About Us
owens galliver associates
formerly owens galliver architects
Chris Owens gained degrees at Cambridge University and Oxford Polytechnic, with a special interest in existing buildings. Paul Galliver gained both his degrees at Kingston Polytechnic, well known for its emphasis on imaginative and thorough design.
After reaching senior levels at a leading national architecture practice, the then Chartered Architects established Owens Galliver Architects in 1992 in the village of Pangbourne, in the Thames Valley between Reading, Oxford, Henley and Newbury.
Paul retired in 2018, and Chris semi-retired in 2024, relinquishing his Registration as an Architect at the end of the year.
Chris had over 38 years professional experience as an Architect, and is still committed to providing soundly based pragmatic assistance and advice for his clients.
Chris’s broad spectrum of experience ranges from site based historic research, through analysis and feasibility studies to design and approvals. He is also experienced in construction information and management of construction contracts, as Contract Administrator or as Client Representative.
The success of the practice results from the close involvement and personal interests of the Partners in the projects they worked on, combining creative, inventive design with an approach that is commercially aware and practical. With all projects there is a balance of functional requirements with design quality, achieving efficiency, practicality, excitement and attractiveness, all in a regulatory and physical context.
Key to our work is a full understanding of the sites and buildings, and we like to work closely with the clients to help them achieve their ambitions. Much of our work, including new buildings, is in sensitive contexts such as Conservation Areas and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and often relates to buildings of great character and age, many of which are Listed.
A high proportion of our clients are people and organisations unaccustomed to the process of designing and building a project and therefore benefit from a more personal approach.
Although based in West Berkshire and the Thames Valley, we have completed projects as far afield as Wandsworth, Tring, Reigate, Southampton, Bristol, Andover and Oxford.
With many years of experience behind us, we have knowledge of many of the issues raised during design and construction including local and national planning policy, historic building legislation and principles, party walls, tree protection, ecology, flooding, drainage, ground conditions, highways requirements, contaminated land, legal agreements and much more.
