Paul Katz (President, KPF) and Robert AM Stern (Dean, Yale School of Architecture)

From Paul: that the work we do as urban architects is important

From Bob: to have empathy for clients, and to demonstrate optimism at all times

I try to remember to interact with clients and collaborators with a mix of empathy and optimism, and to lead teams at KPF with purpose - to instill a sense that what we are doing is important.

I couldn't say there has been one person more than any other. I think we all learn from different people at various stages in our lives and need help along the way as circumstances change and opportunities arise.

So for me there have been a handful of people who have helped, encouraged and advised at different times. I owe everything to my Mum who encouraged me to take the incredible opportunity to study Architecture.

I probably wouldn't have been able to do any of this if my older brother Philip hadn't left school at 16 to start work at Lloyds Bank so I owe him too. I sometimes feel I am an amalgam of people - but console myself that probably everyone is. We are not as unique as we like to think we are. I realise I'm just trying to be the idealised image of my Dad that lives in my head. That's the short answer.

My physics teacher Joe Spiby taught me how to pass exams which is very different to being clever. Luckily my art teacher Dick Venning inspired me and taught me how to think and be curious. The teaching room at [www.ilkonarts.com](https://www.ilkonarts.com) is named after him.

Michael and Patty Hopkins were a huge influence and also the talented colleagues I have worked alongside such as Mark Sutcliffe for business skills and Ian Sharratt for design focus. Also Peter Murray for opening unexpected and interesting doors such as the opportunity to write a feature article on Jan Kaplicky for RIBA Journal and the introduction to the Company of Architects- everything that Peter is involved in is usually worth connecting with. Paul Finch has also helped a great deal over many years -as he has many young architects -with words of wisdom and suggesting opportunities and fantastic stories from years of experience around other great talents.

I've also learnt a lot from sport - athletes, tennis players, cricketers, footballers and managers like Alex Ferguson -on how to build a team and develop a focussed mentality. I'm an addict for self help books and more recently on line videos from people like Rory Sutherland and Simon Sinek. The world is changing so quickly it's so important to keep learning, growing and adapting. That has been influential in my push to change how architects approach their education and life long learning. There has been a tendency to ask everyone to do the same study areas rather than allowing greater expertise and specialisms. The ability to curate your own career is vital - and that is the common determinator in all the people I am grateful to in influencing mine.

I think this answer is in two parts. My first ever manager as an 18 year old, who told me that it was genuinely lovely to work with because I treated everyone as humans, not people with titles, and therefore it meant i treated everyone with respect. Its a good lesson as it means I treat people equally no matter who they are and certainly don't give those at the top of the tree a free ride if its not deserved.

Secondly i think all my other managers who were genuinely shit or lied to my face about what they believed they did vs what they actually did. In short i learnt from all of them how not to run business or treat people. They were genuinely terrible.

As noted above. How to treat everyone fairly and on merit rather than based on a job title. As titles, after all, do not represent a fair view of the person behind them. Often, some of the best, kindest and genuine people are those who are the cleaner, the office manager, etc., whereas those at the top can sometimes come with an ego that is not backed up by any substance.

And, I learned not to be pushed around by people who think they can get away with it simply because they are marrying into the family that owns the business, and that standing up for yourself, no matter who is causing the issue, can be resolved by being the adult in the room.

Basically, I do the opposite of everything they ever did, and hence I was liked as a manager, a colleague, and a friend. People knkow me for my kindness, compassion and easy going nature, and that when i do have an opinion, i share it not because of ego but becuase of knowledge and expertise, and equally if i am giving someone feedback or in to trouble they accept it in the way its intended because they know I don't do that to be horrid, but to help them improve and be better in the future.

Isamu Noguchi. He was a Japanese-American multidisciplinary artist who created sculpture, furniture, lighting, playgrounds, landscapes, set design, and more. He was also a gentle, quiet, contemplative man and a close friend of Buckminster Fuller, another extraordinary human being. It's these kinds of people who capture my attention - because they are wildly curious and refuse to stay in one lane. When I'm mentoring young people, I encourage them to find their own heroes and chase their wildest dreams as best they can.

Clients have had the biggest impact on my career.

I learned how little the residential layperson knows about the options we are presenting and how helpful we can be at kind and patient education. We have more value than we think sometimes. The basic things are harder for others to understand and developing our ability to explain concepts can serve us well.

