{"id":6661,"date":"2025-04-29T20:26:05","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T20:26:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/?p=6661"},"modified":"2025-05-19T21:35:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T21:35:15","slug":"tom-rowntree-on-architecture-school-online-influence-and-doing-it-his-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/articles\/tom-rowntree-on-architecture-school-online-influence-and-doing-it-his-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Thomas Rowntree on architecture school, online influence and doing it his way"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What No One Tells You About Becoming An Architect - Thomas Rowntree\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YakBBLUE4-Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Thomas Rowntree is an architectural designer and content creator. Alongside practice, he&#8217;s built a large online following by sharing honest, practical insights into architectural education, early career experience and the realities of the profession.<\/p>\n<p>His content focus on visual communication, productivity, and creative workflows for students and young professionals. He is part of a growing group of designers using content to make architecture more accessible.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h5 data-start=\"326\" data-end=\"351\"><strong data-start=\"326\" data-end=\"349\">Why architecture?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"273\" data-end=\"758\">My answer will probably change and has changed over the past few years. It\u2019s evolved and developed. Architecture for me is about the multidisciplinary potential and the interlinking between the many different creative facets that link with architecture. You&#8217;ve got things like graphic design, interior design, landscape design, media, movie, social media. I think that exploration and the crossover just excites me. I like the exploration that comes with architecture.<\/p>\n<h5 data-start=\"679\" data-end=\"707\"><strong data-start=\"679\" data-end=\"705\">On architecture school<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div id=\"attachment_6664\" style=\"width: 1392px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6664\" class=\"wp-image-6664 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Thomas-Studying-e1746586554367.jpg\" alt=\"A young man stands in front of a display of architectural drawings and models mounted on vertical panels. He is dressed in a black shirt and trousers, with hands behind his back, smiling slightly. The display features detailed architectural plans, perspective renderings, and a small physical model. The setting appears to be a student exhibition or design review.\" width=\"1382\" height=\"780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Thomas-Studying-e1746586554367.jpg 1382w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Thomas-Studying-e1746586554367-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Thomas-Studying-e1746586554367-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Thomas-Studying-e1746586554367-768x433.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1382px) 100vw, 1382px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-6664\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thomas completed his Part II at the University of Westminster in London<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"709\" data-end=\"1018\">I went into architecture school completely blind. I had no idea what I was going into. I even remember my first week, someone asked me &#8220;who\u2019s your favourite architect?&#8221;, or &#8220;what\u2019s your favourite building?&#8221;, and I genuinely didn\u2019t have an answer. Pretty much everyone else there had a background, or a family member who was an architect. For me, it was quite a shock. But it was also a benefit, because I went in with full creativity. I wanted to explore things.<\/p>\n<h5 data-start=\"1020\" data-end=\"1045\"><strong data-start=\"1020\" data-end=\"1043\">On early influences<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6671 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Picture-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"317\" height=\"422\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Picture-1.jpg 317w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Picture-1-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 317px) 100vw, 317px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1047\" data-end=\"1500\">I think I\u2019m going to give the same answer as most people: Lego. Every year I\u2019d get a set for Christmas and spend the whole day building. Someone once said to me, when I was about five, \u201cYou\u2019d be a good architect.\u201d It stuck. I also loved art and graphic design at school, so architecture naturally pulled all those interests together. But I didn\u2019t grow up around architects. I had no idea what the job actually involved.<\/p>\n<h5 data-start=\"1502\" data-end=\"1557\"><strong data-start=\"1502\" data-end=\"1555\">On making YouTube videos<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1559\" data-end=\"2086\">I was into fitness and followed loads of people online who were documenting their training, their routines, their day-to-day life. When I started architecture school, I looked for the same thing, someone showing what it was actually like, and there was nothing. One day during a busy deadline, I filmed what I was doing and uploaded it as a \u2018day in the life\u2019 video. It took off straight away. I didn\u2019t realise it at the time, but I\u2019d tapped into something no one else was doing: showing the real side of architecture school.