Shireen Han joined Orms in 2011, bringing valuable experience from her role at Hopkins Architects where she worked on high-profile masterplan, education and high-end residential schemes, and was promoted to the leadership team in January 2020 following her return from Hong Kong, where she had served as Senior Associate at a leading international design practice. This diverse background has honed her expertise in workplace design and adaptive reuse schemes, exemplified by her role as Project Lead for No1 New Oxford Street—a landmark Art Deco building at the entrance to London's West End—where she guided the project through all stages of the design process.
What does ultrapractical mean to you? Ultrapractical architecture means creating spaces that perform exceptionally well for both building users and clients. My work on 101 Moorgate achieved BREEAM Outstanding, WELL Core certification and Nabers 5* rating, demonstrating how sustainability principles can advocate design excellence. This approach has informed projects across my portfolio, from a deep retrofit project at St Martins Le Grand to an innovative stone reuse scheme at Mercury. Currently leading a complex heritage project at 33 St James' Square, I apply my interest in workplace wellness and regenerative design to create environments that support engagement and wellbeing - regularly attending industry events to ensure our practice remains at the forefront of workplace innovation.