Published13 September 2024Updated6 October 2026
Welcome to the Lichfield Studio, Olivia Hunt
Olivia Hunt joins JSA's Lichfield studio as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant. NTU graduate, a year in practice across the Atlantic, and now working on residential design in the Midlands.
There's a new face in the Lichfield studio. Olivia Hunt joins JSA as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant, fresh from Nottingham Trent and a year in practice across the Atlantic.
There's a new face in the Lichfield studio.
Olivia Hunt joins us as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant. She graduated from Nottingham Trent University, spent a year practising architecture in the United States, and has now made her way back to the Midlands. Which is either a vote of confidence in the region or a sign that American winters are worse than advertised. Possibly both.
From Nottingham to New York
NTU is a fantastic architecture school — practical, delivery-focused, and not shy about preparing graduates for the real world. Olivia came out of it with a good foundation and then, rather than heading straight into a practice close to home, went to work in the United States for a year.
That's worth noting — not because going abroad is inherently impressive, but because practising architecture in a different country means navigating unfamiliar rules, working with people you don't know, and generally having to figure things out without a familiar safety net. She comes to us with a broader frame of reference than most Part 1 graduates, and a decent answer to 'so what did you do after university?'
Olivia will be based in our Lichfield studio, working on early design concepts for residential projects.
Early-stage residential design is where a lot of the decisions that matter get made — before the spreadsheets arrive and everyone starts talking about value engineering. It's a good place to develop an eye for what works, and Olivia has one. She's a sharp, creative designer who, handily, also knows how to listen to a brief before she starts drawing. That combination is less common than it should be.
Outside of work, Olivia hikes, kayaks, and competes in boomerang throwing. We have questions but we're pacing ourselves.
Welcome, Olivia.
We're glad to have you in the Lichfield studio. It's a good team, the projects are interesting, and you'll fit in well.
And if you're working on a residential project in Lichfield or nearby, you now know there's a new person worth speaking to — alongside the rest of the team.
Areas We Cover
JSA Architects Across the Midlands
We work with homeowners, developers, and landlords across the Midlands. Fees, planning authorities, and project types vary by location — find local insight and project examples for your area:
Architects in Derby → — Quarndon, Kirk Langley, Duffield, Allestree, Darley Abbey, Mickleover, Littleover
Architects in Nottingham → — The Park Estate, West Bridgford, Edwalton, Mapperley Park, Wollaton, Bramcote
Architects in Lichfield → — Shenstone, Little Aston, Four Oaks, Streetly, Aldridge, Walsall, Tamworth, Whittington
Architects in Solihull → — Knowle, Dorridge, Hampton in Arden, Shirley, Dickens Heath, Olton
Architects in Sutton Coldfield → — Four Oaks, Wylde Green, Boldmere, Mere Green, Streetly, Little Aston
faq's
Common Questions
Olivia Hunt is a Part 1 Architectural Assistant who joined JSA's Lichfield studio, having graduated from Nottingham Trent University and spent a year in practice in the United States before returning to the Midlands.
Olivia is based in the Lichfield studio, working on early design concepts for residential projects across the region.
NTU's architecture school has a practical, delivery-focused reputation, producing graduates who arrive comfortable working on real projects rather than purely theoretical design.
The Lichfield studio serves residential and other projects across Lichfield and the surrounding area, as one of JSA's studios across the Midlands alongside Derby, Nottingham and Solihull.
Articles
News & Insights
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JSA Appointed for Listed Building Extension in Amber Valley
JSA is appointed to design a sensitive extension to a Grade II listed stone building in Amber Valley, Derbyshire, going to pre-application with CGI support.
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Poor architectural drawings create assumptions, delays and cost. See why clear, accurate information matters to homeowners and commercial clients.
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When does an HMO become flats? See how planning, licensing, building regulations and fire safety diverge, and how co-living developers can reduce risk early.
The New NPPF Is Here: What the 2026 Rewrite Means for Your Project
The new NPPF landed on 17 August 2026 and applies to decisions now. What changed for extensions, garden plots, small sites and Midlands projects.
We're Revisiting Our Leisure Portfolio
Twenty years of Midlands pub, bar and restaurant projects, plus a decade behind the bar. What a busy summer tells you about the building you trade from.
