SOCIAL MEDIA ZEITGEIST

For a profession that claims to be people-centric or human-led, it seems that architects tend to thrive when speaking only to each other, resulting in a conversation that often leaves out next-generation talent, because “too many architects spoil the broth”. But is this a result of a broken education system, a stubborn profession or an increasingly exclusive industry?

Whether it’s awards that don’t tend to go beyond the London network, or jargon that even a director couldn’t explain, communication as a whole likely hasn’t evolved very much for architects. Nurturing future talent is low on the list with fewer practices hiring graduates for a year, as typical with a Part 1 Architectural Assistant role, and still requiring years of experience, leaving those fresh out of university in a catch-22. Experience becomes a commodity that international talent ironically has an upper hand in.

Architecture is one of the subjects where international students make up roughly a third or more of the total UK student body; on par with engineering, computing and business. Post-Brexit, the picture has tightened sharply as the skilled worker visa salary threshold jumped from £26,000 to £45,900, and architecture was removed from the shortage occupation list.

Recruitment agency Bespoke Careers found that 63% of UK hiring managers are struggling to find talent, 9% higher than the global average, with firms saying visa policy is cutting off access to skilled people and denting the industry’s diversity and global standing.

Amongst the thousands of graduates and young professionals seeking to move to the next phase of their career, this niche, international community is full of individuals who were likely attracted to UK universities at the prospect of a fuller career, working in some of the top studios and a better salary than their home country. These young people are sometimes fully qualified or have extensive experience which either doesn’t translate to the UK qualification criteria and as a result becomes difficult to register in the UK.

Unsurprisingly, as part of an early consultation, one in four respondents pointed to cost as the largest barrier to registration for overseas architects. Whilst the ARB says the profession is “truly international, with one in ten architects on the UK Register based outside the UK”, there is no data on those who perhaps trained abroad and are now working in the UK, many of these likely being early-career professionals.

The ARB itself has admitted the system is broken. Alan Kershaw, chair of the ARB, has said “the current route open to the majority of internationally qualified architects – known as the Prescribed Exam – is in urgent need of a complete overhaul” and is part of a wider effort to fix an outdated and complex process. However, those changes are lengthy and unlikely to be introduced till 2027, leaving many existing graduates at a disadvantage.

So why is it that despite ticking the right boxes, having the right amount or sometimes too much experience, still leaves international talent at a disadvantage?

Demystifying International Careers | Zaha Hadid Foundation, via (to)scale

The premise of our recent panel, Demystifying International Careers, centred around education. With many of the attendees at different stages of their career, we first wanted them to get a baseline understanding around why the profession becomes so difficult for someone who seemingly ticks the boxes. Many of the upcoming changes are slowly taking shape, but little is being done to accommodate those who are in the thick of it.

One of the attendees was Ananya Sebastian, an international interior design graduate with a background in architecture. Ananya came to the UK with two years of professional experience before completing a postgraduate degree at the RCA. She expected the design industry to be competitive, and knew she would have to work hard, apply widely and deal with rejection. What she did not expect was for her immigration status to become such a significant part of the process, sometimes before her experience or work had even been considered.

Although she currently has the right to work in the UK, her visa is time-limited, so many applications ask whether she will require sponsorship now or in the future. The question often appears early in the process, after time has already been spent researching the studio and tailoring a CV, portfolio and application. As Ananya puts it:

“The pathway into education feels very clear; the pathway from that education into practice feels much less so.”

Additionally, there is little conversation around finding a way around the visa salary threshold or ways to retain talent. Will it be that in a decade we see an even more challenging profession that lacks diversity or an amalgamation of individuals with varied backgrounds? Eventually, word will spread. The career prospects for international talent surely won’t continue to invest in an industry that doesn’t accommodate home-grown graduates, “as valuable talent continues to walk away from the profession in hope of increased wages and a more sustainable work-life balance.”

Demystifying International Careers | Zaha Hadid Foundation, via (to)scale

Whilst education and exposure around the issue is an important first step, there are perhaps other ways that enable practices to take responsibility and review or overhaul their hiring practices altogether. If grassroots organisations can mentor, train and connect these young people, could the industry band together to find a middle-ground that addresses these issues? From an education standpoint, course providers could offer in-built placements, allowing individuals to build a network before completing their degree and gain some UK-based experience.

Alternatively, practices could band together and commit to hiring international talent, learning from those who have experience with visa sponsorship. Finally, and probably the most important; architects need to stop speaking only to themselves and engage with next-gen talent in meaningful ways rather than one-off social exercises to truly create regenerative practices.

Sana Tabassum is the founding director of (to)scale, a creative studio translating architectural thinking into brand, media and graphic design. She has built a global community of over 50,000 people and supports emerging creatives through Open Studio, alongside roles with the Museum of Architecture, Build The Way and Kingston University.

Ananya Sebastian is a designer with a background in architecture and interior design, holding an MA from the Royal College of Art and a BArch from Manipal School of Architecture and Planning. Drawing on her international upbringing and experience across residential, hospitality, product and heritage-led projects, she explores how spaces are shaped by touch, time and memory.