Careers at ColladoCollins Architects

In this Architecture Social conversation, Stephen Drew sits down with three members of the ColladoCollins team, Dominic Hailey, Carlota Boyer and Angus Clogg, for an honest look at what it is like to build a career at the London practice. Over about 37 minutes they discuss the projects the studio works on, day-to-day team culture, career progression and the application process. ColladoCollins is a Fitzrovia-based studio founded in 2004, specialising in complex mixed-use design, and an Employee Owned Trust since 2024.

Who this is for

This lesson is for architecture students, Part 1 and Part 2 assistants, and qualified architects who want to understand what a medium-sized London studio is actually like before they apply. It is also useful for anyone researching how to ask better questions about culture, progression and workload when considering a practice.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

1. Describe the kinds of projects a complex mixed-use London practice takes on across residential, commercial and later living work.
2. Explain how team culture and studio size shape day-to-day experience for architects.
3. Identify the ways a practice can support career progression and professional development.
4. Recognise what candidates should look for, and ask about, before joining a studio.
5. Prepare a stronger application by understanding what a hiring team actually values.
6. Reflect on how social life and working environment affect long-term job satisfaction.

Inside a mixed-use practice

ColladoCollins works across residential, commercial, mixed-use, later living, hotel and leisure, heritage and retail. Rather than specialising in a single sector, the studio exposes architects to a broad range of typologies within one practice, which the team discuss as a key reason people join and stay.

Team culture and studio size

The conversation covers what it feels like to work in a studio of this scale, where individuals get visibility across projects and can move between teams. The guests describe an environment built on collaboration and trust rather than rigid hierarchy.

Career progression and support

Dominic, Carlota and Angus talk about how people grow within the practice, from taking on more project responsibility to leading teams. They discuss the value of mentoring, technical support from early design stages, and the practice covering professional membership fees.

Later living and specialist work

Dominic leads the studio's later living and care projects, an area he has helped grow, including large retirement and independent living schemes. The team explain how specialist knowledge develops within a general practice and why it can be a rewarding niche for architects.

Social life and environment

The guests are candid about why social life and the feel of a studio matter when choosing where to work. They cover hybrid and flexible working, year-round social events, and how the atmosphere affects morale and retention.

Applying to the practice

The panel share practical advice on the application process: what makes a portfolio or CV stand out, how to show genuine interest in the practice's work, and the sort of questions candidates should feel comfortable asking at interview.

Key terms

Mixed-use design: schemes that combine several uses, such as homes, retail and workspace, within one development.
Later living: housing and care designed for older people, including retirement and independent living communities.
Employee Owned Trust: an ownership structure where a trust holds the business on behalf of its employees, giving the whole team a stake in its future.
Design Team Leader: the role of coordinating specialist consultants and inputs towards a single design outcome.

Reflective prompts for your CPD record

1. Which of the typologies discussed would you most want exposure to, and how would you explain that in an application?
2. What questions about culture, progression and workload would you now ask a studio before accepting a role?
3. How does the idea of employee ownership change how you think about committing to a practice long term?

About the guests

Dominic Hailey is a senior member of the ColladoCollins team who has worked in practice since 2001 and leads the studio's later living and care projects. Carlota Boyer is an associate architect at the practice, working across its project teams. Angus Clogg is an architect at the practice, contributing to schemes from early design through to delivery. Together they offer a rounded, honest picture of careers at ColladoCollins.