Business of Architecture UK Podcast

This week on Business of Architecture UK, we are welcoming business coach and entrepreneur, Ray Brown. Ray has worked at CEO-levels across six companies and was selected to join the international business coaching organization, Shirlaws Group. Knowing there was a significant gap in architects not being educated on how to run a practice, Ray co-founded Archibiz, where they offer business mentoring...

Welcome back the fabulous Jim Stephenson, an architectural photographer and film maker based in the UK. Jim has an incredible portfolio of leading architects around the world like Peter Zumthor, David Adjaye, Gianni Botsford, Studio Weave, Warner Yard, The Macallan, RSHP, and more. Discover the power of architectural film making in creating versatile marketing collateral. Jim tells us how he takes...

Hello and welcome to the Business of Architecture. I'm your host Rion Willard. This week I am speaking with Tim Bell, Hari Phillips, and Melissa Dowler, the Directors and Co-Founders of Bell Phillips Architects. In this conversation, we talk about how Tim and Hari founded the practice and what sorts of challenges a younger practice might be facing now if they were to follow the same route. We go d...

Matteo Zallio, M.Arch, Ph. D., is an award-winning designer, researcher, and adjunct professor. He is currently a Marie Curie senior research fellow at the University of Cambridge, a research associate at Hughes Hall, previously a Fulbright fellow at Stanford University, and an A. Graves fellow at Technological University Dublin. As a curious researcher, passionate inventor, and UX design strategi...

This week, I am speaking with Arnaud Zannier, Founder of Zannier Hotel Group. This is a must-listen for those firms who are interested in working in high-end hospitality. Arnaud entered into hospitality after a successful career running his own fashion brand.  When building the Zannier Group brand, Arnaud's focus was on creating an alternative luxury experience, which led to developing a series of...

Are architectural services commoditized? Here's the problem: it isn't uncommon for clients to undervalue architectural services, to undervalue what it is that we do. And when they don't value it, they don't want to pay for it. This leads to a race to the bottom and unrealistic and hard to meet expectations of clients. Today I'm joined by Rion Willard. After training at London's Bartlett School of...

This week, we're sharing with you one of the workshops held by Business of Architecture with a special guest, Jonathan Reeves. Jonathan is an award-winning architect, author and educator. He's the Owner and Director of Jonathan Reeves Architects with offices in Loughborough, Leicestershire, and previously North Devon working nationally and internationally. He also runs JRA Vectorworks, an authoris...

Every year here at Business of Architecture we take on a select number of firms to work with to implement the Smart Practice Method. As part of this process, we run a yearly transformation contest to celebrate the growth and continual success of these firm owners. Today, you'll hear five of their stories. Each of these firm owners has shown courage, passion and drive in their stand to be the best...

This week, we have Jake Rudin and Erin Pellegrino, Founders of Out of Architecture, a career consulting firm interested in exploring the value of their skills both in and out of the architectural profession. Jake has a decade of experience in building things from the ground up. At Adidas, he leads teams in Computational Design, Digital Technologies, and Pattern Engineering.  Previously, Jake was t...

This week, I'm speaking with Studio Banana the Co-Founder, Key Kawamura. In 2007, Key and friend, Ali Ganjavian, decided to start their own architecture and product design firm, Studio Banana, specializing in creating solutions and strategies for diverse workplaces. Studio Banana is responsible for the globally acclaimed OSTRICHPILLOW® and involved in high-yield, high-impact innovative projects fo...

This week, I'm speaking with the brilliant Paul Iddon of AgencyPSI. Paul has got over 30 years of experience in construction, architecture, and marketing. He's run his own architecture firm, OMI Architects, and then h developed his own marketing agency, developing brand and engagement strategies with architects and manufacturers. Paul is also the Vice President of the Manchester Society of Archite...

Are you being compensated both in recognition and money for the enormous value you bring to the table as an architect? Do your clients clearly recognize your value? Can they articulate it? Can YOU articulate it?  Often there is a misalignment between the perception of us as architects and our clients in terms of the value of our services.  It is a basic question, our services are valuable, but how...

