Build Studios

Business development - learning on the job
2020-07-08 10:00 - 11:00 (Europe/London)
Converting positive conversations into business opportunities – or in some cases even generating the positive conversations in the first place – can be a daunting prospect to start-ups and established businesses alike.
At this event, our expert speakers will share tips and advice on how to to develop new business opportunities, from forging new relationships to persuading existing clients they want to commission more work!
Confirmed speakers include:

Vivi Kala, Jestico + Whiles
Stuart Wilks and Annie Clift, Limeslade
Rachel Birchmore, AreBe

Booking details here.

Tenders, Competitions, Bids - Oh My! Winning new work
2020-07-15 10:00 - 11:00
This event explores the perceived complexities of public sector procurement, the slim odds of winning work at competition and the costs that can be involved in simply writing project bids.
Our expert speakers will dispel some of the myths around pitching for work and provide tips for putting your practice in the best place to succeed at competitive tender.
Confirmed speakers include:

Shona Snow, Procurement Consultant, Southwark Council
Marc Cairns, Managing Director, New Practice
Merlin Fulcher, Competitions Editor, Architects Journal
Akil Scafe-Smith, Co-Founder, Resolve Collective
Madeleine Kessler, Co-Curator, British Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2021

Booking details here.

Where do we go from here - The future of the built environment industry
2020-07-22 10:00 - 11:00
How are our towns and cities going to change in a post-COVID era? How will new patterns of living and working impact not only on the fabric and management of the built environment, but also on the need for built environment professionals to respond to this?
Or to put it more simply, where are the opportunities emerging from the disruption?
At this event, our urban development and placemaking experts will paint a picture of the post-COVID city, explore key changes in the physical and economic landscape of our towns and cities and what this means for the built environment sector.
Confirmed speakers include:

Indy Johar, Dark Matter Labs
Sarah Akigbogun, Director/Founder, Studio Aki
Meneesha Kellay, Curator V&A Museum
Dr Julie Grail, The BIDs Business
Lara Kinneir, The LSA
Peter Croft, Principal Urban Designer at Dartford Borough Council and Public Practice Associate
Sumita Singha, Ecologic Architects

Booking details here.

How can we work together to shape our towns and cities for the better?
2021-02-25 10:00 - 11:00
In this roundtable discussion we will hear from the panel about their experiences with involving and engaging local people in decision-making.

What does best practice look like?
How can we use the tools we already have to mobilise those with ideas?
What new tools do we need to be more imaginative and collaborative?
How can we involve young people and members of the communities whose voices are often overlooked?
How do we promote best practice to empower the decision-makers?

The landscape of our towns and cities has been shaped by a small group of people – landowners, local authorities, planners, architects and developers. The communities who inhabit them have had very little influence over the process and consultation has often been too little and too late.
But things are changing. Social media has empowered people like never before and the public response to climate change, Black Lives Matter and the Grenfell Tower fire have shown that people are no longer afraid to speak up and demand change.
Our towns and cities are grappling with problems like dying high streets, housing shortages, investment in infrastructure, and the creation of parks and open space. The Government is promising to ‘build back better’. So how can we harness the energy and desire to be involved and tap into that renewed sense of community, so that people can make an active and positive contribution to shaping their environment?
FREE to attend.
Register HERE to secure your place:

Virtual Southwark Property Network
2021-03-23 16:30 - 17:30 | Online
Build Studios members are invited to attend the (Virtual) Southwark Property Network as part of our new collaboration with Building Partnerships.
The Southwark Property Network offers an informal opportunity to meet other architecture, engineering and construction professionals, as well as developers who work or build in South London – one of London’s most prolific areas. They are held monthly, on or around the last Tuesday of the month.
Events are normally held at a local venue, but during Covid have moved online and retained the dynamic of a live event by utilising random Breakout rooms. They last around 1 hour and are free to attend for Build Studios members.
Please register to attend here.

Lunchtime Learning - Is your business drowning you?
2021-03-29 12:30 - 13:30 | Online
Are you working silly hours? Do you feel that things are getting on top of you? Are you trying to do your business’ marketing and accounting alongside delivering projects?
If you feel you haven’t even got an hour to attend this workshop, then this is a must for you!
Build Studios are hosting this free workshop at which you will learn how to sort tasks using a well proven method. You will then find out what you should do with them once they are sorted. We will then look at different ways that you can automate some tasks and begin the journey of delegating to others.
This Lunchtime Learning session will be delivered by Peter Searle, an experienced construction industry management advisor with a wealth of experience in a real work environment. The session is delivered as part of Build Studios’ collaboration with Building Partnerships and is an exclusive event for Build Studios members.

