Beyond the Drawing Board From Architect to Developer with Michael Langley

In this episode, Paul talks to Michael Langley, an architect turned developer, who started his career in London designing high-end buildings, extensions and basements. During COVID he decided to transition into development. He has already delivered projects and has several others in the pipeline.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• It is not the job of the architect to know everything about development. Their training does not cover all aspects of the processes used to construct a building.
• Architects that have the right experience will use what they know to inform their
  design process e.g. If they have repeatedly seen a building feature rejected at the
  planning stage they will not include it.
• Developers need to give their architect a proper brief, something that rarely happens.
• Complex designs, e.g. Roofs with funny angles look good but cost more.
  The timber frame method enables you to get watertight faster and have more trades on site earlier
• The unintended consequences of legislation changes is making it increasingly
  difficult to find viable deals, but they are still out there.
• Focus on off market deals, connect with landowners and build a pipeline of deals. Be patient, this takes time.

BEST MOMENTS
“You´ve got to factor so much more into your design process than just hitting the brief.”
“Its just as important to instruct your consultants correctly and provide your architects with a proper brief.”
“We managed to de-risk it slightly.” “They really don’t understand the impact of a lot of the s**t we have to deal with - the Section 106 agreement is a classic example.”
“We've got to make deals viable. If we can't create a certain land value the housing will not get created.”

EPISODE RESOURCES
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-langley-mla
https://www.instagram.com/mlangleyproperty

ABOUT THE HOST 
Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.
Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group.
In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! 
Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University.
 
CONTACT METHOD
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs
Millbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficial
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment