Over recent years, we have had the pleasure of meeting some brilliant people. But brilliant people have a habit of asking difficult questions, some of which we are still trying to find the answers to. Andy reflects on these difficult questions, and how answering them will help to steer us in the right direction.

Inspired by a recent folk music performance, Andy's latest article for the Sherborne Times muses on the importance of spaces that inspire the imagination, and the way that our natural desire to understand them can sometimes result in the loss of the magical quality that made them special in the first place.

In his latest article for Tortoise Magazine, Andy discusses whether the right questions are being asked of the new Northgate development in Chester. 

I attended a design meeting recently that was unusual for several reasons…

Late 2018 has seen the publication of some great books by women on the subject of the female struggle, it’s history and how it might be overcome in the workplace.

How do you encourage your architect or designer to produce the best possible solution for you?

Andy discusses the purpose of Design Review, how it’s use can promote good design and how it might work for your project.

Every week we have an office catch-up where we get together and talk about what we’ve been working on and the challenges we have faced. This week the challenges were particularly interesting, so we thought we’d write them down.

Andy explains how our collaboration with Chris & Rob from 'With Love' came about and how he tried to avoid it. 

Earlier this month, three of my friends and I took on the challenge of cycling 910 miles from Lands End to John O Groats. Having been back for a few days I have had the chance to think about why I ride, and what it means to me.

How the right questions, and our answers to them can reveal a lot about our mindset and attitude towards learning.

“There is no better form of motivation, than helping to inspire other people to do great things”. Andy reflects on Murmurations 2018 and how it came about in the first place.

River Swimming, Yoga in the grass and airborne marquees… it must be the Raise Summer Feast.

Has your work ever been rejected?

Rejection can be hard to bear. It nibbles away at your confidence and sows the seeds of self-doubt. But the reality is that rejection is an illusion, here’s why.

As we quickly approach the time of year where we look to take on new students for their year out in practice, we asked the team what books they would recommend for the new students about to join us. 

It's a big step from the world of education to the world of work. Jennifer, one of our architects-in-waiting joined us straight from university last October.

She's keeping a diary of her transition from student to architect, and has shared some excerpts with us. 

Although it tends to be dominated by flashy, multi-million pound projects, this year a couple of smaller scale, sensitive projects caught our eye. 

At a recent catch-up meeting, we asked everyone 'if you had the opportunity to influence the design of a future project, what would you do? What one thing would you bring to the project?'

Recently, Chloe happened to mention that she loved cooking for people and that she’d like to do more. This was obviously an opportunity that couldn’t be missed, and so, the Raise Supper Club was born.

In his latest article for the Sherborne Times, Andy explores the idea of the threshold, and what it means to someone just starting out in their architectural career.

I went for a walk, got muddy and discovered that I knew nothing about leadership. 

This is how it all began. I listened, whilst sipping a cocktail, as my friend outlined an ambitious and exciting plan for developing a business and it seemed that there may be a place in the middle of this for me!

How can you find new influences and inspiration when you need it? Andy explores the answer to this question in his latest piece for the Sherborne Times. 

Sometimes, you read a book and you forget it the next day. Other times you read a book and it changes the way you think for ever...

When it is given a name? When it is branded? When it is marketed? When it has a website? When it forms a community? When it is seen to be socially useful? Yes, all of these things, and much more...

How do we work out what's holding us back? And how do we overcome it? Andy's thoughts on overcoming obstacles and working out what we really want.