Angus Smith studied Architecture at Scott Sutherland School of Architecture. Following his education, he went on to work in an international practice that specialised in dramatic developments for Sol Kerzner and Southern Sun Hotels. After returning to the UK and completing his professional exams, Angus joined Space Solutions, delivering the Bon Accord Shopping Centre in Aberdeen. Since then, and after marrying and having a family, he has worked widely in the North East and the central belt of Scotland.

After winning several student design awards and graduating with first-class honours from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Mark Ellson joined Holmes Miller as a Part 2 Assistant in 2005. Flash forward to 2022, and he sits at the helm of the practice as Holmes Miller’s Director. Here, FC&A learns how Mark went from a budding architectural assistant to the leader of an award-winning architecture practice.

Fire industry legislation and regulations can be a minefield. This is particularly the case for non-fire specialists challenged with specifying fire systems capable of bringing peace of mind to all parties – both now and in the future, writes Amanda Hope, UK Business Development Manager at Advanced.

Gerry Boyle began his career in the UK Civil Service as an Architectural Assistant. From here, he applied for a place on the department’s sponsorship scheme to become professionally qualified. In this article, we follow the route Gerry took from this role to land the position he holds today as a Senior Architect at Dublin-based firm Gray Design.

In this month’s issue, FC&A puts Tim Ward, CEO at Chetwoods, under the spotlight to find out more about his profession. In this Q&A, he explains where his interest in building design began and reveals who influenced his journey into following the architectural career path.