Nick Terry - 1947-2008

Architect Nick Terry, director and former chairman of BDP died peacefully on 30 November after a year-long fight with cancer. He was 61.

Nick joined BDP in 1972, together with his wife Dorothy, after graduating with a combined architecture and engineering degree from Bath University.

Nick, already interested in collaborative working, was inspired by BDP’s founder George Grenfell Baines who had a clear vision of all professions working together with a common goal.  Nick shared and pursued these values throughout his career.

Intent on broadening his experience, in 1975 Nick moved to Canada, before working with an American practice in the UK, Europe and Middle East.

In 1990, Nick rejoined BDP, going on to build a distinguished career becoming a company director in 1995 and elected as chairman in 2002.  He stood down from the chairmanship in 2006 to lead BDP’s studios in the south.

Even while holding these offices Nick never stopped designing - he led the design teams on many award winning projects such as London’s Niketown, Cribbs Causeway shopping centre in Bristol, BBC Birmingham, Roche Pharmaceuticals HQ in Welwyn and the refurbishments of the Royal Opera House (with Dixon Jones) and the Royal Albert Hall.

Nick became known as a leader in the use of IT in construction, striving to get across a message of “get connected or go out of business.” He was chairman of the European Interoperability Centre, International Chairman of buildingSMART and also Chairman of the International Alliance for Interoperability – all promoting information exchange to make the construction industry more efficient and profitable.

He is survived by his wife Dorothy and daughter Alex.