We caught up with one of our Project Architects for a quick check-in on what’s keeping them busy. We chatted about the projects currently on their desk and the role they’re playing on each, the challenges they’re navigating day-to-day (and how they’re solving them), and what’s got them excited about the future of architecture. We also dug a little deeper, asking how their approach to design has evolved over their career, what a truly successful project looks like beyond the usual time and budget measures, and the small, often-overlooked details that quietly make all the difference.
What projects are you currently working on? I work across a range of residential and co-living projects in key UK cities and towns, mostly at RIBA Stage 2 taking schemes from feasibility to planning. Key projects include Colchester Riverside, a mixed-use co-living and residential scheme of 340 units, submitted for planning in May 2026 and Greyfriars House in Reading, a 266-unit co-living scheme that secured planning in 2024 and is due on site in 2027. I’m currently also working on two early-stage schemes in Chatham, preparing pre-application presentations for both.
What is your role in these projects? As project architect, I lead the design development from initial concept through to planning submission, understanding the site context, coordinating with consultants and local authorities, and pulling together the final application. On projects that progress beyond planning, I take on a stronger coordination role internally and externally, and I’m heavily involved in leading the BIM modelling (Revit) across the team.
What’s the most exciting development you’re seeing in architecture right now? The growing focus on wellbeing and social connection in design. People expect more from their homes and buildings, and I’m excited to see that prioritised more, particularly in co-living, where good design can actively encourage community and create spaces where people want to interact, work, and relax together.
How has your approach to design evolved over your career? It’s become more considered and user-focused. Designing around the person has always mattered to me, but greater exposure to different architectural styles, ways of living and the design process has given me a deeper understanding to draw from and I hope that shows in the work.
What does a really successful project look like to you, beyond the obvious measures of time and budget? Successful collaboration. A team, both internal and external who feel genuinely able to contribute to the outcome.
Is there a detail or decision in your work that clients rarely notice, but that you know makes all the difference?
The design of circulation and in-between spaces. Corridors are often an afterthought, but they shape how a building feels and flows. In co-living especially, how residents move through a building and how amenity spaces connect can make the difference between a place that feels alive and one that doesn’t so encourages chance encounters, community interaction, and making the most of every square metre.
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