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We're super excited because in our next episode, we're sitting down with Bronte Turner, the Managing Director of HLW since 2012.
Curated content, insights and opportunities to accelerate your career in Architecture, Design, Development and Real Estate to the next level.
What is it like to work at HLW Architects. Ft, Bronte Turner
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[00:00:00]
Stephen Drew: Hello, hello. It's Thursday. One more day. Christmas is almost here. I was in Asda's yesterday and they were playing Christmas songs already. My goodness. All right. I want you to put the Revit model away. Just, I don't know. It's lunchtime. Take a chill pill. We're going to learn all about some cool stuff and a practice you may or may not have heard of.
All right, 15 seconds.
Hello everyone and welcome to this live stream special. Christmas is almost here, I know. We're eyeing up the pub as we can speak. [00:01:00] All that stuff. However, I'm glad you're with me in the short term. Oh my goodness, my headphones falling down. I'm just that excited. Because I have an awesome guest here. Now, that's from an architecture practice that I've heard about before.
However, together we're going to learn a little bit about Who HLW are and the person that is gonna bring us into that whole world is Bronte, who is managing director. How are you?
Bronte: I'm very well, thanks for having me. Sure,
Stephen Drew: re I really appreciate you here. Now, just before we talk about,~ uh,~ HLW, the design studio ~and,~ and I've get to, got to know you a little bit before this, maybe some people in the audience haven't met you before.
So can you just tell us a quick little bit about yourself?
Bronte: about myself or about HLW?
Stephen Drew: We can do both together.
Bronte: Okay, so much to tell you about. ~Um, well, ~I might, I'll start with HLW. So HLW are an American,~ um,~ or a global architecture firm founded in New York ~many, ~[00:02:00] many years ago. In fact, we're one of the oldest architecture firms in the world, 1885. ~Um, ~but I guess, Although we're quite old,~ um,~ we have, ~I guess, ~tried to stay relevant and in touch and evolved with our clients and are very proud of our legacy.
But I guess our legacy,~ um, You know, ~talks to us as a firm and as a group of people always wanting to continuously change and evolve the built environment to match society's needs. And,~ um,~ I guess that legacy is something we're really proud of. ~Um, you know, ~we first started working in America with Alexander Bell on his telephone exchanges ~many, ~many years ago, and we're still working today with some of the kind of, Most cutting edge, innovative clients in the world in tech sectors, in all sorts of sectors, actually, ~and ~and base build and landlord and developer world.
~So, ~we're very proud of that legacy. Here in London, we've been in London for about 30 years. And predominantly reflect, our [00:03:00] work in London reflects, ~I guess, ~society in London, so a lot of financial sector work, a lot of technology sector work, as well as a lot of base build, repositioning work that really, ~I guess, um, ~bounces off and addresses, ~you know, ~current client and end user needs.
~Um.~
Stephen Drew: Very cool. And as we can see here, some beautiful stuff. I love that. So we got all the heritage over the years, but also there's a kind of fresh take on work. Now you have been at HLW for a little bit. I am dying to know a little bit more about yourself, though. How does your world in architecture and you coming into HLW, can you tell us a little bit about that story?
Bronte: Sure. ~Um, ~so I joined AWS, I think it was in 2009. I have to maybe go back to my LinkedIn and just double check that. Around 2009. I'm actually an interior designer by trade,~ um,~ and have always worked in architecture firms as part of the interior design team on all sorts of projects. ~You know, ~you might hear from my accent, I'm Australian.
So back in the day I worked,~ um,~ in Australia for a firm. ~Um, ~that we [00:04:00] did a lot of multi res, high rise development, as well as corporate interiors, everything ~kind of ~in between. ~Um, ~and just had itchy feet, ~I guess, ~as a person that was passionate about travel, seeing the world. I think architects and designers, ~you know, ~definitely have a trait or a thread that runs through them, which is curiosity.
And I had a big, not just a thread, I had a big Rope running through my body that I just wanted to travel and see the world and understand design and what it means to different cultures and how it responds to different climates, etc. So I made the decision in 2005 to move to the UK and started working in London.
It was a very busy industry at the time right before I guess the last recession 2009 hit, but just came to a vibrant bursting city that you know It was inspirational to me and here I am 20 something years or almost 20 years later. I'm still here, [00:05:00] still designing, still inspired by a lot of things around me and a lot of people around me.
Stephen Drew: I, that's brilliant. ~I love, ~I love, and I love little stories where, you know, oh, I'll just go to London for a bit and ~you, you, ~you find that job.
Bronte: year working holiday visa I came out on and here I am married with two kids and a mortgage and a dog. ~So, you know, ~life takes you down roads that you least expect, but it's been wonderful.
Stephen Drew: ~well, ~that's brilliant. ~And, ~and it's quite nice ~that, that, that, ~that, that has happened. ~So, you know, um, I'm, I'm, I'm, ~I'm glad to hear, and hey, it's always good to know that HRW supported you with that visa application and all that stuff as well. ~So.~ Yeah, I
Bronte: actually So I was just going to say it's one of the, I think one of the best things about working at HRW is we have a very diverse workforce from all around the world, but also we have a fair bit of inter office travel. We work, ~you know, ~although we're Seeing to be a very large firm, we very much embrace a small firm agility, working together, communicating, [00:06:00] being transparent.
