Designing Buildings That Are Viable With Oli Lowrie

In this episode, Paul talks to Oli Lowrie, the director and co-founder of Ackroyd Lowrie Architects. He and his co-founder John Ackroyd believe that architecture is too siloed. They are entrepreneurs as well as architects, they do not simply stay in their lane. Instead, they anticipate the issues projects typically face and create designs that enable developers to more easily get around these problems. KEY TAKEAWAYS Make sure you always work with the best consultants. The shifting legislative framework is leading to plans needing to be reworked and resubmitted. Most legislators do not see the bigger picture, so don´t fully understand the impact changes have. There are now financial benefits to taking a sustainable approach. The government still needs to do a lot to make the market viable for developers. Oli shares examples of how to turn office spaces into housing. The new BSA is going to lead to architects’ fees going up. Oli explains why. BEST MOMENTS“We are entrepreneurs who just happen to be able to design buildings.”“Architecture is a little bit too siloed, and architects tend to stay in their lane and just think about designing buildings.”“Harlow is a really interesting place…Dan Sword is very committed to transforming Harlow.”“Most people are just looking at it through their little lens. They don't understand the bigger picture.”“Sustainability can be used to produce a better ROI.”“Lots of people get tempted to go for the cheaper stuff, but it's dangerous.” ABOUT THE GUESThttps://www.ackroydlowrie.com ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment