Reflections on Part 1 life at Benoy - Adaptation, change and global perspectives

I’m currently two years into my Architecture BA at Loughborough University. Since September 2023, I’ve been working on placement at the Benoy Newark studio to gain industry experience and exposure. In September 2024 I’ll be heading back to Loughborough to finish my Part 1. It’s a slightly unusual approach; usually architecture students go on placement in their fourth year, whereas I’m coming here in my third. The idea is that I can apply the knowledge I gain at Benoy to my final BA projects and use this experience to inform decisions about my MA.

Since I’ve been here, I’ve been working in two different architecture teams, focusing almost exclusively on retail projects in Asia. I’ve been mainly involved in concept and pre-concept stage work, which is when the look and feel of a building begin to emerge, with initial sketches shaping what will be built at the end of the process. It’s been amazing seeing designs I’ve created and elevations I’ve produced being incorporated into projects
and analysed by clients. One retail scheme I worked on, Elan Imperial in Gurgaon, India, recently launched to the public. Seeing design work I was involved in generating real-world excitement and footfall has been very exciting. 

Firstly, the geographic focus of the work has been a completely new experience. Before coming to Benoy, I’d only ever encountered UK-based sites and regulations, so working on projects in India and Thailand has been a real eye-opener. Suddenly, you’re having to factor in extreme heat or the impact of monsoon rains. I’ve learned the importance of blending interior and exterior spaces in these countries, and how shopping malls provide vital social areas and refuge from the elements.

I’ve also been introduced to mixed-use and redevelopment, which play a key role in rapidly expanding cities and urban areas. Redevelopment, for example, provides a great opportunity to understand what works and doesn’t work within an existing asset, and how that asset could be made more exciting and efficient. It’s about creating something better without demolishing and rebuilding from scratch, which is totally unsustainable. 

The people here have also been really good in assessing my software skills and taking me through rigorous training programs for tools like Revit and Grasshopper. This process helped me understand the level I was at technically and how I could progress. Thanks to the training and support I’ve received, I’m now at a point where I can apply these skills to real-world challenges. 

I have a newfound appreciation of the need for adaptability and fluidity in project work. At university, there’s a tendency to deliver a piece and consider it done, the finished product. But in a professional environment, the scope of a project can change, budgets can change, a client might request a completely new direction. So you need to be able to adapt to these shifts and take on board other people’s opinions and analysis. You might be happy with something, but that doesn’t mean it’s finished. Designs can evolve, different concept routes can develop or merge as a project progresses. And these are good lessons to learn.

The experience of designing as part of a team has been invaluable. Whether it’s sitting around together, discussing pre-concepts or morphing facades with a piece of tracing paper and pens, the emphasis on communicating as a collective, sharing ideas and supporting each other’s designs, is something I’ll definitely take with me.

I’ve also learned how important it is to make people feel valued and empowered. During my time at Benoy I’ve not once been treated like ​‘the assistant’; I’ve been made to feel that my input and ideas count, and I think that’s a really good thing to take to a future workplace. 

One thing I’ve really enjoyed is that every Monday morning the London and Newark studios get together remotely to discuss current work and look at what’s coming up. Each week, one team takes a turn to present to the rest of the company and explain what they’ve been working on. It’s one of the highlights for me, to hear about all the great projects going on in different sectors and areas I’m not familiar with – like residential, or the speed park developments in the Middle East. It’s a great way to get people energised and inspired for the week ahead.

The social side of things has been really good, too. I’ve been involved in the Social Committee at Newark, helping to build the team ethos and workplace culture. It’s been really fun. Benoy prides itself on being a family business, and the pleasure people take in being together, inside and outside of work, is really evident. 

I was quite creative at school and always chose the most creative subjects. But it wasn’t until I had to think about A‑levels that I realised architecture is the most creative career path that has the biggest impact on people’s lives. The more I thought about it, the more I became struck by how inescapable and influential architecture is the world over. I saw this was a discipline where I could be creative and make a difference. 

About this time I came across the work of Jens Hausmann, whose art is mainly preoccupied with modern architecture. Then I discovered Richard Rogers. The way these two aren’t afraid to show the structure and bones of a building really interested me. I thought it was a genuinely inspiring expression of creativity, involving something that touches everybody, everywhere. So these discoveries and interests really triggered things for me, and my time at Benoy has totally confirmed I’m on the right pathway. 

I would say, be prepared for the hard work and dedication that professional architecture requires. Also, understand there is a process; you’ll be learning and developing as you go, so be open to the opinions and advice of others. You also need to be prepared to adapt and change and take different approaches, because nothing is fixed from the outset. 

And finally, if you can gain experience of overseas markets and projects that expose you to different parts of the world, grab the opportunity – that broad global knowledge and perspective can only enrich your future design work and decisions.