Part 1 and Part 2 architectural assistants in London

Holloway Li is looking for Part 1 and Part 2 architectural assistants to join its studio in London. The studio works primarily in the hospitality, retail, and private residential architecture, with a focus on interior architecture. We design everything from furniture products to large hotels. The company has a cross-cultural identity with a focus on creative projects, mostly in London and others in NY, Tokyo, Kyoto and Europe currently. Since the company was established in 2018, we have grown a strong reputation for providing innovative architecture and interior design direction to a network of international clients.

Our project teams are usually two to three people working together. We are currently a 20-person team in London, and a two-person studio in Hong Kong.

The experience we can offer:

• Collaborative working with a very talented team.
• You will be exposed to design-led projects, that will always have a built result.
• We will invest our company knowledge and resource in your development, helping you to learn and grow.
• You will work at different scales – designing bespoke pieces and products whilst collaborating closely with our network of craftspeople to develop your personal knowledge of materials and processes.
• You will be guided on how to deliver your designs, understanding the technical and practical requirements of your projects.
• You will work closely with both company directors.
• You will be exposed to and input on all aspects of our projects – from conceptual design thinking, creative strategy, design decisions, client management, project management, PR and beyond.
• You will have hands-on site work and see your creations come to life.
• You will have the opportunity to work on projects in the UK and abroad, and we can accommodate your preferences/goals.
• You will become part of an eclectic and fun team, with regular office socials and events, and at least one annual trip.
• Part 1s will gain valuable knowledge of all stages of the projects and not be stuck in a single repetitive role.
• Part 1s will have the opportunity to spread their wings beyond the traditional confines of the role and take on as much responsibility as they wish.
• Part 2s will learn how to become excellent project runners.
• Part 2s will learn how to deliver their creations IRL.
• Part 2s will have a platform to do their Part 3 qualification.
• Part 2s will learn how to become leaders, and speak to clients.
• Part 2s will overlay their creative knowledge with commercial understanding and widen their knowledge and skill.

What we are looking for in all prospective candidates (essential):

• Part 2s must have two years prior experience in practice.
• Part 1s will demonstrate excellent design capability, strong communication, a willingness to learn and be available to work a minimum of 18-month placement (i.e. take two years out from study).
• Experience of project leadership and management.
• Initiative and focus.
• Knowledge of managing or working in a team.
• Positivity.
• Resilience.
• Exceptional presentation and design skills.
• Confidence in your ability to work independently, as well as part of a team.
• Adaptable, hardworking and quick to learn.
• Excellent understanding of Computer-Aided-Design software principles (2D and 3D plus Adobe CS).
• Ability to make intuitive decisions independently and quickly.
• Strong capability in 3D modelling and rendering in a preferred software to a high level, at pace.
• Strong/confident communication skills (written and spoken English inc. brevity).
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
• Based/living in London (interviews in person).
• Demonstrate an interest in working on interior-focused projects.
• Passion and spark.
• Hold a UK visa or work permit (valid for next two years from start).

Preferred candidates will also be able to demonstrate the following:

• Balanced understanding of commerciality of the industry.
• Experience of similar types of projects/sectors we operate in.
• First class honours degree.
• Knowledge/experience using Vectorworks.

Start date: available to start work this summer; for exceptional candidates we can wait a little longer if you have longer leave/notice periods if moving from another job.

Salary: competitive, with regular reviews and clear targets for growth; we align our Part 1 salaries with London Living Wage and our Part 2 starting salaries are £37k.

Visa: for exceptional Part 2 candidates we would consider visa sponsorship.

Location: our studio is based in Clerkenwell, Central London; we are also looking to add a couple of team members to our Hong Kong studio– so please state your preference in the application.

Equality: our team hail from varied backgrounds; we welcome candidates from any background, race, gender, sexuality.

Flexible working: we operate a core-hours policy of 10:00am to 5:00pm in the studio; during summer we operate a nine-day fortnight (every second Friday we close the office from June through August– no salary impact), along with other flexible initiatives including five extra days of annual leave for Christmas shutdown– this year, we are trialling WFH and an inspiration travel fund.

Please send a PDF portfolio and CV via the ‘apply for job’ button below (PDFs compressed to max. 25MB– no Google Drive or Dropbox links please).