A Day in the Life
Originally from Manchester, Alec McCulloch, joined the London office of Reddy A+U in January 2018 for his Part I Placement as an Architectural Assistant, just 3 days before his birthday. As a relaxed, hardworking, talented and friendly individual, Alec has fitted in very well, so we asked him to write a few words about his experience of working in a professional practice. Here is Alec’s story in his own words….
A day at the office always start with a freshly made pot of coffee between the team, fresh fruit and lively music. There’s always plenty of stuff to be getting on with and I usually discuss this with my team throughout the day. The peaceful atmosphere of the office and the friendliness of my colleagues has really helped me progress.
Everyone is always so happy to help and answer any questions I have in detail, even if I’m asking something completely unrelated to the work I’m doing.
Lunchtimes always offer a bunch of options to get some fresh air. Working in Whitechapel means that we can stroll down to the River Thames and eat our lunch by Tower Bridge on a sunny day, play basketball in a nearby court, or get some time at one of the many local gyms. We often try to go for a meal together in one of the local restaurants which are everywhere.
Working so centrally, allows for an immersive experience of London’s professional culture. It’s comforting to be part of such a vibrant and diverse community, both inside and outside of the office.
Thursdays and Fridays are always jam packed with socially driven activities. Fortnightly internal presentations on Thursdays, offer a chance for team members to present anything interesting they’ve done or any ideas they want to share in a fun, engaging and informal manner. Friday is Friday, and there’s always a bunch of us happy to go to the local bar for a few drinks after work to wind down and have a laugh.
I’m lucky enough to get a lot of time on site and those days start with a refreshing early bird walk across Tower Bridge to the train station and the obligatory piping hot coffee. A quick run through our drawings on the journey helps, before getting fitted with a high viz vest and steel toe capped boots at the site office. Walking around the site with the client and colleagues, allows me to see the things I’ve been detailing actually being built, discuss strategies for any problems that may be spotted, and ask questions about absolutely everything.
An invaluable aspect of my experience at Reddy A + U is the dynamic nature of my responsibilities and the work I am tasked with. Working deeply into Kidbrooke, a vast residential regeneration project in South East London, allows me to reach out to all aspects of the construction and develop my understanding of them, with the goal of converting this knowledge into the production of live drawings.
My time at the firm has been spent almost entirely on the delivery of large residential projects at the technical / construction phase, solely using Revit. Whilst vastly increasing my knowledge of construction techniques, I have more importantly gained a new appreciation for technical design that has had a profound impact on my overall outlook towards architecture. Working at Reddy A + U in a close-knit team and engaging with real issues has transformed the way I approach problem solving which will really help me at University.
I plan on coming back…
