How did you find the Knight Harwood induction process?
It was very enjoyable. Visiting 100 George Street, The Featherstone Building, Royal Academy of Arts and Frederick’s Place on one of my first days introduced me to some of my new colleagues and helped me learn about the schemes through their experiences. It would be interesting to continue this way of learning more about the work we do – every year or so, sending project teams on site visits.
What is your favourite part of your role?
I see my role as a bridge between the design team and my team at Knight Harwood, along with our supply chain. As an architect turned design manager, there’s a lot I need to learn for the new role, but I also find that I have a lot to contribute to help resolve design issues and hopefully help us deliver the project more efficiently and on time. That’s the enjoyable part for me – always learning and improving while contributing in a meaningful way.
How have you found this role compared to your previous role as an Architect?
That’s a good question, because there are plenty of similarities and a lot I bring to this role from my architectural experience. The first thing that pops into my head is that, so far, the role of a design manager feels more dynamic. There is a process to follow, dates to hit, and documents to review, but there is freedom in the approach and the language I can adopt to communicate queries and raise design related issues. It all depends on how the design team progress which means I have to adapt quickly to aid the process efficiently.
The Knight Harwood ethos – your thoughts on it!
Since my interview it was clear that people who work at Knight Harwood are passionate and proud of what they do. My impression so far is exactly that – I am surrounded by experienced and knowledgeable professionals who are also very helpful and enthusiastic about producing great work. Knight Harwood have nurtured a great space for professional growth and it’s exciting to be a part of it.
