James Bussey is a young Norwich-based ‘starchitect’ who, in December 2016, beat worldwide competition to win a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) President’s Medal Award. These awards were established in 1836 to reward young architectural talent, promote innovation and encourage excellence in the study of architecture worldwide. James beat off extremely tough competition, with 130 entries received from 320 universities and 65 countries. James won an award for The Company – a project completed while studying at the University of Kent (where he had already gained a first glass honours degree and later completed a Masters of Architecture with Distinction). James’s winning project represented a series of drawings – plans, sections and isometric drawings – in the form of a graphic novel. He was picked out by the judges for his exceptional drawing skills, becoming the first student from his university to win a RIBA President’s Medal award. James has worked at Hudson Architects since September 2015. One of his objectives in preparing The Company was to break down the complexity of the project and make it more accessible to a public, non-architectural audience. He applies the same approach to his own work at Hudson Architects, where he is leading efforts within the practice to implement new ways of working, in particular providing simple visual material that helps clients and project partners understand a project more clearly. In his spare time James is exploring how new technology can help architects and clients create better buildings through harnessing virtual reality (VR) technology.
