Part 1 and Part 2 architectural assistants

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 includes:

• Collaborative working with a very talented team.
• Exposure to design-led projects that will always have a built result.
• Investment in your development, helping you to learn and grow.
• Working at different scales – designing bespoke pieces and products whilst collaborating closely with our network of craftspeople.
• Guidance on how to deliver your designs, understanding the technical and practical requirements of your projects.
• Close collaboration with both company directors.
• Exposure to and input on all aspects of our projects – from conceptual design thinking, creative strategy, design decisions, client management, project management, PR and beyond.
• Hands-on site work and seeing your creations come to life.
• Opportunities to work on projects in the UK and abroad, accommodating your preferences/goals.
• Becoming 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. They 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, deliver their creations in real life, and have a platform to do their Part 3 qualification. They will learn how to become leaders, speak to clients, and overlay their creative knowledge with commercial understanding.

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.
• Experience of project leadership and management.
• Initiative and focus.
• Knowledge of managing or working in a team.
• Positivity and 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 preferred software to a high level, at pace.
• Strong/confident communication skills (written and spoken English including 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 is 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. 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 – 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).