Practice name: Working Title ArchitectsBased: Islington, LondonFounded: September 2023Main people: The practice is just myself, James Bazeley, although we have a great network of freelancers and other small practices which allows us to scale up when needed. That said, we are looking to start recruiting soon as some of our larger projects are starting to ramp up.Where have you come from?Before founding Working Title Architects, I was a director at Hutchinson & Partners, where I worked closely with Ross Hutchinson and the team to rebrand and relaunch the practice in 2018.AdvertisementWhile there, I led a range of projects, from complex urban infill schemes to heritage workspace fit-outs and large residential-led regeneration project. That experience means that, alongside leading complex projects, I am also very comfortable with the process of running a practice.I had a great time there and learnt a lot. But it was time for me to move on to explore a different and more hands-on model of architecture.What work do you have and what kind of projects are you looking for?My primary focus is residential development, working with SME developers in and around London. These range from smaller retrofit and conversion projects to a handful of new-build houses and small apartment buildings on underlooked and under-used plots. I also have a few larger multi-unit schemes and mixed-use blocks, including a 100 per cent affordable housing project in Kingston, which is very exciting.Some of the larger projects also involve alternative residential models: build-to-rent, co-living, aparthotels, hotels, student accommodation and the like. Each has its own intricacies and quirks, which adds a little variety.In my previous role, I worked with a lot of established clients but their onerous pre-qualification criteria, in terms of financial records, insurance requirements and the like, would all rule out a new practice such as Working Title. However, I can lean into my extensive experience and reposition this within the SME developer market, which has been really helpful so far.AdvertisementWe've eschewed domestic clients they don't fit with the longer term planI've consciously eschewed working with domestic clients so far. This can be hard for a new practice, as such projects are often the most available and accessible, but it doesnt fit with the longer-term plans.This decision has allowed me to concentrate on building a position within my chosen market, helped me build my network, and given me greater exposure to the talent and ideas that already exist within that market, whether from a design perspective, or from the more flexible, entrepreneurial approach to business that many of the smaller developers take.One of the key aspects of my approach is to be open to more adaptable and innovative ways of working. While its useful to have some work that has a more traditional client/architect consultancy relationship to put food on the table, so to speak Im also trying to explore different types of collaborative project structure, funding models and fee structures to see how these work out.Im exploring different types of collaborative project structure and fee structuresSeveral architects already operate like this, but it has been fascinating to delve into this world following years of working in more traditional architectural appointments.This has led to me looking for funding to buy small sites to develop myself (two and counting), exploring option agreements with landowners, working with agents and developers to source sites and review opportunities.More recently I've formed a partnership with an emerging north London developer to bring an architectural viewpoint to its burgeoning team on a partnership basis. These less traditional paths are slightly daunting, a little more exciting and, in theory, have the potential to provide a more financially rewarding future.I enjoy the uncertainty, variety and creative approach to the business of design and development this type of work brings, but I appreciate it isnt for everyone.The practice is still very much at the beginning of this journey, but there are some excellent resources out there to help (and a shout out to the Developer Collective among others).Lots of architects have successfully managed to navigate the trials and tribulations of becoming an architect developer while still managing to place their design beliefs at the forefront of what they do. Source:Haze VizWorking Title Architects - plans for a 3m-wide house in Heber Road, SouthwarkWhat are your ambitions?The primary desire is to focus on the quality of the projects; to win, or initiate, work that is exciting, complex, engaging and allows me to have some fun with the design. The current focus is on residential development, but I would like to take on a more diverse workload, looking more at hospitality, workspace and community projects too in the long run. Its important for me to understand the wider operational and business concerns of any sector that I work in, and these are all areas that I have a reasonable initial understanding of, and there is a real scope for a humane and personal design approach within these sectors.The industry is increasingly split between giants and minnowsIn terms of size, I want to stay small enough to remain hands-on. The industry is increasingly split between giants and minnows, and Im happy to be the latter if it means focusing on good work. That said, while my focus is primarily centred on London, I'd love to see a more international workload and to do more collaborative work elsewhere in the world.Working Title Architects - proposals for St Helena Street, IslingtonWhat are the biggest challenges facing yourself as a start-up and the profession generally?The economy at large has been slow for a couple of years, and the landscape created in the aftermath of Brexit and Covid hasnt been kind to the industry. That said, recently there is a notable optimism and a flurry of activity that makes me quite hopeful. Lower interest rates and a theoretically more friendly planning environment are great for the industry, and we are seeing this enthusiasm really starting to shine through.In terms of being a start-up, I've a strong conviction that one of the key issues with the architectural profession at large is that we dont lean into specialisation enough.This makes it harder to convey our value to clients or to rein in scope creep. The RICS has identified 22 different types of sector and encourages its members to specialise in a core service in one of these sectors. Their roles are quite distinct, which allows each service to be offered separately and really helps to define its value.Architects end up offering a wider turnkey service at a discounted priceThe architectural profession does have this granularity, but, with the exception of certain areas such as heritage architecture and principal designer roles, we dont express it and often dont even recognise it.As such, the message often gets lost and we end up offering a wider turnkey service at a discounted price rather than targeted, specialised advice. The other issue is the oversaturation of architects. There are so many small companies it can be very hard to stand out if you dont try to focus on a particular service.Working Title focuses on providing concept design, planning and viability advice for residential developers. Our narrative-led, humane design approach helps us to put forward good quality, considered and deliverable architectural responses, and to be frank, this really helps to derisk the planning process.Which scheme, completed in the last five years, has inspired you most?There are two projects I would like to pick, because they are excellent examples of the type of work that we aspire to do: Tikari Works The Rye project, a self-initiated development of 10 fantastically executed homes next to Peckham Rye; and Turner Works Coachworks project, which is a community-led event space in Ashford, Kent. Source:Guy ArchardTurner Works' CoachworksThe latter came out of a request for ideas from the local authority, with both the design and operational model being developed by Turner Works to reinvigorate an underused site in a very humane and experience-led way. Both projects really capture an entrepreneurial, self-driven approach to making projects happen, but where high-quality design is still very much at the forefront.Are you using any new design techniques, such as AI?AI can be a useful tool, and we do use Midjourney and ChatGPT for a number of different tasks. That said, it certainly isnt central to our creative process, but can be a helpful way of generating atmospheric and precedent images without the need to trawl endlessly through Google Images or Pinterest to find an image with the sentiment that we are trying to convey.Some of the most exciting advances in technology more recently are around the quality and usability of the image rendering software, such as Enscape. The quality of the lighting, the planting and the ease of use have really enhanced our ability to explore and convey ideas without the complication of more specialist software. That said, well always work with CGI artists, as we cant even begin the match the skill, artistry or eye of some of the talented people out there.How are you marketing yourselves?Your network is the most important thing to finding a steady flow of work. I try to go to a lot of events, meet a lot of people for coffee, and look in a lot of unusual places, as you never know where you might find the next job. There are some great organisations and communities out there.We work with the land teams for estate agentsOne other thing we've found to be a particularly useful approach is to work with the land teams for estate agents. We help them to produce initial schemes to help them base the prospective value of a site on, and put together sales packs outlining this development potential.This gives us an early sight of lot of new sites but also means that our branded content is then sent out to potential clients who might be looking to purchase the site. Being friendly, and giving open, genuine advice are both very useful. I like to try and put myself in the clients shoes and work out what I would want to know if I were them.Other than that, we do a bit of posting on Instagram and LinkedIn and occasionally foray into thought pieces on certain subjects. There is a lot more that we should be doing, and there are some people who are producing excellent, and informative, content which seems to me to be the most useful way to share knowledge more widely, and create a genuine sense of connection, the main issue, as ever, is finding the time to do so!Website address:workingtitlearchitects.com Source:Working Title ArchitectsWorking Title Architects - plans for Sunny Bank, Croydon