London, UK
Architectural assistant apprentice - level 7
at Architype
Architype is seeking an architectural assistant apprentice – level 7 to join its team in London.
Architype is looking for an architectural assistant apprentice level 7 who shares our passion for high quality design, to join our expanding team delivering a growing portfolio of projects across the whole of the UK. As the UK’s leading Passivhaus architect, recently awarded Education Architect of the Year, and highly commended in the AJ100 Practice of the Year, Architype offers exceptional opportunities to be involved in projects at the cutting edge of zero carbon and sustainability. Our approach is inclusive and collaborative.
Our apprenticeship in architecture provides an equal alternative path to becoming an architect and will combine practical experience in the workplace with one day a week attendance at London South Bank University to complete your Part 2.
About Architype
Architype has an open and collaborative ethos with a common purpose – to deliver fantastic architecture that performs exactly as predicted. We have steadily grown over the last 35 years and are now a team of 70+ collaborating across three offices in Edinburgh, Hereford and London.
Architype has a rich history of pioneering low carbon design and a clear focus on how buildings work for people and the planet. We masterplan and design a wide range of buildings across the education, university, housing, community, and cultural sectors. Our consultancy service PERFORM+ enables us to offer insight and cutting-edge technical expertise to clients.
Working culture at Architype is creative and caring. We work in a collaborative and supportive way that encourages fresh ideas and career progression, and we support flexible working for all.
Architype is regularly featured in the top five of Building’s Employer of the Year. We are 30% owned by the staff through an Employee Benefit Trust and are committed to becoming 100% employee owned in the future.
Due to the COVID pandemic, Architype staff are currently not office based until at least Autumn 2021. You would be expected to work remotely from home but would be fully supported and integrated into our collaborative team culture and would be linked to the London office.
Benefits:
- competitive salary which is aligned to the annual RIBA salary bandings survey
- 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays)
- 37.5-hour week – flexible working possible
- pension benefits of 3% employer contribution and access to a company health scheme
- opportunity to join an employee-owned practice committed to employee training and development
- opportunity to work with a team that care about people and the planet
- working from home allowance
Day to day responsibilities
The architectural assistant apprentice – level 7 will be entrusted with day-to-day contact with clients and design teams and through their projects will assist in the furtherance of the strategic direction of the practice, its design ethos and quality management systems.
The architectural assistant apprentice – level 7 will be expected to set and maintain high standards of design and assist in the establishment of sustainability targets for their projects. In general you will be expected to keep abreast of current legislation and government policies in respect of the built environment and contribute to topical professional debate, seminars internal project reviews and CPD’s as appropriate.
You may be expected to work on a number of separate projects and will be expected to assist the project architect to ensure that every project attains the highest design standard and is delivered in a profitable way.
In addition, you will have the following responsibilities:
- assist and support directors and senior staff in their tasks of winning work and managing the finances of the practice
- contribute in staff training and personal development
- assist with the development of client contacts, identification of work opportunities and preparation of submission documents
- implement the Quality [ISO 9001] and Environmental [ISO 14001] management system in respect of project work under your control and general aspects for which you may be responsible including specifically:
- filling out improvement logs
- assisting in and maintaining the project design quality statement
- provide information on your projects to assist in the programming and resource allocation/management
- attend and contribute to regular design reviews
- assist as required with the preparation and distribution of marketing material
Working week – four days per week at Architype and one-day attendance at South Bank University
Salary – starting at £23.5 K (inclusive of London weighting)
Future prospects
There are great opportunities to progress your career and experience a diverse range of learning development opportunities within Architype. Following successful completion of the apprenticeship Architype will discuss the opportunity for further career progression. There is the potential to become a full time employee and progress into site and project management roles.
Skills required:
- freehand drawing
- demonstration of 3-dimensional thinking
- demonstrate a strong interest in architecture and the built environment
- ability to work in a team
- use of written and spoken English
- flexible and can-do attitude
Personal qualities:
- a team player, who values and is committed to collaborative styles of working
- a curious and keen learner
- Architype is a creative, ecological, progressive community – so we are keen to hear from candidates who can demonstrate behaviours and commitment to these values
- be mindful of relevant professional codes of conduct (e.g. ARB and RIBA)
- strive to communicate effectively and professionally when working independently and as part of a team
- commit to identifying their own individual professional development needs
Reality check
For the remainder of 2021 Architype will be experimenting with a hybrid model of working – with office bases becoming creative hubs, where people meet to collaborate, create or socialise together. Remote home bases will remain the place where most ‘applied or focused work’ is undertaken.
Work will typically be desk based on an iMac workstation in a team but will also include freehand sketching, drawing and model making. Attendance at meetings and presentations outside the office, site visits including research of the wider urban/site context will be required (subject to any COVID restrictions). Public exhibition/consultation as part of planning applications together with planning committee meetings etc will also form part of the work pattern.
Important other information – some experience of using all or some of the following packages is desirable:
- proficient in either of the key CAD programmes used by Architype – currently Vectorworks 2011 or Revit
- Word
- Excel
- Filemaker
- basic proficiency in Powerpoint and InDesign
To apply
Architype is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and staff engagement forums, to support staff from different backgrounds.
Please can we ask that you complete our equality and diversity monitoring form, please click on this link.
Please submit your CV, cover letter and portfolio of work (max size 5mB).
In your cover letter, please answer the following two questions to help us find out a bit more about your motivation:
- What are the key challenges in designing sustainable buildings?
- Why would you like to work for Architype?
Please submit your application via the ‘apply’ link below. The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Friday 16th July.