Swain Architecture to embrace flexible working to increase productivity and empower their team
We’re evolving to incorporate hybrid working
During our eight years working as a Midlands-based architectural agency we’ve seen many changes to the workplace. When Izzy (Swain) Rhodes set the business up in 2016, one of her guiding principles was to create a working environment that encouraged creativity and attracted the best talent so Swain can produce the best architecture. As Covid hit and the location and scheduling of work had to become more flexible we learned that working from home can sometimes increase productivity and give our team some variety. We still value our Nottingham studio, and we believe that architecture is a team sport, but we also recognise that some home working and time away from distractions can be good for business.
When will this begin?
From 2025 we will be shifting to a hybrid-work pattern. Every week our team will be working in the office for three days and at home for two days. Additionally, we will be instigating a staggered nine working day fortnight. In practice that means that half our team will have a Friday off every two weeks and the other half will have the following Friday off. We will make up for the loss of a working day per fortnight by working longer hours during the remaining nine days.
When are we making this change?
We began testing this change from November 2024 to make sure that it works before making it official.
Why are we changing the way we work?
We’ve made this change to ensure our team are happy and feel looked after and to enable us to attract the best talent in the future – all of which will help us deliver great architecture.
What will be the difference for our clients and work?
We don’t believe clients will notice any difference to our productivity and service, but we are our monitoring business metrics to ensure that there is no detrimental effect to our productivity or the service our clients experience.
More from Swain Architecture
The Benefits of Working with an Architect
The Benefits of Working with an Architect
Whether it is your first time considering employing an architectural practice or whether you are a seasoned developer it is always good to question the value you get from the professionals you employ to realise your dreams. In this thought piece we discuss the benefits of employing an architect and the value that can deliver.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
When designing a new home or re-imagining a building there are sometimes some misunderstandings about the role an architectural practice can play within the design and build process. Some think that architects are there to employ and project manage a builder, some think they are only there to draw plans and elevations, and some think that an architect isn’t required at all.
At Swain Architecture we believe there are some very compelling reasons to work with qualified architects and technologists. Through permitted development or just using a draftsman to produce working drawings you could have enough to employ a builder. What you might be left with though, is not necessarily the ideal space for the building’s end use. We often come across new clients who have a building that isn’t fit for purpose and this, we believe, is where good architecture can pay dividends.
Qualified Architects
When arriving at a new project, qualified Architects and technologists have many years of education. They then also have many years’ experience working with clients and solving problems in the real world to call back on. Our Founding Director, Izzy Rhodes, qualified in 2008 and has been working within architectural practices ever since, finally setting up Swain Architecture in 2016.
A Holistic Approach
The experience an Architectural practice has is utilised to analyse a client’s needs, we often hear our clients tell us that “we’ve never been asked that before” or “we haven’t thought about that before”, at the consultation phase of our work. Sometimes a solution may be a very simple or small architectural intervention but the effect it has on the whole building, and more importantly the people who are going to use it, can be dramatic. Employing architectural professionals will, without question, mean that the end use of your building is fit for purpose.
Architecture within a Conservation Area
Conservation Areas are notoriously difficult to be granted planning approval in. At Swain Architecture we have a wealth of experience of working within planning regulations and we understand the intricacies of period architecture. Through considerate architecture, appropriate massing and materiality we can guide you through the process of bringing your building in-line with your expectations of how you’d like to use it, at the same time as respecting the architectural heritage of your locality.
Real Value
At Swain Architecture, as well as sensible pricing, we work closely with our clients to create the best value for their new space. By asking the right questions and combining that knowledge with our experience of construction and materials we can ensure that your project is right first time. If a development is on budget and on time that’s one thing, but if it’s fit for purpose from day one and can easily adapt to the needs of anyone who inhabits it then we believe it offers the best value for money.
Find out more about working with an Architect…
To learn more about how we work, the services we provide and our approach to architectural design please get in touch with us to arrange a free consultation.
Swain Architecture Studio Relocate to Nottingham
Swain Architecture Studio Relocate to Nottingham
Swain Architecture Founding Director Elizabeth Swain has been featured in Broxtowe Business News. Izzy, along with her husband and two young daughters were interviewed at their home about why moving Swain Architecture to the Nottingham suburb having previously been based in Derby City Centre had been the right move for both the family and the business.
