Office Talk UK, Marketing for Architecture

Alison Brooks is the director of Alison Brooks Architects, a London-based practice known for generous and inclusive city-building supported by uniquely sculptural design.

In this episode, Alison and Dave discussed:

• The challenges of participating in design competitions, and how the need to produce so much more and satisfy stringent criteria compared to the early days, creates barriers for emerging practices.
• The important role competitions play in their business, and how they think strategically about selecting the right competitions to invest time and resources in.
• The challenges she faced establishing her practice as a Canadian in the UK, and how she was able to develop new client relationships without relying on an existing network.
• Why Alison believes higher education projects offer some of the best opportunities for architects, because the clients are highly motivated to be at the forefront of design, technology and sustainability.
• The value of developing an ability to write as a way to articulate your ideas as an architect, and why Alison often finds herself spending more time writing than designing.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit alisonbrooksarchitects.com or follow them on Instagram at @alisonbrooksarchitects.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.

Oliver Leech is the director of Oliver Leech Architects, a London-based practice known for crafting homes that celebrate life, light, and materials.

In this episode, Oliver and Dave discussed:

• How he attracted new clients in the first few years of the practice when there was limited imagery to post to social media, and why building his professional network played such a big role.
• Why less can be more when it comes to posting social media, and why they chose to avoid posting process imagery in favour of final project photography.
• How he curated the practice’s portfolio to attract a broader range of residential projects to avoid being pigeonholed to one type of house or area of London.
• Why starting a practice in his twenties was a challenge, and the advantages and disadvantages of putting his portrait and profile out there as a young architect.
• Their approach to final project photography and styling, and the difficulty of finding the balance between a pared back architectural image, or a lifestyle shoot focused on the client.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit oliverleech.com or follow them on Instagram at @oliverleecharchitects.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.

William Burges and Stephen Davies are the directors of 31/44, a practice with offices in London and France known for making architecture that sits comfortably in the fabric of the city, introduced with care and consideration.

In this episode, Will, Steve and Dave discussed:

• How teaching in both undergraduate and masters programs have changed the way they communicate their work, and how they view their projects as being part of a research agenda.
• The approach they took to their website design in the early days of the practice when they didn’t have much built work to show, and why they began sharing their readings, research and travels alongside their built work.
• The importance of producing renders in-house to maintain a level of control and consistency, and how sometimes it’s more important to show a vignette with detail versus a full-view of the space or building.
• Why physical models, produced at varying scales, have been a vital part of their design process, but also as an essential presentation tool.
• How they shift the tone of their communication to address the specific needs of the different audiences architects encounter, whether it’s with a client, students, planning authorities or the local community.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit 3144architects.com or follow them on Instagram at @31_44.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.

Matt Loader and Iain Monteith are the directors of Loader Monteith, a Glasgow-based practice known for their approach to meaningful, local and sustainable architecture.

In this episode, Matt, Iain and Dave discussed:

• The challenges of managing clients, project scopes and costs in the early days of starting their practice, and how saying no to work that didn’t align with their vision was just as important as saying yes.
• How every small project is an opportunity that can lead to larger work in the future, but why it’s important to make sure smaller project budgets aren’t spread thin for the sake of more floor area.
• The three guiding principles they judge a potential project against to see whether or not it is a good fit for their practice, values and long-term vision.
• How they have approached their gradual shift from private residential towards public and community projects, and what adjustments they have made to their website, portfolio and practice messaging to support the transition.
• Their approach to timing project photoshoot to ensure the building has fully settled into place, and how shooting projects in the winter, which many architects avoid, has led to unexpected PR benefits for the practice.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio, you can visit loadermonteith.co.uk or follow them on Instagram at @loadermonteith.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. We work collaboratively with clients across the UK. To learn more about our process and book a consultation, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and produced by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.

Jim Stephenson is an architectural photographer and film-maker, known for capturing the many ways people interact with architecture.

In this episode, Jim and Dave discussed:

• Why photographing people enjoying buildings, rather than empty spaces, can better explain the story and concept of the project, but also serve as a visual testimonial to the success of the building.
• How architectural filmmaking has grown and evolved over the years, and why architects are increasingly seeing the value in having the story of their projects told in film in addition to still photography.
• The different ways film can help architects to reach new audiences, from extending the potential media reach for a project, to producing different cuts of the main film that can be tailored to speak about different subjects to different audiences.
• The questions Jim likes to ask architects to help them tease out the most interesting stories and ideas in their projects, and how we can better prepare for situations where we need to speak about our work on camera.

If you'd like to learn more about their studio Jim Stephenson, you can visit clickclickjim.com or follow him on Instagram at @clickclickjim or @stephensonand_cuts.

Office Talk is hosted by Dave Sharp of Office D.SHARP, a strategic marketing and brand definition practice for architecture. Our practice works collaboratively with clients across the globe. To learn more about our process and book a consultation to discuss your practice, simply visit officedavesharp.com.

Today's episode of Office Talk was edited and engineered by Anthony Richardson of Simple Dwelling Studio.