The firm’s senior partner on growing up in Ireland, the barriers to becoming an architect, his love of travel and the best food to accompany a pint of Guinness
Why did you choose construction as a career?
I wasn’t very good at school, I struggled with concentration and was an undiagnosed dyslexic. However, I could draw and did well at woodwork and metalwork. I was a natural at technical drawing and my teacher, Gerry Trehy, encouraged me to study architectural technology. I really had no idea what “architecture” was all about.
What are you most proud of in your career to date?
My involvement in the British Museum World Conservation and Exhibitions team. I worked on the project in Bloomsbury for seven years with a fantastic team. We were a young, gender-balanced team and therefore we all faced different challenges in winning the trust of the other stakeholders at various stages in the project.
To witness our team grow and flourish through the stages was wonderful. We supported each other and became a very tight-knit team, building lasting relationships with the client, the professional team and the contractors.
It is an incredibly special thing to be a part of a team that functions so well, feels like a family, and can deal with all sorts of adversity. Ten years later the friendships prevail, and the building is something we are all proud of.
What has been the biggest challenge of your career to date?
The learning curve and constant regulation changes while trying to keep up to speed and up to date.
If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?
I would change two things: Remove the barriers to joining the profession. If I were coming out of school today from the same social economic background, I would not be able to study architecture. I find that utterly depressing.
I would also love to reduce the attrition from the profession. Architecture is a challenging career and especially so for young parents. A large burden of parenting still falls on women in our profession.
I have lost some talented friends who have left the profession at a critical stage in their careers. It is unsustainable as an industry for us to continue to lose all that training and experience.
What is the most helpful advice that you have been given?
”You should go to England and study Architecture” (Declan Tyner, tutor, RTC) and “Don’t take no for an answer. Go see them and ask for an interview” (my sister Clodagh’s advice when all my UK UCAS applications were rejected).
Name your favourite building in the world?
Beinecke Rare Book Library, Yale University by SOM, Gordon Bunshaft & Natalie de Blois. Also Selimiye Mosque, Edirne, Turkey by Mimar Sinan
Which famous building do you most dislike?
Grand Lisboa, Macau
Which famous building do you wish you had worked on?
John Hancock Center, Chicago, USA
What single piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in your profession?
Learn to sketch quickly and fluently. If you can explain your ideas in a meeting by quickly sketching something on the back of the agenda, your influence will grow immeasurably. Also, don’t speak in acronyms and architectural lingo.
Who do you most admire in the construction industry?
The team at Carey Group, a family-owned Irish construction firm that was started by three brothers and a van in the 1960s. I got to work with Jason Carey, the chief executive, on the British Museum World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre and learnt a lot about “the Carey way”.
What is it like being you (and doing your job)?
It can be different every single day. Something is always on the critical path and so my focus will be on that, which is both a challenge and headache, but never boring.
We spend a lot of time and effort in pursuing new projects and securing new work, so that is always a focus. This often involves travel, meeting new people and new experiences.
Do you have a life philosophy?
Yes.
What do you think your best quality is?
I always try to be human; I aim to be kind to everyone I meet and work with.
What trait do you most dislike in yourself?
Impatience.
And in other people?
Boasting.
Name three things that you like
Guinness, travel and a long lunch.
Tell us about a secret skill that we don’t know you have
I competed in the Irish Coffee World Championships.
What is your most prized possession?
My home life.
Early bird or night owl?
Both.
What is your favourite food?
Oysters served with Guinness.
What would your superpower be?
Time travel.
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