(Virtual) Southwark Property Network
2021-04-20 16:30 - 17:30, 2021-05-25 16:30 - 18:00, 2021-06-29 16:30 - 18:00

Lunchtime Learning - Is Your Business Drowning You?
2021-04-27 12:30 - 13:30 | Online
Event for Build Studios members.
Lunchtime Learning in association with Building Partnerships, delivered by Peter Searle.
IS YOUR BUSINESS DROWNING YOU?
Are you working silly hours?
Do you feel that things are getting on top of you? Are you doing the marketing, basic accounting, and delivery?
Join us for an informal session to explore how you can tackle these issues in your business.
Contact Helen to sign up.

Lunchtime Learning: Building a business you enjoy owning
2021-06-07 12:30
Free event for Build Studios members.
Lunchtime Learning session in association with Building Partnerships, delivered by Peter Searle.
Are you frustrated by some aspects of your business? Are you working silly hours? Not making enough money or cannot put your finger on what’s wrong?
An event for start-ups exploring how to survive the first few years, structuring your business to achieve a healthy work-life balance and looking forward to how your business can provide you with an income after you stop work.
This event will run via Zoom, with the aim of moving to in-person sessions as social distancing restrictions start to relax.
To register, please contact Helen.

Member event - introduction to Building Partnerships
2021-10-06 17:30 - 19:30 | Build Studios, 203 Westminster Bridge Road,, London, SE1 7FR, United Kingdom
Our in-person events programme re-launches with an opportunity for Build Studios and Build Workspace members to hear about the range of support services available to businesses based in the workspace and to meet new joiners.
John Cowell from Building Partnerships will present on the free 1:1 business support programme on offer and forthcoming in-person events.

FREE CV and portfolio review for built environment professionals
2021-10-25 10:00 - 12:00 | Build Studios, 203 Westminster Bridge Road,, London, SE1 7FR, United Kingdom
Build Studios is delighted to be partnering with Build Workspace and Architecture Social to deliver a new series of FREE CV and portfolio reviews for professionals and job seekers in the built environment sector.
The sessions will be run by Stephen Drew, founder of the Architecture Social, Head of Talent at Ackroyd Lowrie and Council Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
The advice is tailored specifically to architects, interior designers, urban designers and landscape architects.
Stephen has worked directly in the Architecture Industry as a designer and hiring manager, as well as a consultant in the Recruitment Industry. Drawing on this experience to develop the Architecture Social, Stephen has broken down traditional barriers between companies and creatives, providing a supportive environment to develop professional skills, find new jobs and socialise.
Participants in the sessions will also be able to enjoy a free trial day in the co-working space at Build Studios, run by Build Workspace.
What to expect:

10-15 minute review of CV, covering letter and/or portfolio
Expert advice and tips for improving content and presentation to maximise your employability for a new role
Tips for the next stage of your job search
Honest, supportive feedback
Complete confidentiality
A warm welcome at Build Studios

The sessions will run on a drop-in basis between 10am-12pm on the following dates:

Monday 25 October
Friday 26 November
Monday 10 January

What you need to do:

Register your attendance here. The sessions are drop-in. However, please confirm which day you plan to attend so we can manage numbers.
Bring a hard copy of any combination of your CV/covering letter/portfolio or a laptop so you can show the documents electronically (please NO USBs)
Confirm whether you would like to book a free trial day in the co-working space at Build Studios on the same day as your session.

FREE CV and portfolio review for built environment professionals
2022-02-07 10:00 - 12:00 | Build Studios, 203 Westminster Bridge Road,, London, SE1 7FR, United Kingdom
Build Studios is delighted to be partnering with Build Workspace and Architecture Social to deliver a new series of FREE CV and portfolio reviews for professionals and job seekers in the built environment sector.
The sessions will be run by Stephen Drew, founder of the Architecture Social, Head of Talent at Ackroyd Lowrie and Council Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
The advice is tailored specifically to architects, interior designers, urban designers and landscape architects.
Stephen has worked directly in the Architecture Industry as a designer and hiring manager, as well as a consultant in the Recruitment Industry. Drawing on this experience to develop the Architecture Social, Stephen has broken down traditional barriers between companies and creatives, providing a supportive environment to develop professional skills, find new jobs and socialise.
Participants in the sessions will also be able to enjoy a free trial day in the co-working space at Build Studios, run by Build Workspace.
What to expect:

