2024 marks five years at the helm for Directors Nik Clarke, David Gardner and Peter Newman-Earp. They took some time to reflect on their journey so far…
What were the biggest challenges you faced in the first 5 years, and how did you overcome them?
David: “We took over the business in 2019, not long before COVID hit in March 2020. We’d just taken the reins and were starting to look at the road ahead when the pandemic changed everything. Instead of focusing on growth and culture, we (like most businesses) had to concentrate on guiding the business through these extremely challenging circumstances and stabilising when the country started to recover. It was certainly a rocky ride to start our time as Directors.”
How would you describe the company culture now, and what changes have you made since you took over?
Nik: “Improvements to the culture in the practice was one of our main goals when taking over. We’re extremely proud of the strong heritage we have but knew it was time to modernise how we work. In 2021 we moved our studio to Darley Abbey Mills, a World Heritage Site in Derby – a bright, modern, open space which gives us more opportunity to collaborate and connect. We created a number of workstreams, run by our team, to improve the wellbeing of our employees and the sustainability of our practice. We’re delighted with how far we’ve come over the last 5 years and look forward to how we evolve in the next 5.”
What are the most valuable lessons you’ve learned during your time as director?
Peter: “We already knew we had a great team around us but since we took over it’s become even more clear. The team has almost doubled in size during the last 5 years and whether it’s someone who’s worked with us for decades or one of our more recent team members, they’re all key to the success of the business. Having great people around us is what makes what we do enjoyable and we’re driven to do better because of them.”
Which projects are you most proud of in the last 5 years?
David: “We’ve had some fantastic projects which we’re honoured to have worked on. From a number of Point A hotels, most notably the two new build Dublin hotels, to some great projects for the University of Derby who we’ve worked closely with over the last few years. Our largest hotel project to date, St. Regis London, The Westbury has taken a significant amount of determination from the team and we completed a state-of-the-art, sustainable conference facility for Lubrizol. We’re proud to work with many repeat clients over the years – those who choose us for their projects time again is something that never gets old.”
Looking ahead, what are your priorities for the next five years?
Nik: “To continue to provide a welcoming and inclusive work environment for our team. We will always prioritise them and their wellbeing. We’re extremely proud of the number of repeat clients we have and this is testament to the excellent service we always deliver. We’ll continue to invest in improving how we work, ensuring we deliver high quality.”
How do you envision the company evolving?
Pete: “As always, regulatory changes guide how we work as a practice so our roles within architecture, project management and principal designer capacities naturally develop over time. We will continue to harness our decades of expertise in our key sectors of hotels and hospitality, science and technology and public sector, deepening our relationships with clients and establishing new ones too.”
What personal achievements are you most proud of in your role?
Dave: “I’m most proud of the culture we’re created in our team. As a long established practice we’ve had the luxury of building from a strong foundation and the changes we’ve made have further enhanced how the practice operates. From moving our studio to Darley Abbey Mills to creating Diversity and Inclusion, Sustainability, Mental Wellbeing and Learning and Development teams, we’ve modernised how we work and created a happy team environment.