Architect | Expert Witness

David qualified as an Architect in 1976 before gaining experience in the Civil Service sector and private practice in both the UK and Africa. He founded Cowan Architects Limited in 1983.

He is recognised as one of the UK’s leading Expert Witnesses in disability housing and has given papers on disability matters at a number of conferences and seminars, to both healthcare professionals, solicitors and fellow building professionals. He has also lectured at The School of Geriatric Medicine at Birmingham University.

David is a member of the Centre for Accessible Environments and the Society of Expert Witnesses and is listed in the Law Society’s Register of Expert Witnesses.

David is also an experienced heritage and conservation architect and sat on Chichester DAC’s approved architects list from 1979 to 2021. He was the Inspecting Architect for a number of other historically important buildings in the local area, including Scotney Castle and Standen and Batemans.

David Cowan has been involved with those with special needs since 1983. Initially involved with designing for the elderly, he has lectured at the Department of Gerontology at Birmingham University on designing for the elderly.

David worked for the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in Putney where he has been involved for 20 years both in the creation of new specialised units for such complex illnesses as Huntington’s as well as the refurbishment of the existing 19th-century Nightingale wards to provide 20th century solutions including individual bedrooms.

His experience spans the range of healthcare buildings from doctors’ surgeries, through group care homes and individual’s homes to major hospitals.

He has worked with a number of Housing Associations bringing his community health skills to provide mixed housing that meets a cross section of need.

David Cowan has been involved in preparing reports for special needs housing for personal injury cases both for those on Legal Aid and for privately funded cases. He has also acted on behalf of a number of Health Authorities, in Road Traffic Accident cases for Insurance Companies and the Motor Insurers Bureau; and for the Medical Protection Society since 1989. He also works extensively for a number of Claimants’ solicitors.

David Cowan has undertaken work throughout the United Kingdom and Eire. He has also worked on cases within the jurisdiction of the British Courts for clients living in France, Spain, Italy, the United States and New Zealand.

He was a member of a working party assessing alternatives to the Roberts & Johnstone judgement as a formula for house purchase in short life expectancy cases. He has lectured on the implications of the more recent Swift v. Carpenter judgement by the Supreme Court.

He holds the Cardiff University Certificate of Accreditation for Expert Witnesses.

David Cowan has published a number of articles on design for the elderly and disabled.