People Behind the Places: Ross Huntingdon

At AEW, great places are created by great people. Our diverse team of built environment professionals bring a wealth of experience, expertise and personality to every project we deliver.

In our series ‘People behind the places’, we sit down with a different member of the team to understand their role, some of the projects that have defined their career and a bit more about them.

This month, we’re speaking to Ross Huntingdon, Associate Director and Architect.

Tell us about your role

There are a lot of spinning plates involved in being an Associate Director. I take responsibility for delivering projects across the RIBA stages, maintaining strong relationships with clients and making sure they receive a consistently high level of service. I also lead design team and project meetings and make sure actions are followed through.

For me, one of the most important aspects of my role is looking after my team. Much of the work we do involves remediating existing buildings, so it’s highly technical, often high pressure and comes with a huge amount of legislation and responsibility. I want to make sure we balance the seriousness of that work with some levity and that people enjoy coming to work every day.

What do you think is the key to being a good Associate Director?

You have to be able to operate at very different levels. There’s the strategic side of the role, thinking about the future of the business, our commercial objectives and where we’re going. But, at the drop of a hat, you might need to get right into the detail of a project because something has happened and a client needs an answer.

You absolutely need good communication to make all that possible. I need to have processes and relationships in place so information flows both ways between me and the team. That way, when something does go awry, I understand what’s happening and can give the client a clear, succinct answer as fast as possible.

What inspired you to pursue a career in architecture?

I used to help my dad make little model houses, which he would then sell in his Post Office. He told me about this job called ‘architecture’ and, at the time, I liked it because it was a long word.

What I do now is a far cry from designing model houses, but that early experience sparked something that stayed with me. Architecture is such a broad discipline and the variety that comes with a career in it is something that has captured my passion.

What’s the project you’re most proud of working on at AEW?

I’m going to swerve the question slightly because, for me, it isn’t about one particular project. I work in a team where we are literally making people’s homes better. And I don’t mean installing gold taps or gilded lanterns.  We’re talking about retrofit and remediation, and fundamentally, it’s about making homes warm, dry and safe.

The people living in these homes often have very little power to change their circumstances themselves, and some have lived in extremely difficult conditions for a long time. That can have a catastrophic impact on individuals and families. We’re there to make things better for them. It isn’t easy work, but knowing what we do can have such a tangible impact on someone’s everyday life is incredibly satisfying and something I’m very proud to be part of.

Why AEW?

I’ve been at AEW since 2005 and, while it was a very different practice back then, one thing has remained consistent. When it comes down to it, it’s the people within the walls who make it great and I’m proud of the team we have here. They’re incredibly talented in their respective fields and passionate about what they do, but they also understand the importance of enjoying work, being a team player and having a laugh along the way.

The culture, relationships and shared attitude towards work run right through the company. I’m a very loyal person and it’s great to be loyal to a company that’s loyal back.

What are your passions outside of work?

I enjoy being a dad and a husband, and I’m lucky to be part of a huge family who all live locally. Maybe it’s a little strange to describe family as a passion, but being with them, whether we’re doing something or absolutely nothing, is something I genuinely love.

We’re an incredibly sociable bunch and I love cooking for the masses. Everyone seems quite happy to keep turning up, so I guess that’s a nice compliment to the spreads I lay out.

I also run five or six days a week, usually ridiculously early before sunrise. I used to be quite a good runner, but these days it’s more about the headspace. There’s something special about being out at that time and experiencing a part of the day that not many people get to see. It feels a little bit like I’m getting one up on everyone else before the rest of the world wakes up.