History

The practice was established in Leeds in 1880 by Walter S Braithwaite, a well respected Architect perhaps best remembered today for his watercolours of Victorian Leeds, some of which can be seen in the City Art Gallery and University collection. Walter’s son James trained as an Architect and joined him in practice for a short time but was killed in action in 1916 on the battlefields of northern France.

The practice became Braithwaite and Jackman after the first World War when Harry Jackman (Paula’s grandfather) joined the firm. Early work included buildings at Lawnswood cemetery, First World War monuments and schools for the Leeds Education Board.

The family business continued to a second generation when Harry Brian Jackman joined his father and Herbert Waddington in the early 1950s. Louis Tinker subsequently also became a Partner. The practice saw steady expansion from the 1960s onwards with major clients including Yorkshire Bank, Bhs, Leeds United, Sulzers and De Puy.

Brian’s daughter Paula set up in practice in Cambridge with Colin Straw in 1989 and in 1992 the two practice’s merged. Paula and Colin relocated to Leeds and take Braithwaite and Jackman into the third generation of the family.