Newtecnic

Newtecnic is a firm of architects and engineering designers led by Andrew Watts and Yasmin Watts. Newtecnic undertakes design work for projects where clients require bold, near-future designs. The company also develops innovative facade and structural designs, working alongside other architects or contractors.

The approach adopted by Newtecnic allows the company to focus on bold, near-future architectural design as well as the facade design and structural engineering of complex forms where interdependency is required between the structure and facade. Their near-future designs for large-scale projects are taken to the execution stage.

Architectural and engineering design activities are supported by physical modelling and prototyping, with both established and new techniques of fabrication. This work is often supported by environmental design tasks. The architecture and engineering design skills of Newtecnic allow the firm to communicate, through the Modern Construction series, the key issues of 21st century building engineering and design. Newtecnic are holders of The Queen’s Award for Enterprise and has been ranked in the top three of New Civil Engineer 100 Companies of the Year.

Andrew Watts

Design Director, Architect & Engineer

FICE FIED FIET FRSA CEng RIBA ARB

BA(Hons) DipArch MSt MSc

Andrew Watts trained at the Polytechnic of Central London and at the University of Cambridge. His career has been shaped by a continuing interest in the relationship between architecture, engineering and construction, and in the role of technical knowledge as a contributor to architectural design.

Before founding Newtecnic, Andrew worked with Jean Nouvel in Paris, contributing to major international projects during a period in which architecture, structure and building technology were increasingly being developed as integrated systems. This experience informed the approach that would later become central to Newtecnic.

Over the past three decades, Andrew has led the development of Newtecnic's design methodology, combining architectural design, engineering analysis, modelling, prototyping and construction knowledge within a single process. Alongside practice, he is the author of the Modern Construction series, published by Birkhäuser, which documents the relationship between design, engineering and construction through projects, systems and case studies.

His work continues to explore architecture as a constructive discipline in which design intelligence emerges through the coordination of structure, environmental performance, material behaviour, fabrication and construction.

Yasmin Watts

Creative Director, Architect & Sculptor

MRes(RCA) Dip Sculpture ARB

BArch BSc(Hons)

Yasmin Watts trained in architecture at Cardiff University and in sculpture at the Royal College of Art. Her work brings together architecture, sculpture and making, exploring the relationship between form, material and space.

Before co-founding Newtecnic, Yasmin worked at the Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Paris, where physical modelling and material investigation formed an integral part of the design process. This experience reinforced a belief that architecture develops through making as well as through drawing and representation of the human experience in the built environment.

At Newtecnic, Yasmin leads the creative development of projects and contributes to the integration of architectural and sculptural thinking within the design process. Her approach places particular emphasis on sketching, physical modelling, prototyping and the exploration of form through making. These activities support the development of projects across a wide range of scales, from individual components to large-scale buildings and urban environments.

Alongside architectural practice, Yasmin maintains an active sculpture and public art practice. The exploration of form, material and spatial experience through sculpture informs her architectural work and contributes to Newtecnic's broader commitment to architecture as a constructive and cultural discipline.

Her work continues to support Newtecnic's ongoing endeavour to develop architecture through the integration of design, engineering and making.