Ryder Architecture has appointed five new partners to continue to build on the firm’s growing expertise across an increasingly diverse sector and geographic base.

Peter Barker, Gareth Callen, Andrew Costa, Richard Dorkin and Ronnie Graham have all been promoted and join senior partner Peter Buchan, managing partner Mark Thompson and current partners Ian Kennedy, Gordon Murray and Richard Wise as part of the leadership team who will take Ryder through the next phase of the practice’s evolution.

Peter Barker is the managing director of BIM Academy, a joint venture between Ryder and Northumbria University, operating as a centre of excellence for digital engineering and transformation and developing an international reputation in the real estate and infrastructure sectors through consultancy, research and education.

Gareth Callen leads the Liverpool team and is also responsible for Ryder’s science portfolio which includes Liverpool Science Park, Thames Valley Science Park, Science Central in Newcastle and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Andrew Costa, who leads the London team, has worked on complex urban regeneration projects, residential, commercial, hotel and mixed use schemes in London for over 25 years.

Since joining Ryder in 1991, Richard Dorkin has worked across many sectors including manufacturing, education and healthcare and now leads the team in Hong Kong.

Ronnie Graham has been with Ryder for over 17 years with design and management skills in the office, leisure, residential and education sectors and significant urban design experience.

Managing partner Mark Thompson said: “These promotions recognise the significant contribution to Ryder during their combined service of over 75 years including newcomer Andy who only joined in 2015. We are entering an exciting phase in the evolution of Ryder. These appointments bring further resilience building on the foundations established by the current leaders over the past 25 years to ensure a continued passionate, collaborative and pioneering approach for which Ryder is recognised.”

The practice, which now employs 140 people across six locations in the UK, Hong Kong and Vancouver also celebrated promotions for Francesca Harrison and Paul Milner to senior architects, David McMahon and Grant Sellars to architectural directors, Martin Smith to associate and Helen Whitfield to communications director.