~So, you know, ~we've had one of our senior designers in the London office has just moved back after working seven years in the States, working on one of the biggest projects in the world, actually,~ um,~ in the Google Gradient project. Likewise, we've got a senior designer who's from our LA office. One of our,~ um,~ designers that did actually did her internship year with us is now living and working in LA.
So ~it's an, ~it's an amazing group of people that,~ um,~ love to work together, love learning about each other and,~ um, you know, ~really bounce off each other.
Stephen Drew: brilliant. I love that. It's good to know that as well. I think that's very important. So I'm glad that you keep that in mind, that kind of small, close knit team, ~you know, ~but also you get to work on some cool, big projects because you can handle that as well.
Bronte: Yeah.
Stephen Drew: What I was going to say, if you want, because we've got that video on YouTube is so I thought it would be cool to maybe show the audience that and then afterwards we, ~I mean, ~if anyone's got any questions, then please feel [00:07:00] free to do it.
Otherwise we can just continue to ~kind of ~unpick all the cool stuff behind the scenes in the HLW office. But are you happy if I put that video on just now?
Bronte: for it. Yeah.
Stephen Drew: cool. Now, you, as well, you've just got to keep an eye on the tech here, so I'm relying on you, Bronte. If you can't hear it or anything like that, you've just got to jump in.
Don't be polite, ~you know, ~just tell it to me
Bronte: All right.
Stephen Drew: Okay, because I, this is the preview to when I was like, it's a part one, just trying to get it up, panicking in the presentation, going, oh, no, but let's
Bronte: Three years ago, trying to use Teams.
Stephen Drew: yeah,~ well,~ that's,~ well,~ Teams wasn't, when I was a part, ~you know, ~part one, it was all about getting the drawings printed out in the rooms and stuff.
And they really wasn't much virtual,
Bronte: I spent the first 12 months on a drawing board because my boss at the time was like, you learn to put pen to paper and you learn to think about design if you have to scratch it out with a razor blade. So I spent the first 12 months, ~you know, ~with a pen and a drawing board before I was allowed to move to AutoCAD.
We weren't on Revit in those days. [00:08:00] Yeah!
Stephen Drew: that I haven't bound the documents ready. But ~I, ~I'm confident even
Bronte: Who can use a binder anymore?
Stephen Drew: ~well, ~if there is one knocking around, I am actually your man for that task. ~You know, ~getting it all right, making sure it all fits, running up and down.
I enjoyed it. But anyways, I will. I will quit digressing and I'll put on the trailer now. So here we go. Can you hear it?
Bronte: Yeah. I can hear it.[00:09:00] [00:10:00] [00:11:00] [00:12:00]
Stephen Drew: There we go. ~Very, ~very cool. Now I just noticed I'm not subscribed. So I'm going to subscribe live. So where I am subscribed, everyone should check out as well, the HLW,~ uh, um, ~Design YouTube channel, right? It's there. We've got some cool stuff coming out. Now, that was such a cool office and all this stuff, and it was quite nice to see in there.
And it seemed like a few good characters there. Was it John, the office manager mentioned about going down the pub? Now I know it's not [00:13:00] all about that, but it's good to know that you can have a laugh while doing these beautiful projects as well. And my goodness, we weren't short of them. There's lots of cool schemes.
So tell me more about the London office then.
Bronte: So I was going to say, we have quite a strong culture globally, but in the London office,~ um,~ we like to work hard and we like to play hard. ~Um, ~we like to, ~you know, ~educate ourselves,~ um,~ all of those sorts of things. So as a team, we actually now do post COVID, we actually have HLW Wednesday. All smashed into one, HOW Wednesday,~ um,~ and we have a roster of,~ um,~ team activities.
~So, ~once a month we have a Global Town Hall, once a month we have Supplier Speed Dating, where we invite suppliers to come in, they get to meet and interact with our team, but our team also get to meet four or five new suppliers that they don't meet on everyday, ~you know, ~cycles. ~Um, ~we have exchange sessions, we have share sessions, and we have tricks.
Out to, ~you know, ~the Serpentine Gallery or whatever it may be that's relevant and interesting at that time. ~Um, ~we [00:14:00] have, we are very well known in, in, in the industry for what's called Halloween. ~Um, ~so the London office hosts Halloween party every year, and it's essentially our client and colleague thanks for an amazing year party.
~Um, ~and we just actually had it last Thursday, 2nd of November. ~Um, ~and it was. Awesome and crazy and some amazing costumes. The Edge of W team dress up in a surprise theme costume every year. So this year we were blue vampires. ~Um, you know, ~over the years we've been construction zombies and all sorts. We've even done flash mob dances.
