From Architecture To Real Estate Ft. Richard Carr, Design Director At Landsec Verified listing

In this Architecture Social Podcast conversation, Stephen Drew sits down with Richard Carr, Design Director at Landsec, to talk through his move from architecture into real estate and development. Approximate listening time 37 minutes.

The Evolution of Architecture: From Design to Real Estate Development

In the ever-evolving world of architecture, professionals continually seek ways to expand their horizons, blending creativity with practicality. A clear example of this is Richard Carr, Design Director at Landsec. With a background rooted in architecture, Richard moved into real estate development, bringing a design-led perspective to a FTSE 100 business that owns, develops and manages retail destinations, offices and mixed-use schemes across the UK.

Who this is for

Architects, architectural assistants and designers who are curious about moving client-side into real estate and development, and anyone who wants to understand how a major developer uses design to create commercially viable places.

Learning outcomes

After working through this session you will be able to:

1. Explain how an architectural training transfers into a client-side real estate role.
2. Describe what a design director at a major developer does day to day.
3. Recognise the commercial pressures that shape a development brief.
4. Identify practical steps for moving from practice into development.
5. Reflect on how architects and developers can collaborate more effectively.
6. Consider the role of technology and AI as tools for communicating a design vision.

Making the move client-side

Richard studied architecture in Leeds and worked in practice for around seven to eight years before an opportunity came up to join a real estate company. He is candid that, at the time, a real estate career felt like it was for other people, more spreadsheet-led than design-led. The reality, he found, was very different: the work is about creating spaces, bringing communities together and solving complex problems, which is exactly what draws many people into architecture in the first place.

What a design director actually does

There is no typical day. Richard describes a bridging role between the commercial side of the business and the architects and consultants Landsec works with. He spends time on site, with local authorities and communities, setting briefs, shaping the early vision for a scheme and then interpreting design ideas so they stack up commercially. He notes that he does more design work client-side than he expected, focusing on the early creative stages of a project.

Commercial is not a dirty word

Richard reframes the idea of commercial pressure as the realistic side of making cities and places viable. The skill, he argues, is balancing design ambition with budget, programme, building regulations and the many stakeholders involved, so that good ideas can actually be built and sustained over time.

Retail as hospitality and experience

Working primarily across the retail and mixed-use portfolio, Richard talks about retail shifting away from a purely transactional model towards hospitality and experience. The aim is to create places people want to spend time in, that stitch communities together, rather than simply somewhere to buy a product that could be bought online.

A non-linear path and dealing with setbacks

Richard is open about setbacks along his own route and encourages a flexible approach to career building. His advice for architects who have had interviews knocked back is to ask for feedback, identify the gaps and keep going, rather than treating a rejection as the end of the road.

Networking and asking for help

He highlights LinkedIn as a practical tool for broadening a network and gaining exposure to roles that may not be obvious from the outside. You do not need to be the loudest person in the room; asking someone for advice is a genuine compliment, and most people are willing to help.

Technology and AI as communication tools

Richard sees real value in technology and AI for selling and communicating a design vision and gathering community feedback, while remaining cautious about using it as a design tool in its own right. He still believes in the power of a quick hand-drawn sketch to convey an idea, and frames new tools as a way to enhance rather than replace human creativity.

Collaboration and supporting emerging talent

Client-side organisations bring together many disciplines, from investment and brand teams to asset management. Richard argues that architects who embrace this wider collaboration, rather than assuming they hold all the answers, tend to thrive. He is also a supporter of mentoring younger architects and giving smaller, emerging practices a platform, in the belief that a more diverse profession produces better places.

Key terms

• Client-side: working for the organisation that commissions and owns a project, such as a developer, rather than for an architectural practice appointed to design it.
• Design director: a senior client-side role that sets the design vision and brief and bridges commercial teams with architects and consultants.
• Mixed-use scheme: a development that combines uses such as retail, workspace, leisure and homes in one place.
• Placemaking: shaping spaces so they bring people together and have lasting value for their communities.
• FTSE 100: the index of the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, which includes Landsec.

Reflective prompts for your CPD record

1. Which of your current architectural skills would transfer most readily to a client-side role, and where are your gaps?
2. How might understanding a developer's commercial pressures change the way you present design ideas?
3. What is one practical step you could take this month to broaden your network into real estate and development?

About the guest

Richard Carr is a Design Director at Landsec, the FTSE 100 UK real estate company. He studied architecture in Leeds and worked in private practice before moving client-side, working primarily across Landsec's retail and mixed-use portfolio.