Bespoke Careers Podcast

From cubbies in the bush to projects in Melbourne, London, and New York, Martin’s career has spanned continents, practices, and passions. Now an Associate at FXCollaborative, he reflects on what drives him as an architect and his advocacy for diversity through Build Out Alliance.

00:00 Intro

02:51 Designing for the end user’s needs and enjoyment

05:38 DIY projects family building and formal training

08:09 London office planting the see...

The numbers aren’t great. Women in architecture are still paid less, promoted less, and leaving the profession at higher rates than men. It’s not unique to architecture, but there’s plenty of work to do. According to a Bespoke Careers report, the gender pay gap in Australia sits at 20.6% — nearly triple that of the UK and US. Angela Dapper has seen those realities up close, and has made it her mission to be the change she wants to ...

What does it take to become a successful architect? How do you build an award winning practice culture? How do we fix the housing crisis? And are architects still hungry enough to make a difference?In this episode, Simon Bayliss, Managing Partner at HTA Design, shares what he's learned from 25 years at one of the UK’s leading housing-focused practices.

0:00 - Intro

0:56 - Why Simon became an architect

3:26 - Where architects ...

We spend roughly a third of our adult lives at work. A third. That's about 90,000 hours over the course of a career. And yet, many of us have never stopped to really think about how our physical environment is shaping our mental health, our productivity, and our overall wellbeing every single day.

We're living through the biggest shift in how we work since the Industrial Revolution. Hybrid working, which felt revolutiona...

Fed up with the traditional way of procuring architecture, Qutaibah Al-Atafi joined forces with builder Ryan Underwood to create something different. And with Underwood, their Melbourne-based design-led design and build firm, that’s exactly what they’re doing.

Immigrating from Iraq and growing up in the outer suburbs of New Zealand, Qutaibah was left questioning why some places felt like home and others didn’t.

In this conversation, ...

From studying at Yale to leading global megaprojects like Changi Airport and Hudson Yards, Forth shares what’s changed in the profession, why architecture is a service business, and how to lead without losing the joy in design.

00:00 - Intro01:15 - Why Architecture?01:51 - Forth's upbringing and route into architecture04:43 - Key lessons from Yale University07:24 - Is architecture school effectively preparing graduates for p...

This episode features Nimi Attanayake of Nimtim Architects, who discusses how her personal experiences, including a cancer diagnosis, reshaped her career.

Nimtim is an architecture practice in London that crafts playful, personal spaces for real people, rethinking how architecture can be more accessible and human.

0:00 - Intro1:16 - Why Architecture? A Personal Battle3:10 - Nimi's Route into Architecture: Family & Ea...

We sit down with Keir-Regan Alexander, founder of Arka Works, to explore how AI is transforming architecture.

With over 15 years of design experience in top London practices, Keir shares his journey from architect to AI consultant, revealing how AI is changing the way architects work.

We cover everything from early career influences and design school experiences at Liverpool and Westminster to the pressures of running a practice an...

Thomas Rowntree is an architectural designer and content creator. Alongside practice, he's built a large online following by sharing honest, practical insights into architectural education, early career experience and the realities of the profession.

His content focus on visual communication, productivity, and creative workflows for students and young professionals. He is part of a growing group of designers using content to...