Office Talk UK, Marketing for Architecture

Piers Taylor is the director of Invisible Studio, a multi-award-winning architecture practice founded in 2011 that operates through collaboration, experimentation, research and education. Piers has pioneered a number of academic programmes that rethink the relationship between design and making, and look at how material practice can address social and political questions. His studio’s work has included numerous National RIBA award-winning projects, including the Wolfson Tree Management Centre, Room 13, and East Quay Watchet.

If you’d like to learn more about his studio, you can visit invisiblestudio.org or follow the studio on Instagram @invisible_studio.

Office Talk is hosted and produced by Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand strategy practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the UK. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Thank you to Programa for sponsoring today’s episode. Visit programa.design/officetalk to start for free and save 25% on annual plans. You can also follow Programa on Instagram at @programahq.

This episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Oscar Crawford.

Colin Baillie is a director of Baillie Baillie Architects, a practice based in the Scottish Highlands he founded with his partner Megan in 2019. The studio is focused on crafted rural projects and working with natural materials, and has recently completed Iorram, a design retreat in the Highlands that reflects the approach and ethos of the practice.

If you’d like to learn more about their studio, you can visit baillie-baillie.co.uk or follow them on Instagram @bailliebaillie.

Office Talk is hosted and produced by Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand strategy practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the UK. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Thank you to Programa for sponsoring today’s episode. Visit programa.design/officetalk to start for free and save 25% on annual plans. You can also follow Programa on Instagram at @programahq.

This episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Oscar Crawford. 

Ross and Emma Perkin are the directors of Emil Eve, an award-winning East London based studio established in 2009.

Emil Eve are known for creating imaginative and inspiring buildings for those who love architecture - from design-focused home owners to creatively-driven developers, charities and commercial clients. Their approach is focused on their deep appreciation for both historic and contemporary architecture and extensive experience of combining the two. They have recently won the Don’t Move Improve Home of the Year award for Aden Grove, and were shortlisted in the RIBA London Awards for Highgate House.

If you’d like to learn more about their practice, you can visit emileve.co.uk or follow them on Instagram at @emilevearchitects.

Office Talk is hosted and produced by Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand strategy practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the UK. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Thank you to Programa for sponsoring today’s episode. Visit programa.design/officetalk to start for free and save 25% on annual plans. You can also follow Programa on Instagram at @programahq.

This episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Oscar Crawford.

Andrew Brown is a director of Brown & Brown Architects, an award-winning studio based in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Founded in 2010 with his wife Kate, their practice is known for creating bold yet contextual homes that inspire delight and a sense of belonging. Andrew's work, influenced by the Scottish landscape, balances modern design with historic continuity. Andrew draws inspiration from Scandinavian architecture, Scottish literature, and his passion for photography. The practice has received numerous architectural awards including Scottish Design Awards Residential Award for Tidal House in 2024, and for Architecture Practice of the Year 2022, while Lower Tullochgrue was shortlisted for House of the Year for The Architects’ Journal Manser Medal 2021.

If you’d like to learn more about their practice, you can visit brownandbrown.studio or follow them on Instagram at @brown_and_brown_architects.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Thank you to Programa for sponsoring today’s episode. Visit programa.design/officetalk to start for free and save 25% on annual plans. You can also follow Programa on Instagram at @programahq.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Oscar Crawford.

Alison Brooks is the director of Alison Brooks Architects, a London-based practice known for generous and inclusive city-building supported by uniquely sculptural design.

In this episode, Alison and Dave discussed:

• The challenges of participating in design competitions, and how the need to produce so much more and satisfy stringent criteria compared to the early days, creates barriers for emerging practices.
• The important role competitions play in their business, and how they think strategically about selecting the right competitions to invest time and resources in.
• The challenges she faced establishing her practice as a Canadian in the UK, and how she was able to develop new client relationships without relying on an existing network.
• Why Alison believes higher education projects offer some of the best opportunities for architects, because the clients are highly motivated to be at the forefront of design, technology and sustainability.
• The value of developing an ability to write as a way to articulate your ideas as an architect, and why Alison often finds herself spending more time writing than designing.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit alisonbrooksarchitects.com or follow them on Instagram at @alisonbrooksarchitects.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.

Oliver Leech is the director of Oliver Leech Architects, a London-based practice known for crafting homes that celebrate life, light, and materials.

