A memorial service, for individuals who knew Jo via his skilled, voluntary or charity work, might be held at St Michael’s Church, Pond Street, Blackheath, SE3 9JL on Thursday ninth February 2023 at 12 midday. Family and friends are additionally welcome.
David Withycombe, CMLI, Chair of the Awards Committee, writes:
Shortly after Jo died, I acquired in contact with outdated buddies and colleagues from the Institute. I obtained quite a few responses expressing disappointment and condolences on the lack of such an excellent pal, colleague and ambassador for our occupation. It was the worth of his friendship that got here throughout most strongly in these messages; his sense of humour, calmness, heat of spirit and talent to place these he met relaxed from the outset.
Jo was born in Swansea on 31st July 1956. His father’s household had been Quakers, and the sense of equality, equity and peace related to Quaker beliefs was one thing all those that knew Jo would recognise. After leaving college (via a window, apparently!) he labored domestically in quite a few jobs together with a sports activities store in Sketty, earlier than taking the choice in 1979 to enrol on the Panorama Structure diploma at Thames Polytechnic. Throughout his time at Thames he spent his 12 months out on the Glasgow Growth Company, a metropolis he beloved. It was quickly after finishing his put up graduate diploma in 1985 that Jo met Carolyn (an structure graduate from Thames) who was to turn out to be his life-long accomplice.
After graduating, Jo spent a short while working with Philip Cave Associates earlier than becoming a member of the Panorama Partnership working a small London Workplace in Docklands. He performed a key function in lots of tasks together with the early days of the award profitable Kings Cross Property Motion Challenge.
After leaving the Panorama Partnership, Jo arrange his personal follow, organising in partnership a couple of years later with Des Dally, forming Watkins Dally in 1999. They labored on quite a few award profitable schemes throughout parks, schooling and public areas. He had explicit affection for his or her involvement within the Dartford Stadium Masterplan; a chance to mix his joint loves of soccer and panorama. After retiring from his skilled profession in 2009, Jo continued to work as a director, then vice chair of a household enterprise in Swansea.
Jo’s contribution in a voluntary capability to the Institute and our occupation was large. He sat on Council for 12 years and have become President in 2010. He was President at a time when local weather change and localism had been rising on the political agenda. Jo noticed each the necessity and the chance for our occupation to sit down on the coronary heart of those debates, offering a pivotal function in engagement throughout professions and society. He additionally noticed the significance of gaining affect throughout different disciplines within the building business. In 2012 Jo was elected to the Development Business Council Board chaired by Nick Raynsford MP. He was additionally treasurer of the Permitted Constructing Inspectors. He noticed these roles as recognition of the rising affect of Panorama Structure and the significance of panorama as “a necessity and never a pleasant to have”.
Jo instigated one of many first regional exhibitions of the work of panorama architects; ‘Panorama Issues’ in 1994. He was central to the expansion of the Institute Awards and remained on the Awards Panel till late in 2022. I keep in mind he was significantly thrilled to fulfill considered one of his literary heroes Invoice Bryson on the Awards in 2018 – and to make him chuckle. Jo was additionally a member of the Panorama journal Editorial Advisory Panel.
Jo made a considerable contribution to schooling. In 2010 he grew to become a member of the newly created Advisory Board to the College of Structure, Design and Development at Greenwich College serving to to form programs and the way they had been taught. He was additionally a visiting critic and thesis supervisor on structure programs on the Bartlett, once more reflecting his view of the significance of influencing these we work with. His want to encourage and mentor the following era of panorama architects each via instructing and help to these working with him was immense.
Jo was additionally very lively in his native space. He was a trustee of Twinkle Park in Deptford and a member of the Pals of Sutcliffe Park. He was a college governor at Brooklands Major College changing into chair of governors in 2014 at a difficult time with pressures to type academies.
Jo’s different nice passions included sport within the type of cricket, soccer and rugby (principally involving a dialogue over a pint) and journey (he had a specific affection for France), the place he travelled extensively together with his household and buddies. He adopted the Swans far and huge and was a season ticket holder at his adopted London membership Charlton Athletic. He performed cricket for Ash village and in his later years, the Ashburnham Arms in Greenwich.
Jo was a mild big of a person. In recent times sickness started to have an effect on his mobility and health, however by no means his good humour and generosity of spirit. His spouse Carolyn and their boys Billy and Jamie have sturdy help from their many family and friends. For Panorama Structure his legacy lies maybe not in grand statements however in his affect on how we’re perceived as a occupation and for the help he offered to these starting their careers. For many who knew him it was merely the pleasure that he was a part of our lives.
A memorial service, for individuals who knew Jo via his skilled, voluntary or charity work, might be held at St Michael’s Church, Pond Street, Blackheath, SE3 9JL on Thursday ninth February 2023 at 12 midday. Family and friends are additionally welcome.
Donations to Disaster, in reminiscence of Jo could be made via Simply Giving. Go to justgiving.com and seek for jowatkins2022.
