Ben Pentreath

{{Short description|English architect and interior designer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | image = | caption = | birth_name = Benjamin Toby Pentreath | birth_date = November 1971 | birth_place = [[Dorchester, Dorset|Dorchester]], England | alma_mater = [[University of Edinburgh]] | occupation = | years_active = | spouse = {{marriage|Charlie McCormick|2015}} | website = {{URL|https://www.benpentreath.com/}} }}

'''Benjamin Toby Pentreath''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}} (born November 1971) is an English architectural and interior designer who runs Ben Pentreath Ltd, a [[Royal Institute of British Architects|RIBA]] chartered practice, and Pentreath & Hall, which sells home furnishings. ''[[Country Life (magazine)|Country Life]]'' called him one of the "best country house architects in Britain".<ref name=CL>{{Cite web|url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/architecture/the-35-best-country-house-architects-in-britain-151628|title=The best architects in Britain, from Country Life's secret address book|date=17 March 2021|website=Country Life|access-date=22 April 2021}}</ref>

Pentreath is responsible for much of the development since 2009 of [[Poundbury]].<ref name=Guardian>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/oct/27/poundbury-prince-charles-village-dorset-disneyland-growing-community|title=A royal revolution: is Prince Charles's model village having the last laugh?|date=27 October 2016|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=22 April 2021}}</ref><ref name=AJ>{{Cite web|url=https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/poundbury-mastermind-leon-kriers-south-coast-smart-town-approved|title=Poundbury mastermind Leon Krier's south coast 'smart town' approved|first=Greg|last=Pitcher|website=Architectsjournal.co.uk|date=30 July 2020|access-date=22 April 2021}}</ref><ref name=AM>{{cite news |last1=Rybczynski |first1=Witold |title=Behind the Façade of Prince Charles's Poundbury |url=https://www.architectmagazine.com/design/behind-the-facade-of-prince-charless-poundbury_o |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=Architect Magazine |publisher=American Institute of Architects |date=3 December 2013}}</ref> He has also done other work for the [[Duchy of Cornwall]], including a development in [[Truro]].<ref name=DoC>{{Cite web|url=https://duchyofcornwall.org/truro.html/|title=Truro | The Duchy of Cornwall|website=Duchyofcornwall.org|access-date=22 April 2021}}</ref>

As an interior designer, he has worked for the [[Catherine, Princess of Wales|Princess of Wales]] on the refurbishment of [[Anmer Hall]].<ref name="HG">{{Cite web|url=https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/article/anmer-hall-interiors|title=A look at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's country house, Anmer Hall|website=House & Garden|date=7 April 2020 |access-date=22 April 2021}}</ref>

==Early life== Pentreath was born in [[Dorchester, Dorset|Dorchester]]<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.ft.com/content/3e0f7c90-9d41-11e3-a599-00144feab7de|title=Why I would rather rent two homes than buy one of my own|journal=Financial Times|first=Ben|last=Pentreath|date=28 February 2014|accessdate=17 December 2023}}</ref> and grew up in an old stone barn.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.ft.com/content/97fbcb38-e16c-11e1-92f5-00144feab49a|title=The rooms of our lives|journal=Financial Times|first=Ben|last=Pentreath|date=17 August 2012|accessdate=15 December 2023}}</ref> He graduated from the [[University of Edinburgh]] in 1995 with a degree in Art History. He took up further studies at the [[Institute of Architecture]]. Pentreath moved to Norfolk to work for architectural designer Charles Morris, and then to New York for five years, before returning to England in 2003.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/property-home/article/why-is-britain-so-obsessed-with-old-buildings-ds3h95g6k|title=Why is Britain so obsessed with old buildings?|journal=The Sunday Times|first=Rosie|last=Kinchen|date=15 October 2023|access-date=15 December 2023}}{{subscription required}}</ref> He set up his [[Bloomsbury]]-based architecture and design firm in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://driehausprize.nd.edu/laureates/ben-pentreath/|title=Ben Pentreath: 2023 Laureate|website=Driehaus Prize|date=2023|accessdate=15 December 2023}}</ref> This was followed by his design store Pentreath & Hall in 2008.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

==Personal life== Pentreath married New Zealand florist Charlie McCormick in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pentreath-hall.com/blogs/inspiration/the-best-ever-blog|title=The best ever blog?|website=Pentreath & Hall|author=Ben|date=12 July 2015|accessdate=16 December 2023}}</ref> The couple live between a Georgian flat in Bloomsbury, London; the Old Parsonage in [[Littlebredy]], Dorset; and a bothy on the [[Argyll]] coast of Scotland.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://bibleofbritishtaste.com/old-albion-ben-pentreath-charlie-mccormick-and-the-old-parsonage|title=Old Albion, Ben Pentreath, Charlie McCormick and their Old Parsonage.|journal=Bible of British Taste|date=14 October 2018|accessdate=16 December 2023}}</ref>

==Books== * {{cite book |last1=Pentreath |first1=Ben |title=English Decoration |date=2012 |publisher=Ryland Peters & Small |location=London |isbn=9781849752664 |pages=189}} * {{cite book |last1=Pentreath |first1=Ben |title=English Houses |date=2016 |publisher=Ryland Peters & Small |location=London |isbn= 9781849757539 |pages=223}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://www.benpentreath.com/ Official website] *[https://pentreath-hall.com/ Pentreath & Hall]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pentreath, Ben}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:21st-century English architects]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]] [[Category:Artists from Dorset]] [[Category:People educated at Sandroyd School]] [[Category:English gay artists]] [[Category:LGBTQ architects]] [[Category:New Classical architects]] [[Category:Driehaus Architecture Prize winners]] [[Category:English interior designers]] [[Category:People from Dorchester, Dorset]] [[Category:1971 births]]