I have learned to devote gobs of time to explaining the design and alowing the owner to feel comfortable asking embarrassing questions. I've developed my skills at sketching on the fly and creating renderings that can help clients visualize. I've been working on my personal health and wellbeing because this is what gives me the patience to work with challenging clients

Gail Doby with Pearl Collective Interior Design Business Consultancy has had one of the greatest impacts on my career. After 18 years of owning my interior design business, I came to her looking for guidance on how to make a shift- to build a business that could support not only the growth I wanted, but also the life I wanted to live.

Gail helped me understand that a successful business shouldn't depend entirely on its owner to function. With the right team, systems, and structure, I learned how to step out of the center of every decision and build a company that could grow and thrive beyond me.

Ten years later, that shift has given me opportunities I couldn't have imagined at the time. I've been able to grow and scale my firm while creating more freedom in my own life, become a business coach for the very organization that once coached me, and devote meaningful time to serving a nonprofit in my local community. Perhaps the greatest lesson Gail taught me is that success isn't simply about building a bigger business. It's about intentionally building a business that creates the life—and the impact—you want to have. That philosophy continues to shape how I lead my company and how I coach other creative entrepreneurs today.

My kids

No matter how much you love what you do, life is more important and slow down

Flexibility. Structure business and clients to suit

Bruce Riches

The Devil is in the detail

Planning to ensure great solutions and outcomes for all.

One of my first lecturers at RMIT University was Barry Hudson. Barry was an accomplished Industrial Designer and Mechanical Engineer, who invented products like the Black 'n Decker Dustbuster, the famous two-toned, GE bench-top kettle, and even re-engineered rotary engines to power Mini race cars he competed in.

Barry's approach to any design challenge was to take a second to think about it, then don't be afraid to cull any also-ran ideas.

With the pressure of our client's projects and deadlines, there's a temptation to rush the answer to get to the solution. But a decision made in haste only solves half the design challenge - speed, it doesn't solve the bigger problem. This is when I draw on Barry's 'Think about it' approach. It makes me take a beat and inspires me to turn the challenge over, look at it from all angles, play out a couple of scenarios before committing fully to an idea.

There have been many within the industry; mentors, peers and clients alike, all worthy of mentioning for their passion and considered ways of thinking but I have to say, the greatest impact would have to have been my father, as an artist.

He taught me something I only caught glimmers of in fast paced professional practice, and for that, I held onto those moments tighter.

He taught me to pause, to let pen on paper flow, to be connected in mind and body to what you're doing; to become immersed within the canvas/space in my mind. To be enmeshed in an idea rather than in a hurry to solve it.

Watching my father get lost in colour, texture, light (music & incense too) and learning through his process, it deepened my understanding of how to design a space experientially and emotionally, not only functionally, visually or through touch.

Industry can be so fast-paced, long-houred, technical, over admin driven, full of burnout and also exhilaration, wins and losses, concept after concept never built. This can be tough on a creative heart, especially when you're younger and so keen to move from sketch to built space. However, learning that as designers, if we honour the process and the project allowing it to bloom into what it needs to be without holding on so tightly, the process, every step, is the beauty.

And perhaps through this, the greatest lesson isn't how much you know but your willingness to keep learning alongside others, remaining curious, and just how much joy lives there.

Like an artist, we begin with a seed of an idea, an intention, rather than a predetermined outcome, threaded through and evolving through the process of making, moving, doing.

My work and business today act like that blank canvas, holding onto the core narrative throughout the process, while allowing it to become what it needs to. Some of my dad's paintings would be painted over and over, so layered. Sometimes he'd strip them back, revealing those layers, uncovering a story much more complex than he could have planned to.

And that's just life and the work - layered by the influences of time, people and process. We desire this for our projects, to experience the core idea at the end but be surprised by the richness of depth added through a considered process. Holding space for different perspectives while translating values into physical environments.

Ultimately we're the curators and custodians of our projects but they are not ours. We're part of the story but they belong to others; the users, the clients, the community, the makers, the collaborators and thus should be influenced with and for them. And it's such a joy to collaborate with like minds.

These days I feel more like a connector of people and a translator of experiences, rather than a 'single laned' designer.

His influence has kept me open to other ways of approaching the work, from a place of emotion, intuition and feeling. Combined with the rigour of professional practice, it's become the balance that grounds how I work today.

