Architecture case study

Phoebe studied Architecture at Oxford Brookes University, before taking her Masters at the University of Westminster.  She passed with distinction and will soon be joining the Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands practice as an architectural assistant.

16-year-old Chloe says: “I’m thinking about studying architecture at university, so it was really helpful to talk to Phoebe about her experiences and her career pathway.  As she’s currently at assistant level, that seemed particularly accessible and relevant.  With our shared experience of school, it meant I could really gauge where I might be in a few years if I followed a similar route. She was very knowledgeable about different university courses and options, which was great.

“Before talking to Phoebe, I did a bit of research, looking at her profile on her company website, so I could tailor my questions to really make the most of our conversation. I asked for her guidance with a competition entry I was working on for the Fitzwillam College Architecture Design Competition 2024. She gave really detailed responses, which was so nice and really helped. Talking to her boosted my confidence as I can be quite shy, so it was good that it was mainly done on email. I feel it has really helped my communication skills and the whole process allowed me to engage critically with Architecture as a new subject and it doing so, to find a new passion and feel for the process of being an architect.”

Phoebe says: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed mentoring Chloe for her applications to study Architecture. Taking the time to give advice to students has allowed me to reflect on how far I’ve come since leaving school, and to appreciate how much I’ve learnt in my career so far. Chloe and I emailed back and forth, meaning I could easily take the time to reply to her questions and offer my advice.

“Mentoring has been a rewarding experience for me and has provided me with the opportunity to revisit why I started down this career path myself. I encourage others to mentor as both a way of inspiring the next generation, and to reflect on your own achievements.”

Phoebe is seen here with a display of some images of her final project, which was for an urban farm on the site at Euston that was previously intended for the HS2 terminal, powered by the waste heat from the London Underground.