Carol Costello
Practice Leader
Carol believes in the power of the collective to find solutions to difficult problems. Building this vital consensus underpins the success of Cullinan Studio’s architecture.
Over 25 years practicing architecture, she has learned much from her inspiring clients and brings that deep insight to every new project. Having led the design on significant cultural, education and infrastructure projects, Carol has helped people navigate not only the design journey, but also the cultural and organisational change required to occupy new buildings once completed.
She is one of three Practice Leaders at Cullinan Studio re-defining a common purpose toward care of our planet through responsible design.
Alongside Carol’s professional activities, she is passionate about walkable cities, community food growing and creating career opportunities in architecture for less advantaged young people.
Things that have never been done before - Q&A with Carol Costello
Project Experience
Workplaces that support creativity and wellbeing
The challenges facing auto engineers - to decarbonise mobility - require work environments that support innovation, collaboration and wellbeing. Through detailed consultation with Jaguar Land Rover, TATA motors and WMG, we were able to create just such a dynamic environment for the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC) at the University of Warwick. Carol led our team, coordinating client consultation and interior design to realise an activity-based workplace solution. Carol’s experience designing workplace environments for education and research institutions, including the University of Cambridge and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, honed her strategies for working with multi-headed client groups at the NAIC.
Meeting the UK skills shortage at Dudley College
Serving the Black Country and the Marches, the Institute of Transformational Technologies (IoTT) will deliver industry focused, level 4+, programmes for the transformational sectors of advanced manufacturing, modern construction practices and medical engineering. The building is being procured through IPI (Integrated Project Insurance) where an alliance of client, contractor and designers is formed from inception; the team being selected by their ability to collaborate and deliver. The project is structured and led by an agreed trio of leaders on Design, Cost, and Construction with Carol acting as Design Leader. Her extensive experience in successfully leading designs from concept to completion is supporting the whole team.
A new learning centre promotes gardening for all
The new Clore Learning Centre is part of the complete transformation of the hilltop at RHS Hyde Hall, Essex, which includes a new restaurant and courtyard gardens. The RHS is now able to deliver a varied programme of activities from the ever-popular Little Acorns gardening club for toddlers, to workshops on pruning and propagation for adults. Carol led the Cullinan team in developing strategic masterplans for RHS Hyde Hall and the detailed concepts for the Hilltop complex buildings. Carol’s experience working for Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and Edinburgh and the National Forest enabled her to apply her knowledge of designing elegant educational and cultural buildings in a landscape setting.