And maybe that's all we're really doing. Holding onto an idea with enough conviction to guide it, and enough humility to let it become better through the impressions others leave along the way.

Liam McCormick, Irish Architect and my Dad's cousin.

Architect of the building voted greatest 20th Century Irish building.

Liam demonstrated in practice, through crafting elegant places, with tactile materials and controlled natural light, and by getting work built, how to create cohesive, resolved, high quality architecture that responds to the specific locality and creates a place that lifts people's spirits.

I deliver work that is created from a simple reduced palette of building materials, that are tactile and that control the light and shade of spaces. I reduce the built elements into rationalised simple components that are legible to people and respond to the fundamentals of the human needs that the buildings are required to address.

My National Design Director, Ray Phillips.

He taught me to believe in myself, as he believed in me and gave me the opportunities, responsibility and tools to lead a team, lead major projects and manage key clients.

As a young, recently qualifies Architect under the age of 30, I was leading a team of 40 staff and delivering a £50m project, within a year of working with Ray.

I still today, work the same way as I did 22 years ago, when I first started working with him.

Design excellence, innovation and "details don't have to cost a lot", is what we strived for on each project.

Thinking outside the box, provided different ideas and made us stand out, helping us win over 40 design awards.

Collaboration and working with specialist was another strand to achieving excellence, allowing us to push the boundaries of innovation, way ahead of it's time, as working with specialist in sustainability and robotics, allowed us to find the answers more efficiently, without any compromise to the cost, design quality and time on the project.

Today I like to empower my team, give them responsibility, promote innovation and design excellence, so they can make a difference in the community that they work.

Working with my clients and key account management is key to the success of the business, with 100% of our work repeat business.

Collaboration is what has allowed us to grow and achieve what we have over the years, this is what makes us successful.

The biggest influence on my career was my aunt, who was an architect.

Growing up, I admired her creativity, confidence and leadership. She showed me that architecture was not just about designing buildings, but about solving problems, leading teams and creating places that improve people's lives. Watching her made me fall in love with the profession.

She also warned me that, as a woman, I might have to work twice as hard to prove myself. That did not frighten me. I was never afraid of hard work, and it strengthened my determination to succeed on my own merits. She also inspired me to travel and see the world.

Today, as a Director Architect, mentor and author, I try to be the kind of role model I was fortunate to have. I am a strong advocate for equality and for ensuring that everyone has the same opportunity to succeed and be recognised for their ability.

Whether mentoring colleagues, supporting women entering the profession, speaking at industry events or sharing knowledge through my book, The Technical Architect's Handbook, I try to give others the confidence and practical guidance that I was fortunate enough to receive.

My aunt inspired me to become an architect. The way I work today is shaped by the belief that leadership is not only about achieving success yourself, but about helping others believe they belong and giving them the tools to succeed too.

Sir Phillip Powell of Powell and Moya.

I worked for Phillip for eight years from my year out in 1973 after being taken with his design for Brasenose Colledge (see photo). He was brilliant, inquisitive, humble but forceful. Probably the brightest person I have met. Quick witted and humerous.

He would approach a design by examining all the options exhaustively with his batch of coloured felt tip and an endless 10" roll of detail paper. I learned how to behave, how to think and how to explore.

I would love to think that a bit of Phillip's way with people rubbed of on me. But what certainly has is the discipline of exploring all the options "regardless of merit" as he would say. Sketch after sketch, and yes with coloured felt tip pens, black on the topside, coloured wash on the reverse.

Mark Whitby - founder of whitbybird engineers, now Ramboll.

Mark was great at empowering you to make and share the right decisions and communicate that within the design team. He once said to me "Chris, you either know it, or you don't, and that is fine also... never assume or say I think... if you do that you are generally guessing and no one benefits from that!"

We work in a world where there isn't enough time or money (generally) to service the projects the way we would ideally like. There certainly isn't understanding/empathy/sympathy if you waste time for everyone, so if you haven't completed something that others are relying on, say so, even if it is a difficult thing to say out loud to the broader team in that moment... in the end making decisions on the direction of a project or design or anything for that matter, has to be based on facts and information correct at the time, that honesty has served me well and has maintained a healthy relationship with design partners and clients.

Bob Hillier

As a young architect, Bob always reminded me of the little things like always bringing a roll of trace and a scale to a client meeting, always standing on the left side of a group photo so your name is listed first in the caption, take copious notes, etc. More importantly, he always stressed that I LISTEN to the client...not only to their words but to their intent.

