Journal

One of the challenges that confronts any business is how to retain your best talent.

However over time I’ve reconciled myself to the reality that if you employ the most ambitious, talented, smart, pro-active people the day will inevitably come when they outgrow you and you have to let them go. Not only should you accept this, you should welcome it. It’s evidence of the quality of your team that ultimately they’ll want to move on.

As painful as it is, it should be celebrated.

It gives me immense pride to see the great things my former colleagues are doing across the public and private sectors, especially those who have taken the bold step of setting up their own practices, but several have specifically caught my eye over the last few weeks.

Freddie Armitage left Bell Phillips to join Niall McLaughlin Architects and recently established his own practice Studio Armitage. Studio Armitage is producing terrific work and Freddie was shortlisted as an RIBAJ Rising Star 2025 (alongside my brilliant colleague and fellow tutor at Ravensbourne University London Giulliana Giorgi)

See more about the RIBAJ Rising Stars 2025 here

Meanwhile Ned Scott and Alexander Somerville have established their own development company, Oddment, which was recently featured in Architects’ Journal. Ned and Alex are focused on developing small sites and recently secured planning for their first development in Lewisham.

See the AJ article about Oddment here