Running an Architecture Practice: Fees, Hiring, Culture and Risk with Tim O'Callaghan of nimtim architects

In this Architecture Social CPD, Stephen Drew speaks with Tim O'Callaghan, co-founder of nimtim architects, a design-led practice in South East London, about what it actually takes to start and run an architecture studio. Running time is around 78 minutes.

Who this is for

Students, Part 1 and Part 2 assistants, early-career architects and anyone weighing up whether to start or help run a small practice. It is also useful for practice owners who want an honest reference point on culture, hiring and the commercial side of studio life.

Learning outcomes

1. You will be able to describe how a small design-led practice can form and find direction without a fixed roadmap.
2. You will be able to explain the commercial realities of running a practice, including fees, profitability and cash pressure.
3. You will be able to evaluate approaches to studio culture, hybrid working and hiring in a small team.
4. You will be able to discuss routes into the profession, including apprenticeships and the cost of qualification.
5. You will be able to consider how practices are responding to AI and changing tools.
6. You will be able to reflect on the personal demands of starting and sustaining your own studio.

How nimtim actually started

Tim explains that nimtim was not the result of a grand plan. The practice grew out of a difficult personal period and began, quite literally, at the kitchen table with a laptop and no clients. He describes going out to find work from scratch, taking on small domestic jobs and building momentum from there. The point he draws out is that starting with only your own skill set is a real test, and also a genuine learning experience.

From larger-practice roles to running whole projects

Having worked on well-regarded projects within established teams, Tim reflects on the shift to running entire projects himself. Being responsible for the whole thing, rather than a part of it, changes what you need to know and how you work. He is honest that the early years involved a lot of ups and downs.

Working with a partner and protecting boundaries

nimtim is run by Tim and his partner Nimi Attanayake, who is also his partner in life. Tim talks about the reality of building a business with someone that close, and the ongoing effort to separate work from home so that neither takes over the other.

Studio culture, office life and hiring

Tim describes how the practice approaches culture and hiring, including how newer team members and those early in their training tend to start in the office more often before settling into a rhythm. The theme running through this section is protecting the studio's identity and way of working as the team grows.

Education, apprenticeships and the cost of qualifying

The conversation turns to how people enter and progress in the profession, including apprenticeships, training and the cost of qualification. Tim reflects on what practices need from people early in their careers, and the pressures students and assistants are under.

Fees, profit and the business reality of small practice

Tim is candid about fees and profitability. He notes how some practices price low simply to win work and keep people employed without really making a profit, and argues from his own experience that making a profit is what allows a business to grow and to keep delivering good work. This is one of the most practical parts of the discussion for anyone thinking about their own studio.

AI, changing tools and the fear of being left behind

Looking outward, Tim discusses how the profession is reacting to AI and the industrialisation of parts of the process, and the anxiety some feel about changing tools and being left behind. He weighs the practical value of new tools against the craft and judgement that architecture still depends on.

Winning work and keeping the practice going

Finally, Tim reflects on clients, sales and the ongoing job of keeping a practice moving. Winning the next piece of work, and doing it without losing the work you actually care about, is a constant part of running a studio.

Key terms

• Design-led practice: a studio where design quality and ideas drive the work and the way projects are run.
• Fee and appointment: the agreed price and scope for a piece of work, central to whether a project is viable.
• Profitability: the surplus left after costs, which funds growth, stability and better work.
• Studio culture: the shared values, habits and ways of working that hold a team together.
• Hybrid working: a mix of office and remote working, balanced against training and collaboration needs.
• Architectural apprenticeship: a work-based route into the profession, an alternative to the traditional full-time study path.

Reflective prompts for your CPD record

1. What would you need in place, financially and personally, before starting your own practice?
2. How would you protect studio culture and team wellbeing as a practice grows?
3. Where could new tools or AI change how you work, and what would you do to stay current without losing craft?

About the guest

Tim O'Callaghan is co-founder and principal of nimtim architects, a design-led practice based in South East London that he runs with Nimi Attanayake. The practice is known for playful, people-centred work across bespoke homes, extensions and community projects, and for a studio ethos that is approachable and supportive. Learn more at nimtim.co.uk.