10-15 minute review of CV, covering letter and/or portfolio
Expert advice and tips for improving content and presentation to maximise your employability for a new role
Tips for the next stage of your job search
Honest, supportive feedback
Complete confidentiality
A warm welcome at Build Studios

The sessions will run on a drop-in basis between 10am-12pm on the following dates:

Monday 25 October
Friday 26 November
Monday 7 February

What you need to do:

Register your attendance here. The sessions are drop-in. However, please confirm which day you plan to attend so we can manage numbers.
Bring a hard copy of any combination of your CV/covering letter/portfolio or a laptop so you can show the documents electronically (please NO USBs)
Confirm whether you would like to book a free trial day in the co-working space at Build Studios on the same day as your session.

PowWow Waterloo - Making Space for Women
2022-03-08 18:00 - 21:00
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2022 and National Careers Week, WeAreWaterloo have partnered with Build Studios for the first PowWow panel talk of the year to shine a light on inspirational women within the built environment.
Hear from Tara Gbolade (RIBAJ’s Rising Star Winner, Co-Founder of GD Studio and the Paradigm Network – a professional network championing Black and Asian representation in the built environment), Fiona McDonald (Head of Learning at the Design Museum and co-founder of Matt+Fiona, an award-winning architectural education organisation), Imogen Blaikie (Urban Planner at Allies and Morrison, a leading architecture and urban planning practice currently developing a placemaking strategy for Waterloo) and Ana Becheru (Director on secondment for Global Operations and EMEA Capital Programmes Delivery Manager with JonesLang LaSalle, JLL).
While our panel represents a line-up of groundbreaking talent, it does not reflect reality within the built environment sector:
– In England, less than 30% of all registered architects are women (AJ)
– In the UK, around 11% of engineers are women, thought to be the lowest rate in Europe (Property Week)
– Almost 90% of female architects say having children puts them at a disadvantage in terms of career growth (AJ)
– Almost 94% of architects are white (The Guardian)
What is causing this lack of representation to persist, and preventing us from having all the voices we need at the table to design the towns and cities we need to navigate local problems and global challenges alike?
Join us for an evening of challenging, thought-provoking and insightful conversation led by Helen Santer, Chief Executive of Build Studios (an inclusive hub for the built environment) and partnerships specialist, addressing issues ranging from access and representation while unpacking how we can make space for women, in more ways than one.
Attendees will receive a complimentary drink on arrival and are invited to network post-event. DJ, a bar (open until late) and good times to be expected!
PowWow Waterloo is a pop-up debate series created by WeAreWaterloo BID and produced by WRB Studios with the sole purpose of making Waterloo *the* place to have challenging discussions, while opening up the neighbourhood to new audiences.
Tickets are £5 and include a free house wine/beer/soft drink.

LFA Studio Lates - Member Showcase
2022-07-01 18:30 - 21:00 | Build Studios, 203 Westminster Bridge Road,, London, SE1 7FR, United Kingdom
For LFA Studio Lates 2022, we are opening the doors of our workspace for a quick-fire collection of five minute talks from our members, including:

Pierre Saunal from airc, who will be talking about how OpenBIM is changing the way the human ecosystem is delivered using digital design, bespoke workflows, advanced collaboration and BIM ISO19650.
Jonathan Fashanu from DASH, who will look at the deep retrofit of residential properties to meet modern environmental standards.
Virginia Gillece from Fuller Long, who will be exploring planning issues around a conservation building case study; and
Natalie Raben, CEO of WeAreWaterloo, who will be joined by architecture and urban planning practice, Allies and Morrison, to discuss the process behind developing a Placemaking Strategy for Waterloo.

Join us for an eclectic evening of engaging conversation and refreshments with professionals from a wide range of specialisms in the built environment industry.

The Role of Small Practices in the Climate Emergency
2022-09-29 18:30 - 20:30 | Build Studios, 203 Westminster Bridge Road,, London, SE1 7FR, United Kingdom
Build Studios is proud to be hosting the Association of Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE) for a roundtable event exploring the role of small practices in the Climate Emergency.
The roundtable discussion will be moderated by Jonathan Fashanu, founding director of DASH and AFBE’s industry lead.
Please join us in person for a thought-provoking discussion punctuated by drinks and nibbles. Delegates can also register to join the event virtually.
Register to attend at the AFBE website here.
