About

Charlie Whinney Associates exists to explore the relationships between materials, people and the environment – and sometimes find where beauty and usefulness meet.

We undertake a wide range of projects that blur the boundaries between fine art, architecture and design, and projects often involve making as well as design and idea generation.  The overall intention is to engage with and fully explore and fulfill every brief on many different levels; contextually, ecologically, with beauty and some aspect of innovation.

Currently all of the design work and much of the planning and making is done by Charlie Whinney, and almost everything is made in the workshop in Beck Head, Cumbria, using locally sourced materials.

Charlie Whinney

Studied Architecture at Kingston University , Furniture Design at Rycotewood, and 3D Design for Sustainability at Falmouth College of Arts.  He also worked as an apprentice artistic blacksmith with Jos Whinney (1998-1999), and as a production assistant for Inflate Design (2002-2005).  In 2006 he co-founded Cornish design company sixixis, running the commissions side of the business and designing many of the award winning products including the CurlyShade and the GallopyGallopy Bed.  In 2008 Charlie Whinney Associates was formed near Oxford and several large commissions followed.  After a short career break that involved travelling to over 18 countries in Europe and Asia, and a year spent in a near Abingdon completing several large commissions, we have now settled in the Lake District.  The workshop is in a beautiful stone barn in Beck Head in the South Lakes, and most of our materials are sourced from the surrounding area.

Charlie Whinney divides his time between that of a designer-maker as well, as well providing creative consulting services to a range of public and private clients, and running design workshops at several UK universities.

Also involved are:

Alison Ireland

Graduated in English at St. Johns College, Oxford University, Alison was Sales and Marketing Director for a major publishing company for six years.  In 2010 she founded Art for Architecture after successfully helping Charlie Whinney Assoiciates and several other clients develop their international markets.  Alison currently functions as Sales and Marketing Director of Charlie Whinney Associates, and manages most of the international projects through her new business.  www.artforarchitecture.org

Steve Tomlin

Steve has been a green woodworker for over 10 years, and has done everything from building log cabins, canoes and pole lathes to teaching spoon carving and scything skills.  Steve currently works three days a week in the workshop with Charlie Whinney, along side his 'rural skills' business.  http://stevetomlincrafts.wordpress.com/

Mark Porter

Studied music at Oxford and King's and makes websites (like this one) in the time that he doesn't spend teaching music.