Welcome back to The Broke Architect Podcast, where I gather together the best bits from the lives of sole practitioners in architecture in the UK. We shine a light on the challenges and the uncomfortable realities of being an architect today.

We are joined by Helen Maunders, John Kellett, ⁠Niall Hedderman⁠, Catherine Hunt and Dale Whitfield

• Why Stress is a silent Killer of architects

• How to start on Social Media

• We have too many architects and stagnating salaries.

• New business services architects can offer

• Asperger's and Architects

• I can't get PII for larger projects!

• Why we don't employ Part 1 students.

If you’re an architect tired of low pay, undervaluation, and outdated business models, this episode is for you.

👉 Listen now, share with a colleague, and join the conversation about building a profession that values its people as much as its projects.

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hahn Plastics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, makers of Hanit – the innovative material reshaping the future of construction and design.

Manufactured from 100% recycled consumer plastic waste and with unmatched durability, Hanit is the sustainable solution for tomorrow's projects.

Want to discover how Hanit can transform your designs while reducing environmental impact? Book a CPD presentation today and let’s shape a greener future together at info@hahnplastics.co.uk.

Welcome back to The Broke Architect Podcast, where I continue my theme of the life of sole practitioners in architecture. We shine a light on the challenges and the uncomfortable realities of being an architect today.

This week I’m joined by Niall Hedderman, architect and founder of Real Life Architecture. Niall has built a reputation for speaking openly about the issues too many in our profession prefer to ignore: low fees, low salaries, and a system that too often undervalues architects and the work we do.

With years of hands-on experience running his own practice, Niall brings sharp insight into the economics of architecture and why so many of us continue to struggle financially. Together, we dig into some big questions:

• Why so many architects earn more working for themselves than as salaried employees.

• How fragmentation of the profession, too many small practices, not enough scale, affects innovation and career growth.

• Whether the surge in architecture graduates has really pushed fees down.

• The impact of the public sector’s retreat from housing on fees and incomes.

• How greater transparency around fees could transform the profession.

• Why business training needs to be part of architectural education from day one.

• The ultimate question: why does a profession that demands so much education, responsibility, and skill still struggle with low salaries and fees — and what can we do to change that narrative?

  
  

Niall Hedderman is the founder of Real Life Architecture, a practice that doesn’t shy away from asking the tough questions about what it really means to be an architect today. Through his work and outspoken online presence, Niall has become a voice for change in a profession that urgently needs new ideas about value, business, and survival.

If you’re an architect tired of low pay, undervaluation, and outdated business models, this episode is for you.

👉 Listen now, share with a colleague, and join the conversation about building a profession that values its people as much as its projects.

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hahn Plastics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, makers of Hanit – the innovative material reshaping the future of construction and design.

Manufactured from 100% recycled consumer plastic waste and with unmatched durability, Hanit is the sustainable solution for tomorrow's projects.

Want to discover how Hanit can transform your designs while reducing environmental impact? Book a CPD presentation today and let’s shape a greener future together at info@hahnplastics.co.uk.

🎙 Episode 15 – Top Tips for Beating the Competition (with Stephen Drew)
Welcome to Episode 15 of The Broke Architect!

As we take a short summer break, we’re bringing you something special, a throwback to our Clubhouse days with none other than Stephen Drew, architectural recruiter and founder of the Architecture Social.

In this value-packed episode, we cover everything you need to beat the competition in today’s architecture job market, including:

✅ Crafting a standout CV
✅ Navigating job search platforms effectively
✅ Writing winning applications
✅ Building a powerful portfolio
✅ Acing interviews with confidence

Whether you're a recent graduate or a seasoned professional looking for a new opportunity, this episode is full of practical, no-nonsense advice to help you get ahead.

💬 Don’t forget to leave a review wherever you listen, it really helps support the show!

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hahn Plastics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, makers of Hanit – the innovative material reshaping the future of construction and design.

Manufactured from 100% recycled consumer plastic waste and with unmatched durability, Hanit is the sustainable solution for tomorrow's projects.

Want to discover how Hanit can transform your designs while reducing environmental impact? Book a CPD presentation today and let’s shape a greener future together at info@hahnplastics.co.uk.

Are My Architects’ Fees Too Low?

I continue my focus on small practices in the UK….

This week, I sit down with Dale Whitfield, founder of Fields of Architecture for a candid, practical and empowering conversation on one of the biggest challenges architects face — FEES 💸

In This Episode:

- Why so many architects undervalue themselves

- The danger of “race to the bottom” pricing

- Practical steps to recalibrate your fees

- What happens when you charge what you’re really worth

Dale brings honesty, experience and a fresh perspective to the table, this episode is essential listening for any architect trying to run a sustainable practice without selling themselves short.

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hahn Plastics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, makers of Hanit – the innovative material reshaping the future of construction and design.

Manufactured from 100% recycled consumer plastic waste and with unmatched durability, Hanit is the sustainable solution for tomorrow's projects.

Want to discover how Hanit can transform your designs while reducing environmental impact? Book a CPD presentation today and let’s shape a greener future together at info@hahnplastics.co.uk.

In Part 2 of this two-part series, you will hear from thought-provoking ⁠John Kellett ⁠⁠, an ARB-registered, RIBA Chartered Architect, and founder of ⁠KR.eativ: Architects Ltd⁠. Based in Northamptonshire, John has built his career designing sustainable, functional, and beautiful spaces across healthcare, heritage, residential, and hospitality sectors.

His work combines modern construction methods with advanced BIM tools, underpinned by a passion for solving complex design challenges.

John continues to discuss how he is often without work and yet is ready and willing to design any building type and has the skills and computing power to deliver projects such as hospitals, but he can't get the insurance cover to do this! We discuss many topics which currently have a real impact on the profession.

From his childhood fascination with buildings to his insights on the failures of design-and-build contracts, building safety legislation, and the undervaluing of architects, this conversation pulls no punches.

In This Episode:

✅ The current education system ✅ Where Grenfell went wrong ✅ The role of Principal Designer and who is best to do this role ✅ How the media misrepresents architects in the press as murderers in the UK ✅ Protection of Title and Function ✅ Are Non architects' mistakes driving up PII? ✅ Big City architects stealing the work of provincial architects

Key Quote:🗨️ "I will never retire, I'm a fu*cking architect, it's who I am"

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hahn Plastics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, makers of Hanit – the innovative material reshaping the future of construction and design.

Manufactured from 100% recycled consumer plastic waste and with unmatched durability, Hanit is the sustainable solution for tomorrow's projects.

Want to discover how Hanit can transform your designs while reducing environmental impact? Book a CPD presentation today and let’s shape a greener future together at info@hahnplastics.co.uk.

In Part 1 of this two-part series you will hear from thought-provoking John Kellett ⁠, an ARB-registered, RIBA Chartered Architect, and founder of KR.eativ: Architects Ltd. Based in Northamptonshire, John has built his career designing sustainable, functional, and beautiful spaces across healthcare, heritage, residential, and hospitality sectors.

His work combines modern construction methods with advanced BIM tools, underpinned by a passion for solving complex design challenges.

John opens up about his journey through architecture, his neurodivergent perspective, and his bold views on how the profession and the regulation around it must evolve to meet today’s challenges.

From his childhood fascination with buildings to his insights on the failures of design-and-build contracts, building safety legislation, and the undervaluing of architects, this conversation pulls no punches.

In This Episode:

✅ John's early influences: how childhood trips to Portmeirion sparked his architectural eye
✅ The difference between Autism and Asperger’s in the workplace and how neurodiversity can strengthen architecture
✅ The case for 'slow architecture' and how attention to detail is being sidelined in today’s property world
✅ How an unconventional school project tracking Soviet satellites helped John gain entry to Bath University
✅ Why architectural education still suffers from stylistic and software biases
✅ The hidden dangers of novated design-and-build contracts
✅ A scathing critique of councils outsourcing architecture—and how it leads to poor public buildings

Key Quote:
🗨️ "Style is just fashion. Architecture needs objective beauty, proportion, space, and light."

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hahn Plastics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, makers of Hanit – the innovative material reshaping the future of construction and design.

Manufactured from 100% recycled consumer plastic waste and with unmatched durability, Hanit is the sustainable solution for tomorrow's projects.

Want to discover how Hanit can transform your designs while reducing environmental impact? Book a CPD presentation today and let’s shape a greener future together at info@hahnplastics.co.uk.

In this episode I talk with Architect Dr Rebecca Jane McConnell and Architect Cathal Crumley from The Future Blueprint.

They are breaking down the barriers in the architecture profession and are calling out the toxic issues that exist in the profession. Both were born in Northern Ireland and attended Queens Belfast University.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

- The Mindset of the Architect

- Confidence in Architecture

- Do we choose architecture or does architecture choose me?

- Woman and abuse in architecture

- Student debt!

- The point of architecture school.

- Why architecture grades don't matter!

Socials:

Insta: @thefutureblueprint

YouTube: @futureblueprint

Tik Tok: @the_future_blueprint

Personal Insta's: @blueprint_beck & @cathal_crumley

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Hahn Plastics⁠⁠⁠⁠, makers of Hanit – the innovative material reshaping the future of construction and design.

Manufactured from 100% recycled consumer plastic waste and with unmatched durability, Hanit is the sustainable solution for tomorrow's projects.

Want to discover how Hanit can transform your designs while reducing environmental impact? Book a CPD presentation today and let’s shape a greener future together at info@hahnplastics.co.uk.

In this episode of The Broke Architect, we speak with Catherine Hunt of Niche Design Architects, a small but thriving architectural practice based in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. It’s a brutally honest, no-holds-barred look at what it really takes to survive and ultimately thrive as a small studio in today’s architecture landscape.

We explore:

• The harsh realities of setting up a practice from scratch

• Navigating client expectations, pricing pressures, and self-doubt

• How learning the business side of architecture changed everything

• The mindset shift from creative struggle to entrepreneurial resilience

• The power of community, local context, and doing meaningful work

  
  

This is a must-listen for any architect who’s feeling stuck, burnt out, or unsure of how to make a living doing what they love, especially those running or considering starting their own practice.

• Small practices can thrive — but not by doing business as usual

• Financial literacy is critical in architecture

• Knowing your worth isn’t arrogance — it’s survival

• Success in architecture isn’t always about awards or scale

• The business of design deserves as much respect as the design itself

  
  

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Small practices can thrive — but not by doing business as usual

• Financial literacy is critical in architecture

• Knowing your worth isn’t arrogance — it’s survival

• Success in architecture isn’t always about awards or scale

• The business of design deserves as much respect as the design itself

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Hahn Plastics⁠⁠⁠⁠, makers of Hanit – the innovative material reshaping the future of construction and design.

Manufactured from 100% recycled consumer plastic waste and with unmatched durability, Hanit is the sustainable solution for tomorrow's projects.

Want to discover how Hanit can transform your designs while reducing environmental impact? Book a CPD presentation today and let’s shape a greener future together at info@hahnplastics.co.uk.