Claire L Cardwell

Architectural Designer, Writer & Artist.

I love rain through sunshine, swimming in waterfalls and chasing thunderstorms. bluedesigns.org

Sole Owner & Founder Blue Designs Architectural Designers I am an Architectural Designer with nearly 20 years experience in the Johannesburg Area. I have worked on small projects - double garages, swimming pools etc and new houses from a 1300m2 house in the Featherbrooke Estate, to houses of only 110m2 in size. I also work on renovations, alterations and additions and love Heritage Homes! I have worked on a small complex, a Warehouse, Schools, a Clinic and New Houses in the Waterfall Country Estate, Eagle Canyon & Copperleaf Golf Estate.

In 2017/18 I designed three houses in the Blue Valley Golf Estate and worked on several large renovations and a nursery school.

Specialties: Architectural Design both new projects, additions and renovations. Heritage Renovations and Heritage Commission Approvals, House Plans, Building Plans, Project Management, Town Planning, Municipal Approvals, Council Approvals,

2002 to 2003 Driver Avalon Property Development Whilst I learnt AutoCAD at night I worked on a building site in Krugersdorp during the day.
I was a buyer and general dogsbody and loved every minute of it.
I think everyone who wants to work in architecture should spend the best part of a year on a building site.
London Pre 1999
Group Display Head - Investor's Chronicle Financial Times Investors Chronicle is a weekly investment magazine.
I was responsible for the non financial advertising - clients included BMW and Renault.
I also trained staff in sales and presentation techniques.
I took a redundancy package so I could move to South Africa in June 1999
Sales Executive Financial Times Sales Executive on Financial Advisor a weekly newspaper for financial advisor.

Various sales, marketing and writing jobs. Plus day time coffee shop and au pair work etc. Etc.

1990 to 1994
Researcher Kings College University, London & Bromley Hospital I ran a Study on Caffeine Withdrawal.
My duties included recruiting and monitoring subjects for the trial, testing saliva for caffeine, physiological testing – heart rate, tremor, EEG, - psychological testing – reaction times, mood and performance questionnaires. I wrote a thesis and published papers.

Blog only The Naked Architect. A humorous take on the daily life of an architectural designer. Architecture, Green Building, Design and Sustainability are all laid bare. I am a construction professional tired of secretive construction and design individual  not keeping the general public well informed. Bad practice is dangerous and very bad for the health and safety of workers and residents using a building for work and play #thenakedatchitect #clairelcardwell #clairecardwell #bluedesigns #bluedesignsarchitecturaldesigners