Brian Coapes
I just want to say a few words about Brian Coapes, who died recently.
Brian was an old friend and was as one of the last Architects in the Department of Health with a genuine passion for patient environments.
We met at Newcastle University in the 1970s and then worked together briefly in practice in Newcastle – he moved to Newcastle Council and then Northern Region office and eventually NHS Estates in Leeds from the mid-1990s.
He managed to survive endless reorganisations and was one of a handful of property professionals employed by the NHS.
Perhaps his greatest achievements were the development of AEDET and its sisters – ASPECT and IDEAS, working with Brian Lawson and others. He was also heavily involved with the Kings Fund and the Enhancing the Healing Environment programme, as well as The Princes Foundation.
Brian was a family man and leaves his wife, Val, a son and daughter and a small team of grandchildren.
Brian was a member of Architects for Health but didn’t get down from Leeds too often. He was always interested in what we were doing and often had something useful and new to say whenever we spoke.
He was always cheerful and saw the positive side of most situations. But it was his dedication to getting things right for healthcare and the work he was doing that made him a remarkable man.
He will be a huge loss to DH Estates as well as to his family and friends.
Paul Mercer
