Architecture & Urban Design

What do architects do in the public sector?

Architects in the public sector influence the quality of design and sustainability for places at a neighbourhood or building scale. Architects bring their design skills and knowledge, spatial and analytical skills, and stakeholder and project management experience in-house.

Architects may advise on the development design and construction, including critiquing projects proposed by developers and landowners. Architects might be tasked with creating sketches, models and plans; managing projects; developing design codes; preparing masterplans; writing reports; engaging with stakeholders; and undertaking site visits.

Architectural designers in the public sector need to be creative and able to put forward persuasive ideas and proposals; enjoy critical analysis and problem-solving; be able to communicate clearly with a diverse range of people through written, verbal and visual (including drawings and diagrams) communication methods; and be comfortable working with financial information such as costs and budgets.

What job roles might an architect be suitable for in the public sector?

Architects could work in a wide range of roles, including urban design - inputting on design quality at pre-apps or creating design codes; sustainability roles - working on retrofitting buildings or working on energy policy; economic development - working on regenerating high streets or cultural programming; property development - working on development capacity appraisals or delivering housing in partnership with the private sector.

Progression would involve moving to a managerial or senior leadership position, with more responsibility for overseeing projects and budgets, day-to-day supervision of the work of team members, and more interaction with senior politicians and officials.

What do urban designers do in the public sector?

Urban designers in the public sector create and shape places that work for different needs and deliver economic, social and environmental benefits. Urban designers bring their design skills and knowledge, spatial and analytical skills, and stakeholder and project management experience in-house.

In the public sector, urban designers work on a broad range of tasks, including advising on the design of development and critiquing projects proposed by developers and landowners. You might be tasked with:

• Writing design policy, design guidance, design briefs, design codes and characterisation studies.
• Working with development management (planning) officers on appraising the design quality in planning applications and during pre-application meetings.
• Undertaking design-led site analysis, capacity and feasibility studies to support the delivery of small to medium-scale housing infill sites.
• Leading interactive co-design workshops with the local community and stakeholder and setting up design competitions for masterplanning of large strategic sites.
• Providing expertise in heritage-led regeneration and development in Conservation Areas, including tall buildings guidance and urban intensification.
• Promoting a design-led approach to officers and members and growing confidence in design and conservation.

For built environment roles in the public sector, urban designers need to be creative and able to put forward persuasive ideas and proposals; enjoy critical analysis and problem-solving; be able to communicate clearly with a diverse range of people through written, verbal and visual (including drawings and diagrams) communication methods, and be comfortable working with maps and plans.

What type of jobs might urban designers be suitable for?

People with a background in urban design can work in a range of built environment roles in the public sector, including:

• development management - providing expert design advice in pre-apps;
• masterplanning - contributing to or creating design codes;
• policy - bringing specialist advice to a local plan;
• property development - providing design expertise in housing delivery;
• economic development - regenerating high streets and co-designing with local communities.

Progression could be moving upwards to a managerial or senior leadership role with more responsibility for supervising the work of team members or more complex projects and programmes; or by specialising in a particular field such as landscape, sustainability, or community engagement.

Architecture

To work in the public sector, it is not a requirement to be a qualified Architect (part 3 status and on the ARB register). However, most public sector organisations do ask for a degree or equivalent experience in this field, which could be anything from a bachelor's degree (part 1 status) and above.

Urban Design

Urban designers in the public sector might have a degree in urban design, architecture, or urban or city planning. Urban design is not a formally accredited profession in the UK and local authority hiring managers often consider evidence of professional practice experience if there is no direct relevant degree.

Architects Registration Board

Royal Institute of British Architects