~um, ~that we've been known of. ~Um, ~so it's been, it was 10 years,~ um,~ this year. So it was a ~big, ~big event, an anniversary and ~it was, ~it was an ~awesome, ~awesome party. So you can go on to our blog and I think the photos are going up today. ~So, um, ~yeah, those sorts of things are what really, ~I guess, ~strengthen and embed a culture and we're very proud of that.
Stephen Drew: Brilliant. Oh, wow. I'm glad that the podcast is booked in today. It gives you guys all time to settle down after Halloween.
Bronte: ~Had, ~[00:15:00] had we been Thursday last week, you would see in the background here a team of ~like ~five or six makeup artists and a lot of people working on Revit that already had their hair and makeup done and you have like zombies sitting in the office working on a building. It's hilarious that they ~kind of ~preamble to the party.
Stephen Drew: I love it. ~Well, ~I think that's really important, isn't it? Because we all love architecture. Yes, you can build beautiful buildings. There's going to be hard times as well, because it's tricky. You're managing the building, all that stuff. However, you've got to, it's a team, isn't it? And as a team, it's really important
Bronte: 100 percent and our team isn't just the HLW team, our team is our industry and ~you know, ~inviting along our colleagues that we work and we work really hard with during that, ~you know, ~during the year. Not just our clients, ~but you know, ~the MEP consultants that, ~you know, ~all the engineers, the contractors, the teams that we've delivered some amazing projects with, ~you know, ~we're very proud of those relationships and we like to celebrate with them, which is what Halloween is about.
Bye bye.
Stephen Drew: I love that. ~Uh, ~that's great. ~And, ~[00:16:00] and,~ um,~ it's quite interesting because you meant you touched upon it earlier. So you're an interior designer. There's a lot of architects as well at HLW. So how many, my goodness, what kind of disciplines have we got going on here and cool stuff? I'd love to know.
Bronte: So predominantly we're architecture and interior designers,~ um,~ but we also have what we call specialty studios in house as well. So we have,~ um,~ we've got a name for everything, so we've got our Arc Studio, who are a workplace strategist ~and, ~and strategy team, and they do everything from,~ um,~ master plan strategies and briefing and engagements through to change management, and they develop some, ~you know, ~global guidelines to, for global companies that probably shall remain nameless, but big tech companies that want consistency across their portfolio.
So our team also run our research and insights team and they do research into all sorts of interesting things that are happening in our world. ~You know, ~we've just finished a piece on the role of a work cafe. We've done [00:17:00] a financial sector insight. ~Um, ~so we've got a lot of new things coming out through that team.
~Um, ~then we have our Brand X team who are our signage and graphics team. We have our lighting design studio known as Spark, and then we also have our sustainability and wellness team known as Beyond, who, so we do a majority of our accreditations, we can do in house at HLW. ~You know, ~LEAD,~ um,~ BREEAM,~ WELL, um, ~we do WELL Health and Safety, all sorts of things, as well as Bespoke Charters.
And I think, ~you know, ~the BEYOND team have really made an impact on our own business as well. We've signed up to, ~you know, ~20, 30 commitments. We've introduced what we call a new material library policy which has taken out any harmful products out of our library. Our designers cannot specify anything that doesn't comply with [00:18:00] our personal commitment. ~Um, you know, ~interestingly I went to a ~Uh, uh, ~a conference a couple of weeks ago and it hadn't actually, the penny hadn't dropped until a couple of weeks ago that the things that we're putting into our projects and our designs now, in our buildings now, they're going to be here in 2030. So if we're going to ~commit, ~commit and meet our 2030 targets, we need to be, ~you know, ~committing to it and designing to it now, which I hadn't done the math before a couple of weeks ago and it's really important.
So very proud that we're trying to make headway in that world as well.
Stephen Drew: I love it ~and, and, ~and thank you for ~kind of ~breaking that down. Now, I know there's no right way to answer this question. I just wanted to talk a little bit about the projects. And you've got a lot of cool, exciting projects. Now the tricky question would be like, which one is your favorite project or were you most excited about?
But that's a mean question because you can't say that because you enjoy all your projects. It's like having children, isn't it? You can't say. You have one in particular. However, maybe if I get the project section up, you can just tell us a little bit about,~ um,~ different projects and [00:19:00] one or two cool things you do like on some of them, ~you know?~
Bronte: Okay. Yeah, I'm more than happy to do that. It's a good way. It's like playing roulette on a website.
Stephen Drew: ~Yes, ~yes, exactly. Now I,
Bronte: something that I don't know.
Stephen Drew: no, I'm driving the match. So you can tell me if you tell me roughly where to go, I'll follow it down on the project,
Bronte: so the one you just hovered on, Kingfisher. So Kingfisher are an amazing client. ~Um, ~we recently finished their offices in London and ~Um, ~for those of you who don't know Kingfisher, they actually own,~ um,~ and operate a whole lot of,~ um,~ hardware stores across the globe. So you would've heard of BNQ, you would've ~heard, ~heard of many of their brands.
