ArchitypeArchitype is seeking a senior architect to join its its Hereford studio.
About Architype
Architype offers exceptional opportunities to be involved in design-led, pioneering projects at the cutting edge of zero carbon and true sustainability across a wide variety of sectors.
Architype is widely recognised for our innovative approach including Education Architect of the Year, highly commended AJ100 Practice of the Year, 2022 RIBA London and Sustainability Award and 2022 South of England and South Wales BCO award.
We have an open and collaborative ethos with a common purpose – to deliver fantastic architecture that performs exactly as predicted. We have steadily grown over the last 40 years and are now a multi-disciplinary team of 100-plus collaborating across three studios in Edinburgh, Hereford and London.
Architype has a rich history of pioneering low carbon design and a clear focus on how elegant buildings work for people and the planet. We masterplan and design a wide range of buildings across the education, university, housing, community, healthcare and cultural sectors. Our consultancy service Perform+ enables us to offer insight and cutting-edge technical expertise to clients.
Working culture at Architype is dynamic, creative and caring. We work in a collaborative and supportive way that encourages fresh ideas and career progression, and we support flexible working for all.
Architype is regularly featured in the top five of Building’s Employer of the Year. We are 30 per cent owned by the staff through an employee benefit trust and are committed to becoming 100 per cent employee owned in the future – it is why we call ourselves ‘co-owners’.
Architype’s Hereford studio is located in a rural location in Herefordshire’s beautiful landscape about five miles from Hereford City and also within easy reach of Bristol, South Wales, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Worcester, Shrewsbury and Birmingham, not to mention stunning landscape such as the Black Mountains and Malvern Hills.
It’s fair to say that most people who work at Architype do so because of what the practice achieves and what we stand for, we all have a passion and desire to work on projects that are at the cutting edge of sustainability and that enhance people’s lives and this carries through to our studio culture. The majority of the Hereford studio co-owners have moved to the area for the combination of the passion for what we do, the studio culture and fantastic rural location meaning we have a collection of passionate, innovative, warm and like minded individuals. Covering projects across much of England and Wales, we enjoy having some of the most diverse and ground breaking projects within the company.
Architype currently operates a hybrid working policy allowing co-owners to work flexibly from home and from our studios, we do seriously value our office culture and the value that it brings to achieving great design, continued personal development and building relationships, therefore we are looking for candidates that can work from the studio for a minimum of three days a week. Within this we still look to accommodate those that need to work flexibly (i.e we have core hours between 10 am to 4 pm but beyond that its up to you how your hours are worked as long as project/practice needs are accommodated) and we also operate a TOIL policy so that any overtime that needs to be worked can be taken off at a later time.
Job type
Architype is offering a permanent contract for this role.
Our preference would be for full time hours (37.5 hours per week) but we would be open to considering part time hours for the right candidate.
Benefits:
- a competitive salary which is aligned to industry standards; our current salary bandings for this role is £39,500 to £45,000
- 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays)
- 37.5 hour week – flexible/hybrid working possible
- pension benefits of three per cent employer contribution
- company health scheme
- cycle to work scheme
To apply
Please take note
Architype is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community. From day one we encourage co-owners to ‘bring their whole selves to work’, celebrating all that our co-owners can bring to the practice. To support this intention we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and co-owner engagement forums, to support co-owners from many different backgrounds.
Please can we ask that you complete our anonymous equality and diversity monitoring form by clicking here.
Visa sponsorship
We welcome applications from all nationalities; however, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for our roles, so before you apply for this post, you must ensure that you have the right to work in the UK. For more details on eligibility to work in the UK, please visit here.
If you are an international student, recently graduated, you must have your graduate visa status established before applying.