We Built an App That Keeps You in the Room
Datum is JSA's own project app. Every client gets a login: latest drawings, the brief, where planning's got to and what we did this week. Free on every project.
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What Biodiversity Net Gain requires for new developments in England: the 10% target, who's exempt, and how to plan for it from day one.
A 1960s Bungalow Gets a Contemporary Rethink in Lichfield
A modest 1960s bungalow in Lichfield is being extended and reconfigured for downsizing clients. Planning is submitted to Lichfield District Council.
Little Eaton Dormer Bungalows Approved, No Amendments Needed
Two backland dormer bungalows in Little Eaton have been approved by Erewash Borough Council with no amendments needed. Here's why that's rarer than it sounds.
JSA Appointed to Design 'The Forest': 73 Apartments for T&T Asset Group in Derby City Centre
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See the finished restoration of The Grange, a Georgian villa in South Derbyshire. JSA acted as both architect and project manager throughout.
Burley Lane Site Progress Update: Quarndon Home Now Taking Shape
Site progress at Burley Lane in Quarndon: stair structure, basement golf simulator, MVHR routes, full-height glazing and November 2026 completion.
Planning Approved for Bramble Street Office-to-Flats Conversion in Derby
A vacant period office on Bramble Street, Derby, has approval for three flats. Now the unglamorous part: stairs, acoustics, flood notes and drawings.
Justin Smith Architects Is Now JSA Architects
Justin Smith Architects is now JSA Architects. Here’s the story, in Justin’s own words, and what the rebrand means for our clients and the practice.
Welcome to JSA, Joao Bravo
Joao Bravo joins JSA as our 3D artist and visualiser. A University of Derby graduate and qualified architectural technologist, originally from Lisbon.
Light at the End of the Terrace: Contemporary Rear Extension to a Victorian Townhouse in Sutton Coldfield
A contemporary rear extension brings light and space to a Victorian townhouse in Sutton Coldfield, and leaves the period terrace out front exactly as it was.
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JSA is working with British Living Group, one of the Midlands' most commercially minded developers, on a 27-room co-living conversion in Derby.
Lichfield’s Local Plan Might Be Delayed to 2029. If You’re Thinking About a Project, Here’s What That Means for You
Lichfield District Council may delay its 2043 Local Plan. If that sounds like a reason to pause your project, read this first. It probably isn't.
5,500 Homes Are Coming to Walmley. If You’re Already Living There, This Is Your Cue to Stop Putting Off Your Own Project
Birmingham City Council has approved the groundwork for 5,500 new homes near Walmley. If your own project's been on the back burner, this is your sign.
Planning Approved for Brooklands Luxury Dwelling
Golden Brook Developments had a permission for Brooklands and didn't rate the design. We redesigned it, and South Derbyshire has now approved the new scheme.
Planning Submitted: Brooklands' Redesign Heads to South Derbyshire District Council
The design's done and the application's in. Here's what JSA has proposed for Brooklands, a new home in Weston-on-Trent, South Derbyshire.
JSA Architects Appointed to Redesign Brooklands, a Luxury New Build in Weston-on-Trent
A permission existed and a design was on the table. Golden Brook Developments decided it wasn't good enough. They were right, and they called us.
Two Stand-Out Self-Builds Submitted for Full Planning in Little Eaton
Two bespoke self-build homes in Little Eaton designed for standout architecture and smart investment returns.
Major Family Home Remodel Proposed in Repton, South Derbyshire
Modern extension and full internal remodel proposed for character home in sought-after Repton, South Derbyshire.
Planning Appeal Secured for Bold New Home in Quarndon’s Green Belt
A new home in the Quarndon Green Belt, won at appeal. How strategic planning and a strong design got a Green Belt house over the line in Derbyshire.
Windy Rise, Little Eaton: JSA Architects Appointed and Planning Application Submitted
The Windy Rise plot in Little Eaton lost its bungalow to arsonists in 2017, then spent a decade rewilding. Our design for the hillside is now with the council.
Windy Rise Gets the Green Light: Erewash Borough Council Approves the Hillside Home That Made Councillors Say 'Thunderbirds Are Go'
Planning approved at Windy Rise, Little Eaton. Erewash Borough Council approved this Green Belt replacement dwelling 11-1. See how JSA Architects made the case.
Derby Assembly Rooms - Future of City Centre Development
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