5 minutes with … Ben Stuart at Able Partners

Why did you choose construction as a career?

I never thought I wouldd be an architect, but it all began when I was 10 - my neighbour was a structural engineer and, when he retired, he gave me all his tracing paper, Rotring pens, clutch pencils, and a drawing board. I loved using them to make my own posters, trace album cover art and cool drawings I saw, like an analogue photoshop collage.

Then I became obsessed with computers, films and sci-fi PC gaming when I got older as I loved the graphic design of film posters and the scale of world building in both games and films.

I decided to follow in my dad’s footsteps and went into engineering at Worcester College. My tutors saw me make standard presentations look like film posters and my ability to build things in 3D on computers, so they suggested looking into architecture.

This mashed together my love for graphic design, 3D technology and render engines, and my passion for high tech buildings and architecture – it was a perfect fit.

I won’t pretend that architecture studies welcomed me with open arms. I was a terrible first and second-year student, but I had an amazing tutor in my third year who really understood me (shout out Nicola Gerber) and introduced me to architects and designs that fired me up. My final project won best in class and I’m still very proud of it.

What are you most proud of in your career to date?

In 2016, I started a podcast called Create More. It was during my time on 5 Broadgate, a massive commercial office project in London – I was the architect looking at the complicated roof, structures and M&E coordination.

It was very intense, and I was looking for a creative outlet. I took a chance and emailed the host of one of the biggest podcasts at the time, Distraction Pieces, asking how he did it and what equipment he used – there was a time when people didn’t know what podcasts were!

He immediately responded and over three years I recorded more than 30 interviews with some amazing people. They included CEOs, rappers, film directors, VR developers, artists, architects, politicians and YouTube stars. I loved it and had over 10,000 listeners.

I did all the branding, editing and research. This experience, along with my deep technical understanding of big commercial projects and love of the latest 3D technology, led me to join Bill and create Able Partners.

If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

I wish the industry had more fun. I love architects who can be playful instead of repeating the past, who forge their own path and have fun with it, such as MVRDV, Snøhetta or BIG.

I feel that a lot of architects take themselves a little too seriously. There are obviously things that need serious focus and attention, such as sustainability and climate change, but architecture is one of the widest and most exciting creative professions that draws on so many influences. It’s something we try and do at Able Partners.

What is the most helpful advice that you have been given?

“Just get in and splash around.” I remember Ted Cullinan giving a talk at the University of Nottingham when I was a student. I had thought of architecture as this perfect finished design and idea, so when he came in for a day and just started sketching ideas and throwing them away or improving them in front us, it was really freeing.

Someone with his reputation actively telling us to be free really clicked with me. Whenever I’m presented with a problem that looks impossible, I think, you’ll work it out, just get in and splash around.

Name your favourite building in the world?

Oslo Opera House by Snøhetta. It combines all the things that I love. It is built in a live port, so is technically challenging. It’s playful, as it’s one massive ramp that allows you to walk up over the roof, all the way into the sea. And it really makes a statement.

I have never seen another building like it. They really went for it!

Which famous building do you most dislike?

I’m not a fan of the Walkie Talkie.

Which famous building do you wish you had worked on?

Not a building, but the Millennium Bridge by Fosters and Arup. It’s the perfect fusion of structural engineering and art. It’s also something everyone can experience, and changes how people move through London. Plus, the view is spectacular.

What single piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in your profession?

There is no “one size fits all” approach. Being an architect is about keeping one eye on learning the technical aspects and the other on finding your creative voice.

Architecture is about perfecting that balance. The best architects are creative problem solvers.

Who do you most admire in the construction industry?

Fred Mills. He runs the B1M YouTube channel, one of the largest media outlets for the construction industry. I have known him since I interviewed him on the Create More podcast back in 2016 when he had 5,000 subscribers and was focused on BIM.

The B1M now has three million subscribers and was the platform of choice when Richard Branson and Bjarke Ingels announced the worldwide launch of Hyperloop. He has built the B1M from scratch, done it his own way, and his relentless hard work, unwavering vision and enthusiasm for construction and architecture is amazing.

What is it like being you (and doing your job)?

High energy. My day-to-day swings wildly from creative challenges or design pitches to technical building reviews. I could be working on the podcast and interviewing creative people or chairing a technical meeting with 12 subcontractors.

It can also range from the small scale (designing pavilions or branding and retail units) to the mega scale, working on one of the biggest life science buildings in London.

Do you have a life philosophy?

Just go with your gut. I like new challenges and have made decisions that, at the time, seemed odd to other people but made sense to me. They haven’t always worked out, but I’ve become used to jumping in at the deep end and working it out. It’s hard and scary at first, but it has made me extremely resilient.

What do you think your best quality is?

I have a relentless enthusiasm for design, which comes out in lots of different ways. Graphic design, branding, product design, interiors, big scale architecture. I feel they are the same challenge at different scales.

What trait do you most dislike in yourself? And in other people?

I am not particularly good at things I don’t want to do, and it’s not always clear to me what those things are. In terms of others, I dislike people who aren’t curious.

Name three things that you like

Exploring. Meeting new people. London.

Tell us about a secret skill that we don’t know you have

I once rowed the Channel in a traditional rowing boat with five other guys. It was a wooden boat with massive wooden oars and a wooden plank to sit on.

It’s a niche skill, but should I ever need to escape from a pirate ship, I’ve got it covered.

What is your most prized possession?

Currently my laptop, which sounds boring, but it’s one of the most powerful laptops money can buy. Watching a client’s face light up when you fire up a photorealistic model of a design idea that you can walk around in real time is very satisfying.

Plus, my kids think I’m cool because they can play games on it…

Early bird or night owl?

Before kids and at university, total night owl. After kids, mornings are the best. London at 6am in the summer is amazing.

What is your favourite food?

Currently it’s sushi (but secretly it’s Sunday roasts).

What would your superpower be?

Flying. The freedom would be incredible. I would fear being caught by a secret government lab, so I would need to be careful. But the reduced costs of flying with kids would be appealing.

I’m not sure my dog or wife would care for it, but my kids would love it.