Making your application
Please can send your CV and a brief portfolio (max size 5 MB) via the apply for job button below along with a short statement (maximum 400 words), setting out:
- how you meet the criteria in the job specification
- what you feel you would bring to Architype and the Hereford studio culture
- if you have any specific preferences about your hybrid working arrangements
You must state, in the subject line of your email: ‘Hereford studio’ and the job role you are interested in (Part 1, Part 2, architect or senior architect). Without this information in the subject heading we will be unable to sift your application correctly and it will be missed.
This post will be offered as permanent contract, subject to a probationary period.
Unfortunately, due to the volume of applications we are sorry we cannot respond to all applications, so if you do not hear from us after the interview date above please assume that you have been unsuccessful.
Note that all applications will be treated in accordance with our GDPR policy.
Job description
The senior architect role is a fantastic opportunity to support some of the most innovative initiatives in the UK, contribute your ideas to the UK’s most sustainable design practice and work in a practice that cares about you and our impact on the planet.
The ideal candidate will be Part 3 qualified architect, registered with ARB (or with equivalent experience or qualifications), capable of taking responsibility for designing and delivering a number of separate projects and managing a team of architects and assistants.
The role may, from time to time, also include that of project architect on individual projects. You will be expected to set and maintain high standards of design and sustainability targets for individual projects, and to set and maintain a high quality of fully coordinated design and construction documentation output, including quality assuring drawings.
You will be expected to keep abreast of current legislation and government policies in respect of the built environment and contribute to topical professional debate through press articles, reports and speaking at seminars and conferences, as appropriate.
You will also be expected to delegate design tasks to appropriate levels of staff in such a manner that every project attains the highest design standard and is delivered in a profitable way.
You will be proficient in key CAD programmes such as Vectorworks and Revit, and proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and InDesign.
Core purpose:
- to directly act as a project architect
- to assume responsibility for overseeing a number of separate projects, under the line management of an associate
- to lead and motivate a team of staff
- to oversee day-to-day contact with key clients
- to be engaged in both local office management and the Combined Management Group
Key responsibilities:
- act as a project architect and oversee a number of separate projects
- assist in staff training and personal development
- assist in the preparation of project quality plans and monitor their implementation to achieve non-financial targets set
- ensure monitoring of time and finances on projects to achieve profit targets set
- reviewing design quality progress
- assist with programming and resource allocation/management on their projects
- implement the quality (ISO 9001) and environmental (ISO 14001) management system in respect of project work under their control and general aspects for which they may be responsible
- take responsibility for quality control of documentation and drawing sets to ensure the information is fully coordinated and clearly communicates and expresses the design excellence of Architype
- assist with the development of client contacts, identification of work opportunities and preparation of submission documents from time to time
- ensure drawn information adheres to Architype’s latest BIM protocols and standards
- be engaged in both local office management and the Combined Management Group
- communicate to staff working with you importance of surpassing client, as well as statutory, requirements
- filling out improvement logs
- take responsibility for project related health and safety matters and implementation of CDM regulations on their projects
- provide strong leadership on Passivhaus and sustainability with clients and external consultants/collaborators involved in projects
In addition to project leadership, each senior architect will have an opportunity to develop their role to include day-to-day responsibility for an area of practice management, should they demonstrate they the desire and capability for this beyond the core responsibilities as senior architect, for example, the current Combined Management Group working groups focus on operations, scope, contracts and training.
The above-mentioned tasks are a summary of the key responsibilities involved, however, the post holder may be asked to carry out other tasks as directed by Architype’s senior management.
Job specification:
- Part 3 qualified and ARB registered (essential)
- three to four years project running experience (essential)
- excellent design skills (essential)
- excellent organisational, project management and team leadership skills (essential)
- proficiency in Revit (essential) and Vectorworks (desirable), SketchUp (desirable) and InDesign (desirable)
- a commitment to genuine sustainability (essential)
- experience in Passivhaus Design or CEPH qualification (desirable)
- commitment to a collaborative style of working and ability to work well in teams (essential)
- commitment to alignment with Architype’s core values as a creative, ecological, progressive community (essential)
