Office Talk UK, Marketing for Architecture – Details, episodes & analysis

Jennifer O’Donnell is a director of O’DonnellBrown, a Glasgow based practice known for their socially conscious, well-considered and crafted buildings and places. The practice has been recognised as an Architectural Review Emerging Architecture Awards finalist, as a ‘stand-out practice’ in The Architect’s Journal 40 under 40, which recognises architecture’s brightest up-and-coming talent, and as a featured practice in The Architecture Foundation’s ‘New architects 4’,.

If you’d like to learn more about the studio, you can visit ⁠odonnellbrown.com⁠ or follow them on Instagram ⁠@odonnellbrown_⁠

Office Talk is hosted and produced by ⁠Office D.SHARP⁠, a strategic marketing and communications practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the UK. To learn more about our approach and offerings, 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.

Office D.SHARP is excited to introduce architecturecrm.com, the only CRM software build specifically for architects. Architecture CRM has just started its open beta, and we are inviting architects to sign up and start using it in their practice. If you want a tool to help make your sales work simpler, more effective, and generate more work for your practice, visit architecturecrm.com and start a two week free trial.

Office D.SHARP has a handful of appointment times available for small and emerging practitioners to discuss specific marketing challenges and questions. If you’d like to book one of these consultations, please visit ⁠cal.com/davesharp⁠ and select a time from our UK office hours.

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

Niall Maxwell is the director of Rural Office, an award-winning practice with a reputation for delivering considered architecture, strategic thinking and research. Based in Wales, the practice is known for their work in regional settings and their understanding of context, and in recent years, they have diversified to deliver strategic projects for national clients and institutions. The practice won the RIBA House of the Year and National Award in 2017 for Caring Wood, and were listed as one of the 25 UK Disruptor practices in the Architects Journal AJ100.

If you’d like to learn more about the studio, you can visit rural-office.co.uk or follow them on Instagram @rural_office.

Office Talk is hosted and produced by Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and communications practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the UK. To learn more about our approach and offerings, 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.

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

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.