Nathan Cornish MRICS is a director with the property development group Urban Splash and managing director of Urban Splash Midlands and South West, with responsibility for the group's development operations.
Nathan joined Urban Splash in 2002 and has been responsible for major projects such as The Rotunda (conversion of 234 apartments above Bullring Centre in Birmingham), Fort Dunlop (conversion of Birmingham's iconic 500,000 sq ft former tyre factory into offices/retail), Royal William Yard in Plymouth (redevelopment of the 450,000 sq ft Grade I listed historic dockyard) and Chimney Port Park Salford (transformation of Victorian terraces into upside down houses).
Nathan's property career began when he graduated from Reading University in 1996 and started work for Slough Estates. Two years later he changed to work for Saville Gordon Estates, where he stayed from 1998-2001, working on development projects throughout the UK
Nathan likes variety and professes to enjoy tackling tricky projects, especially ones that have been flagged up as undeliverable by market experts.
He has a genuine love of architecture - especially bungalows - and is a keen fan of Nottingham Forest Football Club.
What attracted you to Property Development?
I have always liked property and wanted to do something positive with buildings. I chose to do a degree that meant something and Reading's Land Management degree was a decent course that led to my first job with Slough Estates (Segro). Property is a small difficult industry to break into, but the fact that I didn't have a public school background and my family had no connections with the property world wasn't a hindrance.
Why did you want to join Urban Splash?
I became disillusioned with the plc mentality of the two big companies that I worked for. There was only a certain way that things could be done. So I gave it all up to go travelling for a year and then decided that I would either go and work for Urban Splash or retrain as a sports journalist. Tom Bloxham the Chairman of Urban Splash wanted someone to shadow him for a couple of years. At the time Urban Splash was a relatively new company doing New York style loft apartments, but it had an amazing reputation for being design conscious. I was very attracted to its style and the fact that the company wasn't burdened by a rule book. I liked its entrepreneurial spirit.
What do you enjoy most about your role with Urban Splash?
It's the freedom that I enjoy most, bringing on projects and just getting things done. On my first day of work with Urban Splash, I was given a 5ft high pile of files and told to "sort that one out". That pile was Fort Dunlop, which at the time was a derelict storage depot. I have a particularly broad role at the moment. Because of the market we're not doing as much development and we are all having to multitask and get stuck into different parts of the business. It's a difficult time, but it's proving a good learning experience.
Any crowning achievements in your career that you are particularly proud of and why?
Fort Dunlop is my biggest achievement to date, particularly as everyone said it was undeliverable. That together with the Rotunda, which was done at around the same time. It was an honour and a responsibility being involved with two such iconic buildings. It was a remarkable period when everything was going right, from the construction of the projects to the market.
Would you recommend working in the property industry?
It's a tough, hard working business and not a road to an easy fortune. Some people make out that it's a very intellectual profession, but you don't need to be a brain surgeon. I do think that a genuine interest in buildings is important. There are a lot of people who don't care about property, but I feel that has an enormous effect on the enjoyment of the job.
What type of problems do you have to solve when developing a listed building? Contrary to what you would expect, there are lots of advantages in developing listed buildings, such as tax breaks. There are fewer conflicts than you would expect with bodies such as English Heritage, because they like what we are doing and know that what we produce is good quality.
Do you have separate target audiences for each development you undertake?
We don't specifically target different market sectors and we do relatively little forward market research. What we aim at is people who are interested in good quality design. Grade I listed buildings, like the Royal William Yard in Plymouth sell themselves. Plus we employ great architects.
What are the biggest changes you have noticed in property since the crunch?
Lack of confidence, limited new projects and the fact that there are a lot of so-called experts, being paid a lot of money and acting as advisors for banks, but who have no experience in delivering property. They are paid to tell you what you can't do, but won't tell you how to do it.
Do you think Help to Buy is going to get the market moving?
The Homes and Communities Agency has been rolling out these products for a number of years and we've been using them a lot. I think Help to Buy is a sensible solution that will help lending for first time buyers. As banks become more confident, deposits will decrease and I certainly don't believe Help to Buy will create a property bubble.
What sets Urban Splash apart from other developers?
The big difference is that we believe in our brand. We're enormously proud when estate agents refer to a building as an Urban Splash property. We don't throw out a formula that can be applied anywhere. We care about design and old buildings and try to apply a localised solution. It's about bringing out the best in a place.
Why the passion for bungalows?
I bought a bungalow two and a half years ago and have just finished connecting it with a wacky extension. Bungalows have such an OAP tag to them, yet in reality they are a city centre flat in an urban location. They need to be reinvented.
Any future burning ambitions in property?
I have a strong desire to change housing design and to do something different from standard box-like housing. There is a huge gap in the market waiting to be filled - the volume housebuilders have been getting away with the same designs for too long now.
Favourite book? Provided You Don't Kiss Me: 20 Years with Brian Clough by Duncan Hamilton
Favourite Film? Trainspotting
Favourite way to unwind? Anything that involves exercise or travel.
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