribution to the design field on a number of projects these vary from small domestic extensions in the Lake District to the redevelopment of a 42 hectare former steelwork site in former East German city of Riesa.

Ann’s research interests focus on social enterprise/cooperatives and how these might provide alternative approaches to:-
• Design
• Procurement
• Construction and use of building

This also includes how materials used in the built environment can have an impact on occupant’s wellbeing particular with regarding to acoustics and sound pollution.

Ann’s experience in the working world of architecture gave her the essential knowledge and skills to teach at UCLAN as course leader on the BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology Programme. At the time the course was described as ‘the best in the country’ by the then external examiner. Students have also been accredited with awards both on a national and regional scale.

For the past 11 years Ann as worked at UCLAN with her current role as Degree Appreciate Lead for the School of Art, Design and Fashion.

Perhaps many more people would like to follow Ann’s footsteps and have a successful career in the arts both as an architect and lecturer. One simple piece of advice Ann can give which relates to how she creates her designs reads as follows:-

“Practical creativity is my starting point and approach. This fosters the idea of learning through doing and inspirational pragmatism.”

We warmly welcome Ann Vanner to the CCG and we look forward to seeing what she can bring to the creative table.

^ Alex Ashworth CCG Art Blogger