This week, I am speaking to Seán McAlister, one of the Co-Founders of Seán and Stephen, an architectural practice based in East London who specialize in residential, public work, art installations, residential development, co-working spaces, as well as temporary museum installations, and high street regeneration projects. Many architects that I speak to are looking at new ways of evolving their bu...

This week, I'm speaking with Simon Pitkeathley. Simon is the CEO of the business improvement district, Camden Town Unlimited and the Euston Town, as well as being the CEO of the Camden Collective and the Camden Highline.  He's also the Co-chair of the Cross River Partnership and the Chair of Camden Giving.  Simon sites on the London Enterprise Action Partnership, otherwise known as LEAP, and is it...

This week, I'm speaking with Jane Middlehurst, one of the founders of HomeNotes - a learning platform that teaches and helps people navigate the often complex and stressful process of home renovation. Jane is an Architect and RIBA client adviser who set up Poulsom Middlehurst in 2012, an architectural practice specialising in residential architecture, with her Co-Founder Amy Poulsom.  After both b...

This week, I'm speaking with Jason Geen and James Ewen of Apt. Jason started his career at Ellis Williams where he worked on The Stirling Prize-nominated Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts, then working at Stanton Williams and YRM, before joining Apt in 2011. At Apt, Jason is a Director, Studio Leader, and member of the Board. He has been instrumental in the development and growth of the company...

This week, I'm speaking with Ackroyd Lowrie co-Founder and Director, Oliver Lowrie. Prior to starting Ackroyd Lowrie with partner Jon Ackroyd, Oliver spent 10 years working at Architype where he was responsible for developing a modular, timber-framed construction system that was used by several London Boroughs to deliver new Primary Schools and Nurseries. He studied at Sheffield University for his...

This week, we have strategic partner and coach Britta Siggelkow of THINK:BUILD and architect James Hampton, Founding Director of New Makers Bureau. Britta is an accredited professional coach and consultant, and an experienced architect in the built environment, whose career has taken her around the world including Australia, Germany, and the UK.  In 2018, she founded THINK:BUILD, a coaching and co...

This week, I'm speaking with Tania Ostanina, User Experience Designer for LexisNexis. Tania had a fully-established career in architecture, reaching up to a senior associate role, before deciding to shift gears and take on human-computer interaction design. In 2019, she took her Master's degree in Human Computer Interaction, and has been awarded the Outstanding Project Prize by the Department of C...

This week, I'm speaking with Rodrigo Moreno Masey, Founder and Director of Moreno Masey Architecture Studio.  Rod is a qualified architect and a member of the RIBA and ARB. He has worked on a wide range of projects, specialising in residential developments, private houses, concept and boutique restaurants, office spaces, bars, and hotels. Graduating from Bartlett in 1999, he cut his teeth in West...

This week, I'm speaking with Doug Johnson, Director and Founder of Mesh Energy, an independent renewable energy consultant firm aiming to radically improve the chances of sustainable building project success. Doug is the first "Meshling," a chartered mechanical engineer, author, and has over a decade of experience in the sustainable design and delivery of low-energy buildings. Having initially sta...

This week, we welcome back Sue Austin of Sue Austin Consulting and Juliette Mitchell of Architypal. Sue has 30 years of senior and director-level experience in large and small scale organizations and, for the last five years, has worked exclusively with owners of architecture practices and design studios, helping to address the complex challenges of running a business. Juliette runs a writing cons...

This week, I'm speaking with Stefanie Sword-Williams, self-promotion expert, author, and Founder of the global movement, F*ck Being Humble. Stefanie spent 7 years working in advertising, becoming an expert in storytelling before writing the book and starting the movement F*ck Being Humble as a way to teach and encourage people to tell their own stories and change how the world views self-promotion...

This week, I'm speaking with Viviano Villarreal, the Founder of the architecture and design studio of Mass Operations with offices in Hong Kong and Mexico. Graduating from Tec de Monterrey in Mexico with a degree in architecture and a Masters in Design Theory and Pedagogy from SCI-Arc in Los Angeles, Viviano has had quite a bit of a journey, career-wise and geographically, traveling the world whil...