In this episode, Oliver and Dave discussed:

• How he attracted new clients in the first few years of the practice when there was limited imagery to post to social media, and why building his professional network played such a big role.
• Why less can be more when it comes to posting social media, and why they chose to avoid posting process imagery in favour of final project photography.
• How he curated the practice’s portfolio to attract a broader range of residential projects to avoid being pigeonholed to one type of house or area of London.
• Why starting a practice in his twenties was a challenge, and the advantages and disadvantages of putting his portrait and profile out there as a young architect.
• Their approach to final project photography and styling, and the difficulty of finding the balance between a pared back architectural image, or a lifestyle shoot focused on the client.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit oliverleech.com or follow them on Instagram at @oliverleecharchitects.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.

William Burges and Stephen Davies are the directors of 31/44, a practice with offices in London and France known for making architecture that sits comfortably in the fabric of the city, introduced with care and consideration.

In this episode, Will, Steve and Dave discussed:

• How teaching in both undergraduate and masters programs have changed the way they communicate their work, and how they view their projects as being part of a research agenda.
• The approach they took to their website design in the early days of the practice when they didn’t have much built work to show, and why they began sharing their readings, research and travels alongside their built work.
• The importance of producing renders in-house to maintain a level of control and consistency, and how sometimes it’s more important to show a vignette with detail versus a full-view of the space or building.
• Why physical models, produced at varying scales, have been a vital part of their design process, but also as an essential presentation tool.
• How they shift the tone of their communication to address the specific needs of the different audiences architects encounter, whether it’s with a client, students, planning authorities or the local community.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit 3144architects.com or follow them on Instagram at @31_44.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.

Hugh McEwen and Catrina Stewart are the directors of Office S&M, a London-based practice known for their inventive and experimental approach to materials and colour.

In this episode, Hugh, Catrina and Dave discussed:

• Their commitment to have a 50/50 split between private and public work, and how this declaration helps them differentiate themselves from other similarly sized practices.
• How having a diverse range of non-architectural collaborators on your team when pitching for public projects, such as a chef or photographer from the local community, can help to demonstrate that you understand the client, the brief and the local context.
• How playfulness and use of colour isn’t just a stylistic aesthetic in their work, but something deeply embedded in the early stages of their design process as a way to increase client and community engagement. 

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit officesandm.com or follow them on Instagram at @officesandm.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.

Mary Duggan is a London-based architect known for her well-conceived and thoughtfully-detailed architecture for forward-thinking clients in the cultural and housing sectors.

In this episode, Mary and Dave discussed:

• How keeping the practice small allows her to focus on the work she wants to do, allows her to avoid some of the challenges and compromises required to sustain a larger practice.
• Why she believes architects don’t have to be involved at every stage of the design and construction process, and how her front-end focused business model is rethinking the way architecture is delivered.
• The impact other creatives such as ceramicists and composers have had on her practice, and why she believes architects should look outside architecture for inspiration.
• How making inexpensive models in the concept stage, sometimes out of cardboard, ceramics or dried flowers, allows her to communicate ideas quickly without large financial and time investments.
• Why she prefers her website and Instagram to focus on conceptual models and the ideas they represent, rather than photographs of built projects.

If you'd like to learn more about her studio, you can visit marydugganarchitects.com or follow her on Instagram at @marydugganarc.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.

Matt Loader and Iain Monteith are the directors of Loader Monteith, a Glasgow-based practice known for their approach to meaningful, local and sustainable architecture.

In this episode, Matt, Iain and Dave discussed:

• The challenges of managing clients, project scopes and costs in the early days of starting their practice, and how saying no to work that didn’t align with their vision was just as important as saying yes.
• How every small project is an opportunity that can lead to larger work in the future, but why it’s important to make sure smaller project budgets aren’t spread thin for the sake of more floor area.
• The three guiding principles they judge a potential project against to see whether or not it is a good fit for their practice, values and long-term vision.
• How they have approached their gradual shift from private residential towards public and community projects, and what adjustments they have made to their website, portfolio and practice messaging to support the transition.
• Their approach to timing project photoshoot to ensure the building has fully settled into place, and how shooting projects in the winter, which many architects avoid, has led to unexpected PR benefits for the practice.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit loadermonteith.co.uk or follow them on Instagram at @loadermonteith.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the UK. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and produced by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.

Jim Stephenson is an architectural photographer and film-maker, known for capturing the many ways people interact with architecture.

