Part 1 Architectural Assistant: Q&A with Emma

Emma Smith, HPA’s Part 1 Architectural Assistant, has been in her role at HPA for almost a year. As part of our recurring Q&A series, Emma shares with us  some of her insights, learning and experience in the Architecture profession. 

What made you want to study Architecture?

Having studied graphic design at college I enjoyed creating visuals both digitally and with hand sketches. I enjoyed using the built environment as inspiration throughout a lot of my projects and decided that Architecture was a subject I wanted to explore further.

What is a Part 1 Architectural Assistant?

A Part 1 Architectural assistant is a year of experience taken after completing a Bachelors in architecture, to gain experience in the workplace before then going on to complete a Master’s in architecture.

What does an average day look like as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant?

As a Part 1 Assistant every day is different, and you are given the opportunity to help assist with a variety of projects. Tasks can range from going out on site to take surveys, making amendments to Revit Models and CAD Drawings and creating visuals.

What has been your biggest learning curve since joining HPA?

The biggest learning curve since starting at HPA has been expanding the skills learnt at university to suite the office environment. When working on live projects there can be a lot more constraints and restrictions to consider than a typical university project as they can be affected by things such as building regulations and planning policies which aren’t addressed very much at university.

What advice would you give someone preparing to study Architecture?

I would definitely suggest gaining some experience in an architectural practice so that you can get a grasp of office life before going to university, but also to enjoy the freedom of design that comes with attending university as the time will pass quicker than you expect.

Learn more ‘About Us’ and the team at HPA: https://www.hpa.ltd/about-us/