Ian Banks collaborates regularly with associate architect and friend for over 40-years Julien (Jules) Karczewski.

Jules graduated from Manchester and soon joined Benedict Smith Associates where he was instrumental in the creation of the ‘Village’ quarter of the city with the design of Manto, a contemporary bar in Canal Street.

Locating to Taiwan and then to Hong Kong in 1991, he was responsible for the design of many high rise commercial and residential projects in the emerging China market and the Pacific Rim including the refurbishment of one of Hong Kong’s iconic hotels, the Peninsula.

Invited back to Manchester in 1997 to set up the in-house architecture studio for Carol Ainscow’s Artisan, an independent developer/contractor, Jules was responsible for the first city centre loft style apartments. Jules went on to design and site manage the Albion Works project, a large residential and office development, one of the pioneering developments in the emerging Ancoats district of Manchester.

Joining Darling Associates in 2013, Jules was responsible as Associate for the design of a number of challenging projects in the residential, hotel and leisure sectors.

Since 2020, Jules has been operating as a freelance architect.