What does it actually take to start your own architecture practice in 2026?

Alex Sutton founded Studio Sutton in August 2019 at the age of 29, just six months before the world locked down. In this conversation with Stephen Drew, he opens up about building an award winning international practice through a global pandemic, a war, an interest rate spike, an AI shake-up, and the hardest personal moments of his life. No fluff, no romanticising, just the real story of what running a small practice looks like when the cards are stacked against you.

If you've ever thought about starting your own studio, or you're already on that path and wondering if it gets easier, this one's for you.

Studio Sutton: studiosutton.co.uk
Alex Sutton on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alex-sutton

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▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Md1Fakkn7Q

Architecture Social is where architects and designers find honest career advice, insight from practice, and live roles worth applying for:
https://architecturesocial.com/

The fastest way to get hired is to be better at the things practices actually ask for. Revit, Rhino, rendering, BIM, portfolio work. Our learning partner ArchAdemia is built by architects, for architects:
https://archademia.com/architecture-social/

Use code ARCHSOCIAL10 for a discount on monthly or annual membership.

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Chapters

• 00:00 Intro
• 05:08 Meet Alex Sutton
• 06:14 How Alex got into architecture
• 08:34 Starting out at Sevil Peach
• 10:07 Setting up Studio Sutton at 29
• 12:19 Six months before the pandemic
• 16:33 Losing a year of work overnight
• 17:44 Pivoting to Oslo and Stockholm
• 20:09 The reality vs romance of running a studio
• 23:40 The personal cost of being a founder
• 26:29 The hidden cost of winning work
• 30:14 Why better design doesn't always win
• 34:00 Tick box forms and SME barriers
• 36:36 £40,000 just to be in the room
• 38:52 Where does design get lost?
• 43:34 Where are the Mavericks?
• 45:08 What actually creates value
• 51:02 Advice for new founders
• 57:16 Losing work to AI
• 58:49 Is starting a practice in 2026 a dead end?
• 1:03:07 Why architecture still matters
• 1:08:14 Hiring and building a small team
• 1:17:05 What architecture school doesn't teach
• 1:18:30 The Bartlett and the culture of fear
• 1:26:08 Where to find Studio Sutton

Why do architects have so little power in the UK built environment, even when their work shapes housing, public space, procurement and the way cities function?

Stephen Drew speaks with Jay Morton, Director at Bell Phillips Architects, housing campaigner and RIBA presidential candidate, about what is holding the architecture profession back and what needs to change.

The conversation covers:

Why architects are often absent from commercial and political decision-making

How housing delivery, procurement and public policy affect architectural influence

What RIBA needs to do if it wants to be more useful to members and the wider built environment

Why architects need a clearer public, commercial and leadership voice

This episode was recorded during the 2026 RIBA presidential election period.

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▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puoOxol-xBc

📝 Read the full write-up, with the key takeaways:
https://architecturesocial.com/podcast/why-architects-have-zero-power-uk/

Architecture Social is where architects and designers find honest career advice, insight from practice, and live roles worth applying for:
https://architecturesocial.com/

The fastest way to get hired is to be better at the things practices actually ask for. Revit, Rhino, rendering, BIM, portfolio work. Our learning partner ArchAdemia is built by architects, for architects:
https://archademia.com/architecture-social/

Use code ARCHSOCIAL10 for a discount on monthly or annual membership.

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Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and RIBA election context
• 02:53 Why Jay Morton is running for RIBA President
• 04:34 Jay's background and approach
• 05:39 Why architects are invisible in government
• 07:54 Pressure on architecture practices
• 12:09 Fees and the race to the bottom
• 15:29 Student debt and the cost of studying architecture
• 17:39 Are architects just service providers?
• 18:29 Architects as the doctors of buildings
• 21:14 Why small practices are the backbone of the profession
• 28:27 Why tendering is broken
• 30:08 Public perception versus professional reality
• 32:11 Architecture education and the bubble problem
• 34:18 Apprenticeship funding and access
• 40:37 Where to begin tackling the problem
• 42:40 Advice for Part 1s and Part 2s
• 44:14 AI and the future of the profession
• 46:37 Why Jay does not want fast food buildings
• 48:25 Why she wants to be RIBA President

Links from this episode

Jay Morton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaymorton/
Jay Morton campaign: https://jaymorton.co.uk/
Bell Phillips Architects: https://www.bellphillips.com/

What does it really take to build a long-term architecture career inside a global practice?

Stephen Drew speaks with Francesco Casella, Director at KPF, about career growth, working at scale, and what young architecture professionals can learn from staying, developing and leading inside one major studio.

