Claire Fear
Field of Traces



Structure and material hold memory
My work examines the evidence

FIELD NOTES






Thoughts about Practice
   

As a practising architect specialising in industrial heritage, I spend much of my professional life considering the survival of buildings, the significance embedded within them, and why we choose to care. I ask how our encounters with buildings leave traces that extend beyond their material fabric, into memory, time and human experience.

Working in parallel with architectural practice, photography, drawing and writing provide a place of enquiry through which these questions can be investigated, reflected upon and shared.

I ask what structures remember.









Curriculum Vitae


Awards


2026 RIBA South West and Wessex
   
     Project Architect of the Year 2026

     Project Winner

     Client of the Year

2026 Civic Trust Award

2026 Civiic Trust - Highly Recommended

2025 AJ Retrofit of the Year
   
     AJ Retrofit - Conservation Project under £5m

2025 Cornish Building Group - Award

2025 CBG - UNESCO Heritage Site - Award

2025 National Railway Heritage Award - Best

     Overall - 2025

2025 Somerset Building Preservation Trust - Highly

     Commended

2024 Surface of the Year

2024 Somerset Building Preservation Trust -

     Research Award





Talks / Lectures


2026 SAVE - Building at Risk Launch Lecture 2026

2026 Working with Industrial Memory, Terrain

    Talks, Plymouth

2026 The Association for Preservation Technology

     International - UK Tour Building Visit & Talk

2025 Cornish Building Group

2025 Falmouth University - Sustainable

     Regeneration

2025 Salford University - Studio Talk -    

     Sustainable Heritage

2025 RIBA / AHF Conference - Funding Landscape

2025 Frome Society for Local Studies

2024 SPAB Scholars visit & Building Tour

2024 Historic England Technical Tuesday Seminar

2022 Bath University Lecture

2022 Tone Works Conference (initiated by Thread)

2022 Firm Foundations Speaker

2021 Museum of East Dorset

2021 Dublin School of Architecture

2020 RIBA Guerilla Tactics Conference

2020 Dublin School of Architecture

2019 Wiveliscombe Civic and Historical Society

2018 West Somerset Community Land Trust

2018 Somerset Archeological & Natural History

     Society

2018 Wiveliscombe Primary School - Workshop

2017 Plymouth University - State of the Profession

     Symposium

2016 Plymouth University - PADS Talk

2016 Exmoor Archeology Forum

2015 Wiveliscombe Civic Society Talk





Qualifications

MA(Hons) M(Arch) ARB RIBA AABC

2025 - 2027 MA Professional Photography
            Oxford Brookes University


2015        Architect Accredited in Building            
            Conservation (AABC)
            (re-accredited 2026 - 2031)

2012        DAC Registered Architect

2006        Royal Institute of British                  
            Architects (RIBA)

2006        Chartered Architect,ARB


2006        Certificate of Architectural                
            Professional Practice
            (RIBA Part III)
            University of Plymouth    

2002        M(Arch) (RIBA Part II),                      
            University of Edinburgh

2000        MA(Hons) - (RIBA Part I)
            First Class Honours,
            University of Edinburgh




Appointments

2026 - 2031 External Examiner (MA) University of              
            Plymouth

2016 - 2020 Visiting Lecturer, University of Bath        

2012-2016   Trustee - Wiveliscombe Town Hall                  
            Building Preservation Trust

2012        Bath and West Diocese List of Approved            
            Architects

2012        Exeter Diocese List of Approved                  
            Architects




Employment

2012        Architectural Thread Ltd (currrent)
            Founder, Director & Project Architect

2005 - 2012 Louise Crossman Architects

2002 - 2005 Thomas Architects, Wells, Somerset

2001 - 2003 Everett Everett Fine Art,
            Picture Restoration & Conservation                
            (Fine Art Conservator Apprenticeship)

2000        Conservation Work on Cistercian Abbey,
            Clare Island, Ireland

1999        National Gallery Design Studio, London
            (Placement - Assistant)

1999        Royal Fine Art Commission for                    
            Scotland, Edinburgh -
            Assistant Curator

1995        S.O.C. Rava & C.r.s.l, Art &                      
            Architectural Restorers, Turin, Italy