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Listen "Architect/Developer Relationships with Cameron Straughan"
Episode Synopsis
How can architects and developers work together to deliver projects that are financially viable, genuinely regenerative – create schemes like this that actually get built as planned?
In this episode, Paul is interviewed by Cameron Straughan, a master’s student in architecture at the University of Bath, who is currently researching the realities of architect–developer relationships. Together they explore how these dynamics influence the design and delivery of housing in the UK.
They cover the gaps in architects training, how land values and viability, not greedy margins, really drive what gets off the drawing board and the role planning policy, sustainability standards and build costs are currently playing in the market.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Many architects qualify without spending time on a building site. That lack of hands‑on experience can lead to designs that don´t go through planning, are not financially viable or are too difficult to build.
Developers need to do the land and planning analysis, so they can give a clear, detailed brief to their architect rather than saying “do me a scheme” and hoping the architect solves everything.
Architects are taught a lot about sustainability and regenerative design, but very little about land economics, viability, and planning strategy – which is why many of their ideas never make it off the drawing board.
The misconception that developers are greedy and making huge profits is leading to the creation of ridiculous rules that add prohibitive costs, making many schemes undeliverable.
BEST MOMENTS
“It's the developer’s job to understand it all and manage it all, not the architects ... don´t assume that they would always know the best thing to do.”
“Build costs and different ways and techniques of building things all feeds into the equation when I give an architect an instruction.”
“Architects don’t get taught about the development process.”
“We can save a whole load of time not arguing and pushing for things that just don't work, if we could all get on the same page a bit more.”
CAMERON STRAUGHAN LINK
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-straughan-43545827b/?originalSubdomain=uk
ABOUT THE HOST
Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years; experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.
Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group.
In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know!
Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University.
CONTACT METHOD
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs
Millbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficial
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
In this episode, Paul is interviewed by Cameron Straughan, a master’s student in architecture at the University of Bath, who is currently researching the realities of architect–developer relationships. Together they explore how these dynamics influence the design and delivery of housing in the UK.
They cover the gaps in architects training, how land values and viability, not greedy margins, really drive what gets off the drawing board and the role planning policy, sustainability standards and build costs are currently playing in the market.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Many architects qualify without spending time on a building site. That lack of hands‑on experience can lead to designs that don´t go through planning, are not financially viable or are too difficult to build.
Developers need to do the land and planning analysis, so they can give a clear, detailed brief to their architect rather than saying “do me a scheme” and hoping the architect solves everything.
Architects are taught a lot about sustainability and regenerative design, but very little about land economics, viability, and planning strategy – which is why many of their ideas never make it off the drawing board.
The misconception that developers are greedy and making huge profits is leading to the creation of ridiculous rules that add prohibitive costs, making many schemes undeliverable.
BEST MOMENTS
“It's the developer’s job to understand it all and manage it all, not the architects ... don´t assume that they would always know the best thing to do.”
“Build costs and different ways and techniques of building things all feeds into the equation when I give an architect an instruction.”
“Architects don’t get taught about the development process.”
“We can save a whole load of time not arguing and pushing for things that just don't work, if we could all get on the same page a bit more.”
CAMERON STRAUGHAN LINK
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-straughan-43545827b/?originalSubdomain=uk
ABOUT THE HOST
Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years; experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.
Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group.
In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know!
Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University.
CONTACT METHOD
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs
Millbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficial
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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