A Day in the Life of an Architect: Work Experience at HPA
We value the opportunity to support the next generation of designers and construction professionals, and it is important to us that our profession is accessible to everyone. Over the summer, we have welcomed a number of students to experience life in practice, but this week, we welcomed student Katy to our Lancaster office for a day of work experience after she reached out to us, keen to learn more about a potential future career in architecture.
Currently studying for her GCSEs, Katy was eager to gain first-hand insight into how architectural projects develop and what life is really like within a busy practice.
To provide a genuine experience of the profession, Katy attended a project briefing, sat in on a client meeting, joined the team on a site visit and spent time with several members of staff across the practice. Throughout the day, she was able to see how architects combine creativity, technical knowledge, communication and problem-solving to deliver successful projects.
The experience gave Katy a taste of the variety of work involved in architecture and demonstrated how projects progress from initial discussions through to completed buildings.
Supporting Future Talent
Katy’s visit reflects our commitment to developing future skills through our support of the Lancashire Skills Pledge, which encourages employers to inspire and support young people as they explore education and career opportunities.
By offering work experience placements, we aim to give students meaningful exposure to the built environment sector and help them make informed decisions about their future.
Katy’s Reflections
Following her visit, Katy shared her thoughts on the experience:
“I genuinely appreciated being able to spend time with HPA and gain an insight into their work. It was a valuable experience, and I am grateful for how welcoming and supportive everyone was throughout the day… I enjoyed learning what different parts of the job are actually like in practice. I found it very fun and feel very inspired when thinking about my own future and potential career. I truly appreciate the opportunity and everything I was able to learn from it.”
