Bob Barton - Director
Bob Barton is the founder and director of Barton Engineers. He leads and co-ordinates the structural design and conservation work of the practice. He has considerable experience designing building structures, in the analysis and design of lightweight non-linear structures, structural glass and cladding design, and in building conservation. He is a member of the CARE list of Conservation Accredited Engineers, and also acts as an expert witness, often on disputes where he has been nominated by the Institution of Structural Engineers.
Bob graduated in Civil Engineering with Architecture from the University of Leeds in 1982. Before setting up Barton Engineers he had been an Associate at both Anthony Hunt Associates and Whitby Bird Engineers (now part of Ramboll), and also worked at Ove Arup and Partners as a senior design engineer. Bob has been responsible for a number of award winning building projects both at Barton Engineers and for other practices.
As well as being a Fellow of both the Institution of Structural Engineers and the Institution of Civil Engineers, Bob is also actively involved with the Institution of Structural Engineers, being a Past Chair of the North Thames Group of the IStructE, a co-ordinator of the professional review process, and a past member of the Professional Conduct Committee. Because of his considerable experience with glass designs he was asked to join the Institution’s Working Party to update its Guide to the Structural Design of Glass Structures, published in 2014.
Bob is interested in structural design in all its forms, and especially in complex architectural schemes where an appropriate structural solution or strategy is required to harmonise with the architectural form.
He believes strongly that he and his staff should lead active cultural lives beyond the realms of the construction industry, and that they should all try to make positive contributions to society in general. He has many active interests beyond structural engineering.
Lewis Barton - Architect
As a qualified architect and highly experienced engineering technician, Lewis is uniquely qualified to lead the practice's architectural and building fabric design work, production of construction information, and our parametric and BIM activities. Lewis first worked for the practice between degree studies in 2013 and re-joined to take up a senior management role at the beginning of 2020.
Lewis graduated in Architecture from the University of the Creative Arts, Canterbury, in 2012 and obtained a Masters in Architecture from Birmingham City University in 2017. Between taking his bachelor and masters degrees he spent a year as the elected head of the Student's Union in Canterbury. Lewis is bilingual in French and English, having undertaken his secondary school education whilst living in France, receiving a Baccalauréat Générale - Scientifique from the Lycée Saint Louis in Saumur.
He gained architectural design experience working for Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, TP Bennett, and Placebuilder Architects. During this period and a number of years working at Ramboll UK, Engenuiti and Barton Engineers, he also became proficient in developing and implementing BIM strategies and training, along with parametric design and the modelling of highly detailed elements for projects.
Lewis' architectural interests are in community driven projects, small scale affordable housing using innovative construction forms and materials, and in self build innovations converting vehicles into accommodation. He also has a passion for all aspects of carpentry, and the transfer of skills and techniques from traditional timber boat building into conservation work.