The conversation covers:

Guest: Francesco Casella, Director at KPF

KPF: kpf.com

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▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daFiWGho19c

📝 Read the full write-up, with the key takeaways:
https://architecturesocial.com/podcast/kpf-director-advice-young-architects/

Architecture Social is where architects and designers find honest career advice, insight from practice, and live roles worth applying for:
https://architecturesocial.com/

The fastest way to get hired is to be better at the things practices actually ask for. Revit, Rhino, rendering, BIM, portfolio work. Our learning partner ArchAdemia is built by architects, for architects:
https://archademia.com/architecture-social/

Use code ARCHSOCIAL10 for a discount on monthly or annual membership.

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Chapters

Running an architecture practice is not just about design. It is fees, hiring, risk, clients, culture, profit and learning how to keep the studio moving without losing the work you care about.

Stephen Drew speaks with Tim, co-founder of nimtim architects, a design-led practice in South London, about starting a studio, building a team and dealing with the commercial reality behind architecture.

The conversation covers:

What it is really like to start an architecture practice

How nimtim grew from the kitchen table into a recognised design studio

Fees, profitability and the pressure of running a small practice

Hiring, culture and building a team without losing the studio's identity

What students and early-career designers should understand about practice life

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▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3499S-97MB0

📝 Read the full write-up, with the key takeaways:
https://architecturesocial.com/podcast/running-an-architecture-practice-isnt-what-you-think/

Architecture Social is where architects and designers find honest career advice, insight from practice, and live roles worth applying for:
https://architecturesocial.com/

The fastest way to get hired is to be better at the things practices actually ask for. Revit, Rhino, rendering, BIM, portfolio work. Our learning partner ArchAdemia is built by architects, for architects:
https://archademia.com/architecture-social/

Use code ARCHSOCIAL10 for a discount on monthly or annual membership.

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Chapters

• 00:00 Arriving at nimtim and setting the scene
• 05:01 Early practice formation and finding direction
• 10:21 First projects, public attention and momentum
• 15:07 Moving from larger practice to running whole projects
• 20:12 Working with a partner and separating work from life
• 25:04 Culture, office life and hiring
• 30:13 Education, students and practice pressures
• 35:18 Apprenticeships, training and the cost of qualification
• 40:12 Skills, challenge and what practices need
• 45:11 Starting a business, risk and reality
• 50:25 Team routines and running the studio
• 55:15 Honesty, pressure and the personal realities of practice
• 1:00:13 AI, industrialisation and the profession's reaction
• 1:05:17 Changing tools and fear of being left behind
• 1:10:18 Clients, sales and keeping the practice going

Links from this episode

nimtim architects: https://www.nimtim.co.uk/
nimtim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nimtimarchitects/

How do you future proof an architecture career when BIM, computational design and AI are changing what practices value?

Stephen Drew speaks with Ami Nigam, Head of Design Technology at Benoy, about design technology, international career moves and how to build skills that still matter as the profession changes.

The conversation covers:

How Ami moved from architecture into design technology

Why BIM, computational design and AI are now career skills, not side interests

How large practices think about technology, design quality and delivery

What students, Part 1s, Part 2s and early-career designers should focus on

How to stay useful without chasing every new tool

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▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8WfJBJrz60

📝 Read the full write-up, with the key takeaways:
https://architecturesocial.com/podcast/how-to-future-proof-your-architecture-career/

Architecture Social is where architects and designers find honest career advice, insight from practice, and live roles worth applying for:
https://architecturesocial.com/

The fastest way to get hired is to be better at the things practices actually ask for. Revit, Rhino, rendering, BIM, portfolio work. Our learning partner ArchAdemia is built by architects, for architects:
https://archademia.com/architecture-social/

Use code ARCHSOCIAL10 for a discount on monthly or annual membership.

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Chapters

• 00:00 Why design technology matters in practice
• 05:12 Scripting, process and fabrication
• 10:11 BIM explained and why it matters
• 15:15 Infrastructure, standards and solving problems in practice
• 20:15 Grasshopper, Rhino and design workflows
• 25:15 AI imagery and sandboxed tools
• 30:20 Enterprise tools, data and internal knowledge
• 35:08 Optimism, change and staying adaptable
• 40:16 Rapid change in visualisation and design tools
• 45:21 What students should focus on
• 50:12 Technical work needs people skills
• 55:08 Benoy, global studio life and audience questions
• 1:00:03 Enterprise AI and business use cases
• 1:05:16 Quality, bad outputs and critical judgement
• 1:10:20 How to connect with Ami and closing thoughts

Links from this episode

Benoy: https://www.benoy.com/

If you are trying to get hired in architecture or interior design, sending the same CV and portfolio to every studio is not enough.

In this Kingston University session, Stephen Drew shares practical advice for students, graduates and early-career designers trying to land roles in London and the wider UK architecture market.