~Um, ~so they're the parent company. They had some pretty ambitious,~ um,~ embodied carbon and sustainability targets and we actually are very proud of this project,~ um,~ when it comes to our beyond team and our design team having to implement it 'cause they,~ um,~ had a 78%. Reduction in Embodied Carbon, which is one of the highest achievements we've actually achieved,~ um, you know, ~since we started doing,~ uh, you know, ~Embodied Carbon measurements and [00:20:00] projects.
~So, ~very proud of that one and Kingfisher are doing an amazing, ~you know, ~have an amazing new office to support their workforce and their global ambitions and commitments when it comes
Stephen Drew: love it. It's very beautiful project. Is there one other one that sticks out and then ~I'll,~
Bronte: I'm very proud of, I'm very proud of the bottom left one. ~Um, ~yeah, so ~that's, ~that's for a client called Roku, who are,~ uh,~ I don't know whether ~you know ~Roku, but they're a global streaming and hardware company.
~Um, ~they have their Roku TV,~ um,~ so we did their new offices, and this is their new offices in Cambridge, so an amazing building. ~Um, ~and,~ uh,~ we, I'm very proud of this because not only does it look amazing, but it recently won a VCO award,~ um,~ VCO Regional Award, so very proud of that one because it's nice to ~kind of ~have other bodies,~ um,~ such as the VCO recognized.
~Um, ~the team's work. ~So, um, ~that was, yeah, and to be honest, that's our first VCO award that we've ever won, so very proud of, ~you know, ~finally getting one of those.
Stephen Drew: Wow. I love it. I just was going to say in the [00:21:00] background on this picture here. Let me go back here one quickly second. I think that's Daniel Craig in the background, isn't it, James Bond?
Bronte: ~Right, ~so they have,~ um,~ all the meeting rooms in this building,~ uh, uh, ~designed and themed around Cambridge,~ um,~ elements,~ so, um, ~or TV shows, or British TV shows that all have some sort of link to Cambridge. Now don't, I can't remember what the Crystal Mains link is, to be honest, I'm bad. Bad at remembering things like that, but you go into every office and there's a little story about the link to Cambridge, the link to TV,~ um,~ and the link to technology.
So ~it's, it's, ~it's a lovely office that you're always learning something new and exploring ~and, ~and letting love it.
Stephen Drew: I love it. I love,~ well,~ I love the Crystal Maze and it looks like a cool office and I'll take a meeting ~in, ~in the Daniel Craig room,
Bronte: Yeah, exactly. Come meet me in the crystal maze.
Stephen Drew: ~Yeah, ~yeah, that, that would probably be the room I would pick. Sorry, James Bond, the Crystal Maze is the childhood show. That's what you watched when you were sick or, ~you know, ~you were skipping school.
[00:22:00] You're going to watch ~the, ~the
Bronte: I didn't grow up with the crystal maze, ~you see, ~so it was all new to me. So I learned a lot on that project, just listening into some conversations that were actually very foreign to me. But,~ um,~ I now feel like I might be an expert in,~ uh,~ 70s and 80s, uh, British TV shows.
Stephen Drew: Yeah, don't worry, the Crystal Maze is definitely a good one. And don't worry, I'm normally the one that everyone rings me during the live
Bronte: know what? I get in so much trouble because my phone's always on silent and then, of course, the one time it's not, apologies.
Stephen Drew: No, don't worry, we're all friends here, I like it. I think, you know what, it's a real, it's a real office, there's always things happening. And so that's what I was going to ask about as well, because ~You know, ~these projects are cool and they're done and they're in and they're beautiful. I was going to ask,~ um,~ and I know there's NDAs and stuff, so don't worry.
I don't need to give you any of that, but what are you excited about? ~You know, ~cause we're almost going towards the next year, 2023 is gone already. Are you excited about some stuff that's popping up then with HLW?[00:23:00]
Bronte: There's always new and exciting stuff and it's whether we can talk about it is the challenge. Yeah, we've got some amazing projects on the book. The team are working on some amazing designs. We're doing a really,~ um,~ super challenging, but I'm really excited about the design that's emerging a big new building for a big financial client out in Dublin.
It's currently a hole in the ground. ~Um, ~we've got a couple of years to go,~ um,~ but that's going to be amazing. And. ~Um, ~we're working alongside a local base build architect out there, we're doing all the interiors,~ um, and, and, ~and it's a challenge, and it's a wonderful, it's going to be a wonderful project, so I'm really excited that the team are finishing stage three design on that at the moment, so they're very much going to earn their Christmas turkey and their Christmas champagne,~ um,~ We've got a few projects through Europe that we've got going on, one in Amsterdam for a big tech company.
~Um, you know, ~so out of London, we actually cover for our global clients, ~you know, ~the whole of Europe. So we're delivering projects in Warsaw at the moment, in [00:24:00] Amsterdam, we've just finished one in Milan. ~Um, ~so we've got a few more coming up, so we're very proud of that. And, ~you know, ~that's something our team loves, they love being able to ~kind of, um ~Within the framework of work, visit new countries, meet, ~you know, ~people from different cultures.
It's very enriching as a designer. ~You know, ~you meet people from all walks of life, from all kind of, ~you know, ~facets of the world. ~Um, ~and yeah, so we've got some amazing projects coming online through Europe as well. And then I think,~ um, you know, ~globally there's some really exciting projects that are ~kind of ~coming up.
Buildings,~ um, you know, ~we have a team in New York that do a lot of high rise development. ~Um, ~so there's a lot of those coming out as well. ~So, ~yeah, excited. I think 2024 is going to be a great year.
Stephen Drew: It sounds really cool to me. Now, I was going to,~ I,~ I'm, next I want to ~kind of ~unpack a tiny bit about ~like, um, ~because a lot of people here might be interested in working at HLW and I'd love to know what you look for in that person. However, just before we do that, one ~quick, quick, ~quick question. When you were talking, I was thinking about, ~you know, ~next year, this year's been a [00:25:00] big topic has been like AI in architecture and these emerging technologies.
Now, I don't think that'll ever replace the architect. However, what I'd love to know is what do you have any kind of feelings on where that may go or what it's been like this year, all this AI popping up and stuff?
Bronte: Yeah, AI ~is a, ~is a hot topic at the moment, right? It's, ~um~ It's interesting because I guess there are two schools of thought that the human brain and the human creativity just, you know, the ability to ~kind of ~process and problem solve. A lot of us believe can't be replaced by AI, but there are for sure a lot of activities that we as design and architecture firms do that can be much more efficient and much more automated.
And I think as a firm, We're looking at both, both those sides of the, ~you know, ~the AI table. ~Um, ~we actually have a team at HMW called Next Team who are specifically dedicated to everything [00:26:00] technology,~ um,~ and that's what we, how we use technology today in our practice in terms of the use of Revit,~ um,~ how we do design communication.
Use Enscape and take people through buildings, ~you know, ~all of those sorts of things in terms of supporting our team for today. And they're also looking at the future and how we can You know, I guess continue our legacy of being at the cutting edge of embracing technology and understanding technology and being sensible about its use to really enhance our business and not shy away from it and wait for it to happen, but to try and be there, understand it, and maybe even try to lead some of the solutions around how we use it within our businesses.
~Um, ~there are a lot of programs now that generate, ~you know, ~renders and Make me a space that feels like Alice in Wonderland meets I don't know what. The quality isn't quite there. The teams, there are many teams both within our own business and other architecture firms that are working on their new, [00:27:00] their own versions of how we can generate AI imagery and concept imagery.
~Um, ~but again,~ I,~ I still think that there's some elements and we say this ~to, ~to all our design teams. Don't get stuck on Revit. Don't get stuck on computer. There's something amazing and beautiful about being able to sit down and sketch and scribble and really ~kind of ~stimulate your brain to think in a different way rather than think about it in, ~you know, ~on a screen.
So we very much encourage our teams to continue. All of those, ~you know, ~those very unique qualities and abilities that designers and architects have, which is the ability to sketch and draw ~and, and, ~and think bigger.
Stephen Drew: Yeah, ~well ~said. It's true. ~I, ~I don't think generating an image would survive in a crit with it. ~You know, ~however,
Bronte: you imagine? Yeah,
Stephen Drew: ~can, I can, ~I can see how, ~you know, ~you, your first year of uni,~ you,~ you go into uni. The first time you drink it, a few beers. ~You, ~you run it. It's seductive, isn't it? However, we know how complicated their projects are, but, ~you know, ~to get the mood going or get some ideas, maybe [00:28:00] it's that prompt to get you to where you're going, however. on.
Bronte: ~think, ~I think,~ um,~ actually the really good thing is it's challenging us as designers and it's making us not be lazy and it's going, actually ~we need to, ~we need to make sure that we're not being lazy and using our brains to continue our craft and make sure it's, it presents a value to our clients and the world.
Stephen Drew: Yeah, ~well ~said. That's very true. ~Now, ~now I touched briefly upon the, ~you know, ~pitching at university and stuff ~and, ~and I appreciate your journey, but also let's focus on what you do now. I'm sure one of the responsibilities of running the London practice is you're involved in hiring or you're involved ~when, ~when you're looking for people, you're part of that process.
And I imagine there might be a few listeners in the audience that have But that, ~you know, ~potentially interested or have had an eye on, on, on joining your company for a while. Do you have any advice in 2023 on people who are now doing their applications? Any advice that you think [00:29:00] sticks out in a good way to grab your intention?
Or do you have any thoughts or advice in general on what, ~you know, ~how someone would grab your attention in a good way?
Bronte: Yeah, I think, ~I mean, we, ~we follow,~ uh,~ we have a great And I think one of the, one of the Best opportunities you can get ~as a, ~as a designer or an architect to go through university is to take up an internship position. ~You know, ~it's hard and you get thrown in the deep end,~ um,~ but the skills that you can learn by having, being able to embed,~ um,~ and recognizing that it might not be the perfect place for you long term, but you actually, you need to start to build a platform to, Dare I say it, stand above or stand ahead of some of the other people you're going through university with.
So I'd say if you have the opportunity, I think doing an internship is a ~really, ~really good way to get ahead when you do graduate. And then I think, ~you know, ~[00:30:00] not being shy about ~You know, ~do your research, look at the firms that you want to work for and really ~kind of, you know, ~understand ~what, ~what areas they work in and what you really ~kind of, ~what really piques your interest.
~Um, ~I think that's easy to say further down the track in your career. I am now working in a world that I think when I graduated, I did never expect to work here. ~You know, ~I didn't picture myself here, but this is where the kind of path takes you. ~Um, ~but I'd say, ~you know, ~shop around, meet people, go to,~ um,~ industry events, ask what people, how they started out, ~you know, and, ~and just try to,~ um,~ put yourself out there and really just ~kind of, um, ~explore the industry and, ~you know, ~meet people and make connections.
Because I think, funnily enough, That is predominantly how our industry works. It's connections and it's people,~ um,~ and I think whether it's Starting out, getting your first job, or whether it's further down the line, growing your network, because as you go up the hierarchy of the world that we live, you have to continue to have your [00:31:00] network to grow business development opportunities and, ~you know, ~leadership qualities and management qualities.
~So, ~network and starting to build your network right from the start is probably the best piece of advice I can give people.
Stephen Drew: Yeah. That's really, I wholeheartedly agree. And I think that as well, I just remind everyone, you have to start somewhere, isn't it? I had no network at the start, but you build that up over time. And that's the thing, it gets easier over time. But exactly like you said, if you just put yourself out there at the start, then you go further.
And yes, you can feel uncomfortable doing it initially. But the yeah. The more you do it, the better, isn't it? Whereas online and physical, and I think. Both those worlds, it ~really, ~really helps and you might get invited to the Halloween party. That's the thing,
Bronte: Yeah, that's the ultimate, right?
Stephen Drew: it does sound,
Bronte: ~look,~ we look forward to having you there next year.
Stephen Drew: Okay, I'll be on best behavior, but ~I love, I love, ~I love a good party.
I was, the last question I was going to ask you, that's really [00:32:00] useful advice for anyone that's thinking ~of, of, ~of looking. And what I'd love to know is that you've seen this,~ well,~ you've been at HLW, ~you know, ~you mentioned. It's 2008 ish. We'll have to check your LinkedIn like you say, but it's a substantial amount of time.
What kind of person does really well in the company in your experience? ~Um, uh, ~I'd love to know.
Bronte: When I interview someone and I think about when I interviewed at HFW, I was shopping around to find ~my, ~my home and something that, ~you know, ~lit the fire in my belly. ~Um, you know, ~we were talking earlier ~and I, ~and I said, you've got to want to get out of bed every morning and sometimes it's really hard to get out of bed and you've got to really enjoy your job because there will be hard days, there will be long days, ~you know, when, ~when you're having to do tasks that you just,~ um, You know, ~just, ~you know, ~there are things in architecture and design that just are, you have to do them, but they're not the most exciting part of your job.
Stephen Drew: Yeah.
Bronte: So I'd say, ~you know, ~what I look for in people is Then knowing what they're looking for and that we can match each other's [00:33:00] ambitions in, in, in that. ~So, ~passionate ~people, ~people that want opportunity, people that are willing to work really hard for, ~you know, ~to achieve their goals, people that, ~You know, ~can sit back and look at big picture, but also understand there are steps along the way that they can work towards.
~Um, ~and I think ~being a, ~being a good team member, it's, ~this is, ~this is not an individual sport that we work in. This is a team sport. ~Um, ~and actually really excellent design and really excellent projects come from teamwork. Not, it's not down to any one individual. So team player ~is, is, ~is another, ~you know, ~important trait that we look for.
Stephen Drew: ~Very, ~very useful. Thank you. Now there was one last question. ~Last, ~last question that popped up while you were talking because it's your wealth of experience. I was like, oh, I got to ask one more thing. Cause you mentioned, ~you know. ~You're not from, ~I mean, ~I'm Welsh and I came to London to study architecture.
You came to London and ~you were, ~you were working out what you want to do. However, you're from Australia, right? And sometimes I think some people move to,~ um,~ to, to London and they get, they, they manage to get a job. [00:34:00] Sometimes people struggle initially in that transition from moving somewhere where you've got experience to maybe London where you haven't got.
so much experience. Do you have any advice to make it easier or ~kind of ~tidbits of information you'd give to someone if they were doing that to ~kind of ~make it less hard for them?
Bronte: a very practical one. Open a bank account before you move to a different country.
Stephen Drew: Okay. Good. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.
Bronte: I, you know what, I don't think the world's that far apart between countries. I think that,~ um, You know, ~there are for sure some challenges that I faced in terms of,~ um, you know, ~fire wrecks in London are very different to fire wrecks in Australia, for example, because the type of building and the history in the building and how they build buildings are so different.
So there is a learning curve,~ um,~ but actually I think ~that ~that's part of the exciting,~ um, And, ~and enriching your knowledge and understanding of how the world works and what the difference is and how you should be designing buildings in [00:35:00] different climates and cultures and all of that. ~Um,~ I, no, I, I think actually sometimes from my perception, and maybe I'm biased, but I love interviewing and meeting people.
That have made ~that, ~that leap because I think it's a brave thing to do. ~Um, ~I didn't realize that at the time, but now I look at other people doing it. I think it's a brave thing to do. I think it says a lot about your passion and interests ~and, ~and the type of person you are. So I think don't be scared because really.
There's not much difference between many countries and how we do things and our world. ~You know, ~even at AHW, we have designers jumping between metric and imperial all the time, and they survive, and they get there, and actually, they're that much richer and knowledgeable for doing that. ~So, um, ~I think people see it maybe as a challenge or a disadvantage.
I see it as an advantage, because it actually gives you another [00:36:00] element and a definition to your character and the type Person and therefore the type of designing you're going to be in and how you can bring your knowledge from another country or your knowledge from another culture and, ~you know, ~enrich another business by bringing that to them.
Stephen Drew: That's well said, but that's really practical advice. And I think you have to remind us I was doing it. I love, like you said, it's brave. And also why not apply the HLW? ~Come on, come on, ~come on. Send Bronte a message. She's right here and we will get on to all the contact details in a second. But just before I do, I've asked a few questions and I really appreciate you giving us, ~you know, ~basically an unfiltered view into what I think seems like a really cool architecture and interior design studio.
However, Before you go, it's only fair you get to ask me one or two questions if you want, as well. Because otherwise it's a one way conversation. Do you have any questions that you'd like to ask
Bronte: ~I,~ I've got two questions, one's bigger and one's,~ I,~ I want to know about your lamp [00:37:00] in the background. Is that a real lamp or is it a moving background?
Stephen Drew: I do get comments about this. This is the Nanoleaf. Nanoleaf, you need to sponsor me, by the way. But I paid for this, right? A Nanoleaf is ~kind of ~like a gaming thing. And I, ~you know, ~me and my partner, we just put it up on the wall. You can basically put the lights where you want and control it. ~So, ~and it's LED, so I don't want to Burn the planet too much and all that stuff, but it's a bit of fun, ~you~
Bronte: Yeah, it's very cool, it's very cool. And I noticed it, I noticed the first time we met, I was like, wow, that is really cool. So I might have to get one of those for, I think my son or my daughter would probably love it as well. ~So, um, ~and then my, my, my more important question is you meet a lot of,~ um, you know, ~people like me that are in the industry, that are, ~you know, ~what do you see as the biggest challenges for graduates coming out and what they're looking for, ~you know, ~when they're looking to join a company like ours?
Stephen Drew: yeah. Really good question. I think that it's difficult for a few things because, and as a business, I, so I've been. ~The, the, ~the part one looking, and I've also seen behind the scenes, we touched [00:38:00] upon,~ uh,~ yeah, I've been in recruitment for a while and also where we are now. But in that time period, you talked about starting when ~the, ~the drawing board was there, it's a very different industry.
And I think that where the businesses have adjusted, but it's hard to adjust big companies. So for example, HLW got offices everywhere and yes. You move with the times, but where I'm going with this is the factors outside of the companies have changed radically. So here in the UK, when I studied,~ um,~ the year before me, it was 1, 000 a year.
I went up to 3, 000 a year and I felt unlucky, but now it's 9, 000 a year to study architecture in this seven years. Cost of living. So it's a very expensive industry to go into. And yes, it's still amazing and I encourage people to do it because you, yes, okay, the salaries can be higher in other industries.
However, you're building buildings. It is a lifestyle business. Yes, you're going to have tricky days, but it is a really good profession. However, the,~ I,~ I do think that carrying. That [00:39:00] potential baggage of finances and debt is hard. And also, ~you know, ~how,~ like,~ as you said, you're talking about internships, which I think is a fabulous way to do it.
How do you get that experience early in and just, ~you know, ~doing potentially seven years in the industry? With all this stuff, so I, I think it's tricky at the moment. I think the architectural apprentice schemes are really good. I think internships are really good. And ~so, um, ~I'm sympathetic towards people graduating now.
It's a very different time than ~when, ~when I did. ~So, ~but there are like, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. I think the A or B see this and they've actually trying to shorten the course,~ um,~ and to get people into industry quicker. And I think that's probably a really smart way to deal with this problem of a five year course, all that costs.
Getting people learning as quick as possible, I think, ~is the, ~is the right way to go. But that's how I feel about it. It's that,~ um,~ there's lots of good intentions,~ um, and, ~and we are getting them, but that [00:40:00] is the problem. It's the costs from externally, the universities, and the cost of living has shot up, ~you know, ~the price to live in London, it's, ~you know, ~it's expensive.
And ~so, ~I think. But the way we do it is having that open conversation. And I know, ~and I, ~and I think that by having that conversation and constantly evaluating it and looking at things, that's the way we're gonna go with us, the way we're gonna hopefully solve ~the,~
Bronte: Make it an easier entry financially and it is probably the biggest challenge.
Stephen Drew: ~Yeah, yeah, ~yeah, because let's say hypothetically you work in paid part, ~you know, ~at HLW on studying part time, then you're earning money and you're,~ um,~ you're spending money on the
Bronte: You've got your student debt on your back, you've got a London rent and you're, ~you know, ~entering the workforce on, ~you know, ~quite frankly, architecture and interior design, ~you know, ~a minimum wage, if not you're lucky kind of thing. Yeah. I think it, I think that's a bigger topic at the front end as well that we as an [00:41:00] industry need to,~ um,~ standardise and get better fees and have more value around what we do for a living, for sure.
Stephen Drew: yeah, ~I mean, ~true, that's going to take time, isn't it? And also there's other facets, and as ~you know, ~there's competition and there's all this crazy stuff going on. But I do think as well, architects have that self worth, and that's why sometimes I always speak to architects, and we always carry the weight on our shoulders, and I remember like Architects are cool.
~You know, ~there is a bit of glamour in it. You do amazing stuff. Change people's lives. And also, we should be a bit commercially astute to charge for stuff. I always say, don't give away everything for free. ~You know, ~it's ~like, ~come on, let's stick up for our value. And I do think that, ~you know, ~I, one of the things I say is that maybe some designers are more uncomfortable talking about money, but I always say we're professionals.
We should always have a high fee. We should value what we do and be proud. I know the real world is tough out there, but if we remember that at the start you start there rather than start there,
Bronte: Yeah, I think ~there is, ~there is, ~you know, ~you make a really good point. When you do a project, one of [00:42:00] the, no matter how hard the project is or how long it's been going, that day that you go and visit a finished project or you get PC ~and you, ~and you see the finished product and you see your clients so happy, that is, it's not, it's a non financial reward, but it is really, truly a unique reward that we get in our industry that other people in other industries perhaps don't get.
~Um. You know, ~it doesn't, maybe it does or doesn't, ~you know, ~fill ~that, ~that gap, but it is a really wonderful,~ it's,~ it's the thing that keeps us going, ~I guess.~
Stephen Drew: I think so. ~It's, ~it's the bit that you don't get in other jobs. ~I mean, ~that's the reality. That's where it's, while it's a profession, it bleeds into a hobby, a vocation, a passion, and,~ um,~ there's very few careers that do that, in my opinion. That's why, ~you know, it's, ~it's amazing. ~I, ~I'm, whenever I speak to architects, ~you know, ~it's just impressive.
And I'm still proud to be a part two architectural assistant. I have a, I still have a few, Friends, I want to tell you that I'm convinced I will go back and do my part three. Maybe one day, ~you~
Bronte: know. ~I,~
Stephen Drew: never know,
Bronte: I quite often say we're not [00:43:00] saving lives, but we are enriching lives, ~so.~
Stephen Drew: You are enriching lives. However, if I joined you on a project, I might endanger life. So for now, I, I still know microstation. I don't even know Revit. You mentioned in the trailer, I need a training course. You're like, Steve, ~you know, ~we talked about finances. You're bleeding us dry. And I'm like, do you want a cup of tea?
Yeah.
Bronte: a drawing board.
Stephen Drew: Maybe just keep me in the Halloween party for now, but thank you so much for being here. I. I really appreciate it. The last thing before you go, if anyone, and we have had a comment come in, actually, we've had someone that said, great conversation. ~So, ~Godwin, thank you. However, if anyone else enjoyed this and thought, you know what, I hadn't heard of HLW before, but now I'm really intrigued to something, or they want to get in contact with you.
How do they do that? How do they find you? How do they reach out?
Bronte: it pops up on the screen,~ um,~ go to our website and,~ um,~ everyone's profiles there,~ um,~ job section, career section, et cetera. So [00:44:00] yeah, go in and,~ um,~ hopefully you can get in touch with us or,~ um,~ try and find us on LinkedIn.
Stephen Drew: Brilliant. Perfect.
Bronte: Or come to industry events and come up to me and say, I saw you nattering away to Stephen and ~um, ~just, ~you know, ~introduce yourself, because again, grow that network.
Stephen Drew: I love it. Brilliant. ~Well, ~thank you so much for being here. Stay on the stage one second while I quickly say goodbye to everyone in the audience. Thank you for joining me here too. Now, Quick thing, London Build Expo is next week, so pretend that you need to come down, let's have a laugh, tell your boss, sorry, HLW employees don't say this, but everyone else, say you need to do a lot of busy work and come down and let's have a beer in London Build Expo.
Maybe Bronte,~ you,~ you do want to come down here as well. I would love for you to join us. I just have to be careful what I say there. I don't want everyone using that excuse. Then you're like, I know Steve told you to tell, it was, it's a work event, ~you know.~
Bronte: There's only so many beers I can have in an evening, so it might be dangerous, but yeah, we'll try.[00:45:00]
Stephen Drew: Brilliant. And for you in the audience, we will be there next week. Thank you for joining me. I'm going to end the live stream now and see you soon for more content, more live streams one next Monday as well. Take care everyone and have a fabulous Thursday. Bye bye everyone.