An advocate for design excellence, Malcolm founded Malcolm Reading Consultants in 1996 after six years as Director of Design and Architecture at the British Council.
He has created a unique competitions service, which is trusted by architects and attuned to the realities of successful capital projects.
Trained as an architect, Malcolm is widely recognised within the profession. He has set new standards in procurement and is known for his loyalty to demanding projects.
His leadership abilities have been tested at the highest level with clients as diverse and high-profile as NATO, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Arts South Australia, the British Library, the Rothschild Foundation, Qatar Museums, the Cadogan Estate, the Millennium Bridge Trust, Mumbai City Museum, New College, Oxford and the V&A.
In recognition of his broad range of experience, Malcolm was asked to join the Sovereign Grant Audit Committee in June 2015. He is an honorary fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Previously, he was a trustee of Edinburgh World Heritage (2012 – 15) and English Heritage (2015 – 2018). He was on the board of Historic Royal Palaces for an unprecedented three terms (2005 – 2014) and remains chairman of the UNESCO Tower of London World Heritage Site Consultative Committee.
Frequently asked to comment on issues of interest within the design community, Malcolm was a keynote speaker at the 2017 International Museums Construction Congress in Copenhagen and at the Maltese Planning Authority’s ‘Planning Today, for Tomorrow’ conference (2017). He has been a judge for World Architecture News’ 21 for 21 Award, the American Institute of Architects’ UK Excellence in Design Award, and the Prix W architectural prize.
Malcolm has Bachelor’s and Diploma degrees in Architecture from the University of Bristol and a Diploma in Management from Cranfield University.