Laurence Reilly on his switch from contractors to an architecture practice
If you鈥檝e worked in the industry for a few years, there鈥檚 a high chance you鈥檝e worked with contractors who started their careers as architects. Curiously though, I鈥檓 sure you鈥檝e met very few 鈥� if any - who have gone the other way, as I鈥檓 doing now.
Having spent 20 years working as a design manager for main contractors, more latterly Kier, I鈥檝e recently joined architecture practice, Stride Treglown. My role is to offer some fresh perspective to the design team to help solve one of the biggest issues this industry faces 鈥� that of communication. Specifically, I mean issues of communication between architects, contractors and subcontractors.
What I believe is that a better, more technically-focused approach to communication between this core team could enable better use of resources, deliver better results and ultimately to create more enjoyable experience all round 鈥� including for our clients. It should also minimise the 鈥渂lame game鈥� between consultant groups, which as we all know too well actually helps no one.
My colleagues may joke that I speak 鈥渇luent contractor鈥�, I do genuinely see my