John Cole (architect)


John Cole is an architect from Northern Ireland, working in the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

Professional activities

John Cole is an architect based in Northern Ireland.
He retired in June 2013 from full-time employment in the role of Deputy Secretary and Chief Estates Officer DHSSPS having previously acted as Chief Executive Health Estates Agency. Across that time he was responsible for the oversight and implementation of in excess of £3 billion of capital expenditure covering the full range of health and social care facilities from major regional centres of excellence and new acute hospitals to community hospitals, mental health facilities and primary and community health buildings. He is currently Procurement Champion for the RIBA and was IMPACT assessor in REF2014.
He has been commissioned in 2013 to revise the DCAL Policy for Architecture and the Built Environment.
John Cole understands the link between the quality of designed environments and health. It has been part of his day-to-day practice throughout his career.
With his appointment in 2014 as Honorary Professor in The School of Planning Architecture & Civil Engineering at Queen's University, his insight, experience and connections supports his ongoing endeavors to build an evidence-based research and design culture in architecture and built environment disciplines.
He draws upon on the extensive range of projects that he brought to completion during his times as Chief Executive of Health Estates Agency and latterly Deputy Secretary and Chief Estates Officer DHSSPS to respond to knowledge gaps that Prof. Cole argues Health Care Estate Professionals need answers to.
In 1996-98 he served as President of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects.