Above: Two storey house extension with single storey sun room with patio roof-deck in Cheadle, Stockport. Contractor EP Muldoon and £250,000 Contract. Completed 2011.

Ian Banks qualified as a chartered architect in 1989, but whilst still retaining his full riba and arb status, has since extended his practice by adding an eclectic range of other skills, interests and experiences to Atoll.

His experience began with 4 years practicing his architecture in the Maldive Islands as first the Maldives Government Head Architect for the Ministry of Education; followed by a period as Company Architect for tourist island development company Jetan Travel Service.

His work in the UK has included acting as a Manchester-based community architect and working for several commercial practices - including one interior design company. For three years up until 2000 he was the 'Special Projects' Associate at Pozzoni Design Group - a large south Manchester commercial practice - before deciding to leave and develop his parallel interests in the collaborative field of art and architecture.

To enable this, between 2000 and 2004 he acted as the part-time Public Art & Architecture Officer for Arts Council England NW whilst developing his new practice part-time also. From 2005 he has operated his collaborative studio full-time - to include an additional tier of arts and regeneration practice and cultural planning consultancy.

As well as working for a range of private and public sector clients, Ian Banks is also: a current Associate at beam in Wakefield; an appointed national Built Environment Expert for Design Council Cabe; a voluntary member for the Manchester + Pennine Waterways Partnership of the Canal and Rivers Trust; and is an appointed Fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce); He has previously also acted as Deputy Editor for Art & Architecture Journal.