Bob gave me many opportunities to grow and take on more responsibilities, probably beyond what others would have. This included leading the New York office, which exposed me to a new market and became the foundation for the second half of my career, now with FXCollaborative for the last 22 years.

It is a bit of a cliché but I would say my old boss Nick Grimshaw.

Nick was passionate and focussed about design (he knew what he thought buildings should be) and at the same time was incredible eclectic and knowledgeable across a remarkably broad spectrum of influences. He combined this with a deep respect for humanity and this came through in how he treated everyone around him including collaborators and team members. He really was a true gentleman.

I think having a focus and valuing the team you work with are the two guiding principles for me. At Tate+Co we drive forward a Regenerative Design approach, maximising positive outcomes for Carbon / Energy, Nature / Biodiveristy and People / Communites. What this actually means is working with, and really listening to, a wide range of team members, stakeholders and communities. Valuing a collaborative design process whilst keeping focussed on key outcomes, we have found, generates the most successful built results.

My namesake Chris Sutton. The footballer Chris Sutton signed for Blackburn Rovers for a record fee of £5m during July 1994. Sometime during the week after I was interviewed for a Part 1 job by Paul Watkins, former Partner at Sheppard Robson. He was jokingly disappointed when I walked in the room, but we got on well, we spoke about football for what seemed like most of the interview and I got the job. I worked on and off for a few years for Paul. This led me down the path I have trodden and meant that I met a couple of people, one that I still think of as my mentor, David Lees, and the other would be Keith Priest who was a very good designer, he inspired and encouraged me as a young architect and gave me opportunities and the responsibilities which I will always be grateful for.

The thoroughness required in order to achieve the delivery of a good design.

Always play with a straight bat.

How to manage complex situations, how to sell designs to complex clients, run a design studio, organise a design team, all in an efficient manner required to be a successful profit making business.

To get things done, always be straight talking, don't take any prisoners, some (or most) people can't handle that, but you must remain true to oneself. If your work backs up the approach then there shouldn't be any concern.

The person who has had the biggest impact on my career was the Director of Operations at a large architecture firm where I started my career. He saw potential in me beyond my role as an architect and recognized that I had the personality, leadership qualities, and strengths to become a business leader. His encouragement changed the direction of my career and motivated me to develop not only as an architect but also as an operations and business leader.

I learned that great architects can also be great business leaders, and that success in our industry requires more than just design skills. He taught me the importance of understanding the business side of architecture—operations, financial decisions, leadership, and building strong teams.

Most importantly, he taught me to recognize and develop my own strengths. His mentorship encouraged me to continue growing as an architect while intentionally building the skills needed to lead an organization. He showed me that effective leadership comes from combining technical expertise with the ability to understand people, strategy, and the business behind the work.

Today, as a COO, I focus on creating an environment where architects and designers can do their best work while ensuring the firm has the structure, strategy, and resources needed to succeed. I also try to mentor others the way he mentored me—recognizing people's strengths, encouraging them to look beyond their current roles, and helping them see leadership potential they may not yet recognize in themselves. His belief in me shaped not only my career path but also the type of leader I strive to be.

A few years back, post-Covid, we opted to step up our HR game, by going from an HR consultant to engaging an Organisational Psychologist - Jenny Clavio. This has had a profound impact on our business (as a whole), but also me in my role as Managing Director. By creating an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) that supports our team, to regular touch-points with each member, to helping us with our reference checking process, the guidance she has provided to help shape our business over the past few years has been one of the best things we've ever done as a practice.

In undertaking the psychometric testing myself (along with all our staff), it has given me insight into how I react, think and contribute to the day-to-day leadership required to run our business. It has given me data-driven metrics to help me understand my behaviours and how I conduct myself in certain situations.

Now that I understand my blindspots, the work I do now not only contributes to my role as a design leader in our practice, but as a leader of people who share our company values.

The honest answer for me isn't a industry legend, - it's my kids.

Watching them re-taught me how to observe the world. As designers, we're often conditioned to think that growth and great design mean going bigger, grander, or bolder. But kids force you to step back, slow down, and view space from a completely grounded, human perspective. They reminded me that real impact especially for something like lighting design, isn't in the grand gesture; it's in the small, quiet details of how a person actually experiences an environment.