The session covers:

How to stop relying only on job boards and reach studios directly

What to include in a 10 to 15 page sample portfolio

How to write a direct email that busy directors are more likely to read

When students and graduates should start applying

How international graduates can talk about the graduate visa clearly

What to bring to interviews so you stay in control

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▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HifIh5_4r2g

📝 Read the full write-up, with the key takeaways:
https://architecturesocial.com/podcast/how-to-actually-get-hired-in-architecture-and-interior-design/

Architecture Social is where architects and designers find honest career advice, insight from practice, and live roles worth applying for:
https://architecturesocial.com/

The fastest way to get hired is to be better at the things practices actually ask for. Revit, Rhino, rendering, BIM, portfolio work. Our learning partner ArchAdemia is built by architects, for architects:
https://archademia.com/architecture-social/

Use code ARCHSOCIAL10 for a discount on monthly or annual membership.

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Chapters

• 00:00 Stephen's route from architecture into recruitment
• 05:17 Sample portfolios and grabbing attention
• 10:16 CV details, grades and contact information
• 15:09 Software skills and how to present them
• 20:02 Portfolio images and presentation quality
• 25:02 ATS myths and making your CV readable
• 30:10 Showing process in portfolio work
• 35:08 Applying directly and building enough volume
• 40:05 Skipping the job board queue with direct outreach
• 45:01 Market conditions, persistence and application volume
• 50:17 International graduates and visa conversations
• 55:08 What employers value in graduates
• 1:00:19 Start dates, availability and interview questions
• 1:05:21 Targeting practices without overthinking it
• 1:10:10 Writing emails that focus on the employer

Trying to land your first architecture or interiors role is hard enough without guessing what hiring managers, directors and recruiters actually look for.

In this practical lecture, Stephen Drew breaks down how students and graduates can approach the job search with a clearer CV, tighter sample portfolio and a direct application process that creates more chances.

The conversation covers:

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▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jm-X7yADeU

📝 Read the full write-up, with the key takeaways:
https://architecturesocial.com/podcast/how-to-land-your-first-architect-role/

Architecture Social is where architects and designers find honest career advice, insight from practice, and live roles worth applying for:
https://architecturesocial.com/

The fastest way to get hired is to be better at the things practices actually ask for. Revit, Rhino, rendering, BIM, portfolio work. Our learning partner ArchAdemia is built by architects, for architects:
https://archademia.com/architecture-social/

Use code ARCHSOCIAL10 for a discount on monthly or annual membership.

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Chapters

Is Revit still the centre of architecture technology, or are AI, BIM 2.0 and new design tools starting to change what practices really need?

Stephen Drew speaks with Allister Lewis about the architecture tech landscape, from BIM and generative design to AI software, digital leadership and career routes for architects who want to move into technology.

The conversation covers:

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▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fbQy7kP2Ag

📝 Read the full write-up, with the key takeaways:
https://architecturesocial.com/podcast/is-this-the-end-of-revit-how-architects-must-adapt-2026/

Architecture Social is where architects and designers find honest career advice, insight from practice, and live roles worth applying for:
https://architecturesocial.com/

The fastest way to get hired is to be better at the things practices actually ask for. Revit, Rhino, rendering, BIM, portfolio work. Our learning partner ArchAdemia is built by architects, for architects:
https://archademia.com/architecture-social/

Use code ARCHSOCIAL10 for a discount on monthly or annual membership.

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Chapters

Modular housing is often discussed as a technical solution, but the harder questions are commercial, political and practical: who pays, who builds, and how do you make the model work?

Stephen Drew speaks with Lalit Chauhary, Design Director at ZedPods, about modular housing, zero carbon delivery, starting a business, pricing work properly and closing the gap between design ambition and construction reality.

The conversation covers:

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📝 Read the full write-up, with the key takeaways:
https://architecturesocial.com/podcast/the-future-of-housing-a-deep-dive-into-modular-innovation-with-zedpods/

Architecture Social is where architects and designers find honest career advice, insight from practice, and live roles worth applying for:
https://architecturesocial.com/

The fastest way to get hired is to be better at the things practices actually ask for. Revit, Rhino, rendering, BIM, portfolio work. Our learning partner ArchAdemia is built by architects, for architects:
https://archademia.com/architecture-social/

Use code ARCHSOCIAL10 for a discount on monthly or annual membership.

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Chapters

• (00:00) - and Setting the Scene

Architects are trained to care about the work, but the best work still needs to be seen, understood and trusted by the right people.

In this solo episode, Stephen Drew breaks down what architecture practices and professionals can learn from influencers, sales and content marketing without becoming fake, gimmicky or performative.

The conversation covers:

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▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euPp3UCHq58

📝 Read the full write-up, with the key takeaways:
https://architecturesocial.com/podcast/why-architects-need-to-think-like-influencers-marketing-secrets-revealed/

Architecture Social is where architects and designers find honest career advice, insight from practice, and live roles worth applying for:
https://architecturesocial.com/

The fastest way to get hired is to be better at the things practices actually ask for. Revit, Rhino, rendering, BIM, portfolio work. Our learning partner ArchAdemia is built by architects, for architects:
https://archademia.com/architecture-social/

Use code ARCHSOCIAL10 for a discount on monthly or annual membership.

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Chapters

• (00:00) - Welcome to the Livestream