In this episode, Jim and Dave discussed:

• Why photographing people enjoying buildings, rather than empty spaces, can better explain the story and concept of the project, but also serve as a visual testimonial to the success of the building.
• How architectural filmmaking has grown and evolved over the years, and why architects are increasingly seeing the value in having the story of their projects told in film in addition to still photography.
• The different ways film can help architects to reach new audiences, from extending the potential media reach for a project, to producing different cuts of the main film that can be tailored to speak about different subjects to different audiences.
• The questions Jim likes to ask architects to help them tease out the most interesting stories and ideas in their projects, and how we can better prepare for situations where we need to speak about our work on camera.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio Jim Stephenson, you can visit clickclickjim.com or follow him on Instagram at @clickclickjim or @stephensonand_cuts.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. Our practice works collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation to discuss your practice, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.

Luke McLaren is a director of McLaren Excell, a London-based practice known for delivering beautifully conceived and finely crafted buildings.

In this episode, Luke and Dave discussed:

• The importance of communicating projects in a simple, restrained way, rather than overcomplicating their images with too many distracting elements.
• How designing to a long-held set of values has led to the practice having a stylistic consistency throughout their work and a more distinctive brand image.
• The importance of photographing projects in a way that emphasises the feeling of being inside the building, and how their photography process can often involve shooting a project multiple times before the right feeling is achieved.
• The richness that comes from having a clear focus and specialisation, and how the practice benefits from not trying to do too many different types of projects.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit mclarenexcell.com or follow them on Instagram at @mclarenexcell.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. Our practice works collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation to discuss your practice, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.

Nimi Attanayake and Tim O'Callaghan are the directors of nimtim architects, a London-based practice known for their approach to sustainable, unique and playful architecture.

In this episode, Nimi, Tim and Dave discussed:

• How taking a year off from architecture to travel India led to their first project together and the start of their new practice.
• They reflect on the challenges in the early days of starting their practice and discussed the importance of connecting with colleagues in the profession so that you can ask questions or just vent your frustrations.
• How the COVID downturn gave them the time to reflect on what was important to them, communicate their values, and understand what makes a nimtim project.
• How having a clear and legible narrative for each project allows it to be easily understood by the client and used for marketing and publishing.
• The importance of having workshops with the local community at the beginning of the design process, and how nimtim ensures  that community wants and needs are understood by the client.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit nimtim.co.uk or follow them on Instagram at @nimtimarchitects.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. Our practice works collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation to discuss your practice, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and produced by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.

Alex Ely is the director of Mae Architects, a Stirling Prize-winning London-based practice known for their approach to sustainable, resilient, and socially conscious architecture and urbanism.

In this episode, Alex and Dave discussed:

• The significance of winning the Stirling Prize in 2023 and how its impact on the practice has gone far beyond the architecture industry.
• Why having a clear mission statement and a set of values that employees can identify with makes it much easier to consistently communicate those values to the outside world.
• The importance of undertaking post-occupancy studies of completed projects, and why these insights can be so valuable to future clients and projects.
• How collaborating with larger practices in the early days of the STUDIO gave them the experience needed to undertake much larger projects and provide their clients with a better mix of ideas and design outcomes.
• How to find the right balance between photography that highlights the architectural and spatial qualities of a building versus the experiences and enjoyment of end users occupying and using the building.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit mae.co.uk or follow them on Instagram at @maearchitects.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. Our practice works collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation to discuss your practice, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio, and engineered by James Ede of Be Heard Podcast Production.

Fergus Feilden and Edmund Fowles are the directors of Feilden Fowles, a highly recognised London-based practice known for their sustainable and characterful public and cultural buildings. 

In this episode, Fergus, Edmund and I discussed:

• The importance of competitions to help develop their portfolio, studio culture, and connections with potential clients.
• How they were able to curate their website to appeal to cultural, public and educational sector clients–despite having little built work in those areas in the early years of the practice.
• The benefit of designing a unique studio space that represents their practice and values as architects, as well as a place to host parties and lunches to build better client relationships.
• The importance of investing early in the practice’s graphic design and brand identity so that it would beconsistent across every touch point and build trust in their brand.
• How they discovered that their low-tech approach to sustainable design could become a key point of difference for their practice.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit feildenfowles.co.uk or follow them on Instagram @feildenfowles.

Office Talk UK is a fortnightly podcast hosted by Dave Sharp, and a great excuse for him to have conversations with leading UK architects about their approach to business, marketing, communications and brand strategy. You can follow Office Talk UK on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

This episode of Office Talk is sponsored by Office D.SHARP, a practice providing specialised marketing consultancy and strategy tailored to meet the particular needs of architects across the United Kingdom. To learn more about our process and book a consultation to discuss your practice, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.