<\/p>\n<h5 data-start=\"2088\" data-end=\"2133\"><strong data-start=\"2088\" data-end=\"2131\">On balancing study and content creation<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6705 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Thomas-Rowntree-in-the-studio-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Thomas Rowntree and Chris Simmons in conversation in the podcast studio.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Thomas-Rowntree-in-the-studio-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Thomas-Rowntree-in-the-studio-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Thomas-Rowntree-in-the-studio-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Thomas-Rowntree-in-the-studio-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Thomas-Rowntree-in-the-studio.jpg 1900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2419\" data-end=\"2847\">At times I probably didn\u2019t balance it very well. I still run myself into the ground. But I always put systems in place. I planned everything. I wrote lists: daily, weekly, monthly. I had a whiteboard in my room at uni and I\u2019d write down my week and everything I needed to do. Once you\u2019ve got a plan, it\u2019s just discipline. That helped me stay consistent, and I was really passionate about creating, which kept me going.<\/p>\n<h5 data-start=\"2540\" data-end=\"2580\"><strong data-start=\"2540\" data-end=\"2578\">On starting a Part 1 role remotely<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2582\" data-end=\"2909\">It was a challenge. You miss the small interactions like asking a quick question, overhearing conversations, learning from the people around you. Working from home slowed that down massively. I had to type out questions on Teams or wait to call someone, and by then the moment had passed.<\/p>\n<h5 data-start=\"2911\" data-end=\"2951\"><strong data-start=\"2911\" data-end=\"2949\">On working from home versus office<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2953\" data-end=\"3230\">You need the studio energy: the casual conversations, the background noise, the chance to absorb how things get done. It\u2019s those moments when you overhear something or pick up an idea that really help you learn.<\/p>\n<h5 data-start=\"3232\" data-end=\"3276\"><strong data-start=\"3232\" data-end=\"3274\">On why architects need personal brands<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"3278\" data-end=\"3559\">Social media gives you a competitive edge. It\u2019s the interview before the interview. If someone\u2019s already seen how you think, how you talk, how you work, you\u2019re already ahead. And for practices, it\u2019s the same: showing your culture and your approach helps attract the right people.<\/p>\n<h5 data-start=\"3561\" data-end=\"3599\"><strong data-start=\"3561\" data-end=\"3597\">On communication as a core skill<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"3601\" data-end=\"3980\">Architecture is communication. Whether it\u2019s a sketch, a model, a set of drawings or a presentation, you\u2019re trying to get your ideas across clearly. I learned a lot about that from making videos. You have 30 seconds to grab someone\u2019s attention online, and that same skill applies in meetings, crits, and client presentations. If you can\u2019t explain your idea simply, it won\u2019t land.<\/p>\n<h5 data-start=\"3982\" data-end=\"4018\"><strong data-start=\"3982\" data-end=\"4016\">On advice for young architects<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"4020\" data-end=\"4343\">Stay open. Keep learning. There\u2019s so much in this profession you\u2019ll never reach the end of it, and that\u2019s the point. You don\u2019t need to stick to one narrow path. The skills you build in architecture are valuable across loads of industries. Be curious, try new things, and don\u2019t assume the traditional route is the only one.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4020\" data-end=\"4343\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border-radius: 12px;\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/3l3Ir8gRY8N7upFyo75vzk\/video?utm_source=generator\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4020\" data-end=\"4343\"><iframe style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/what-no-one-tells-you-about-becoming-an-architect\/id1760778070?i=1000706486827\" height=\"175\" frameborder=\"0\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thomas spoke to Chris Simmons about navigating architecture school without a blueprint, the realities of early career practice, and how building a personal brand opened doors the profession didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6700,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","footnotes":""},"categories":[21,68,69,22,67],"tags":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-6661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-employers","category-jobseekers","category-podcast","category-students-and-graduates"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6661"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6661\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6766,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6661\/revisions\/6766"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/6700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6661"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/location?post=6661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}