It has completely shifted my philosophy toward a more human-centric, sensory approach. Instead of designing around spectacle, I design for human needs and sensory processing. My focus is on the impact of light on how someone feels, moves, and lives in a space day-to-day. If a design silently elevates a person's daily life, it's done its job - even if it never makes a bold statement.

Joanne Long. She was Head of L&D and I was in her team on secondment whilst I completed by the L&D module of my CIPD qualification.

One of the role of team was to administer various psychometric tests. Jo felt I also needed to do them as a participate to understand them. We went through my feedback for one and she asked if I feel I acted the same why at home as to work. I answered no, I had very set ideas about how being professional meant work and home had big separation! Her response - Isnt that exhausting? And I realized it was and unnecessary!

Today I'm both very much myself! But the impact of this is that it fostered a strong perception of integrity, honest and authenticity to others. A big thing in HR given what we do and the information we can sometimes hold.

Also it reminds me to do the same for others - be able to bring your whole self to work!

David Adjaye

I was a student of David Adjaye at the AA and when I graduated, I went to work for him, over 30 years later I am still working for David as the CEO of Adjaye Associates London. To say he had a huge impact on my career is understating the influence he has had on my life and on my career.

I am continually amazed and excited by the buildings we design and cannot imagine anyone else giving me both the opportunities and the space to grow as both an architect and a leader.

Rather than a single person, three mentors shaped my career at different stages.

Ramon Profitos Palou, the architect who gave me my first professional opportunity in Barcelona, taught me that integrity and professionalism matter more than prestige.

Antoni Pont, an internationalisation consultant whom I engaged while expanding my practice into Brazil and Peru, helped me understand architecture from the client's perspective rather than the architect's.

Shawlon Hsieh, PTW's International Strategy Director, recognised early that my diverse international experience could be more valuable than a conventional career path, opening the door to a leadership role in Vietnam.

From Ramon, I learned the importance of technical rigour, ethical conduct and respect for people. At a time when many young architects were willing to work under almost any conditions just to be close to prestigious names, he demonstrated that professional excellence and professional integrity should go hand in hand.

From Antoni, I learned that successful architecture begins with understanding clients' needs, aspirations and business objectives. In other words, he taught me to see the profession from the other side of the table.

From Shawlon, I learned that non-linear careers and diverse experiences can become strategic advantages, particularly in complex and rapidly evolving markets.

Today, these lessons continue to guide my approach to leadership, design and business development. I strive to combine professional integrity with a deep understanding of client needs, while embracing diverse perspectives and unconventional thinking.

Having worked across Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, I have found that technical expertise alone is rarely enough. Lasting value comes from aligning people, strategy and design to create meaningful outcomes. Equally important, I continue to believe that diverse experiences, disciplines and viewpoints often generate better solutions than narrow specialisation alone.

Working with KPF in New York & London

Culture of professional excellence & respect

Elevates my standards & conduct in practice

Yasmeen Lari, Pakistans first female qualified architect. I briefly worked with her Heritage Foundation in Pakistan following the 2006 earthquake which killed more than 70,000 people and leaving many more homeless across Kashmir and the mountainous district of Mansehra.

I learned that post disaster reconstruction is an opportunity to insist on dignity and self sufficiency over dependency. Structures were designed to be built without heavy machinery, decisions are made with communities rather than for them, and women — often excluded from both formal construction work and property ownership — were placed at the center of both the building process and the resulting economic activity.

Today, we at 43 North maintain a strong commitment to community and social values throughout our projects. With all projects we endeavor to canvas stakeholders and realize that a building is never designed in isolation by an architect, a building is the product of teamwork and community.

Throughout my career, many people, experiences, successes, and challenges have shaped who I am. If I had to name one person who stands out, it would be the architect Jorge Ferreira.

Jorge is a true role model. He has a remarkable ability to see opportunities where others see obstacles and to inspire people to aim higher. After all, no one put the first person on the Moon by believing it was impossible. He combines the discipline of a karate master, the diplomacy to bring people together, and the wisdom of a wizard. All with a smile, genuine kindness, and a great sense ofhumour. From him, I learned the value of optimism, resilience, and leading with both conviction and empathy.

Jorge reinforced my belief that the best results come from being proactive, rolling up your sleeves, and working together as one team. His influence has strengthen my appreciation for trust, collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose. Those lessons continue to shape how I lead, work with others, and approach every new challenge.