Mike Symes, Architecture
Since graduating, what have you done in your career?
Although trained and fully qualified as an Architect, I have spent the majority of my career as a Design Manager, working for construction companies specialising in design and construct building projects - coordinating and managing teams of multi-disciplinary consultants. In addition, time spent with consultancy companies in South East Asia provided me with further skills in both construction management and site supervision on large-scale building projects.
Since graduating from the Oxford Brookes School of Architecture in 1972, I have been exceptionally fortunate to have been able to travel and work in multiple countries around the world experiencing different cultures and environments.
In 2001, I established my own design management consultancy in Australia to provide clients within both the public and private sectors with a rapid response design management service whenever required at short notice for design audits, tender evaluations, design gap analysis etc.
How has your degree helped you in your career?
I firmly believe that if it hadn’t been for the exceptionally high quality of training I received whilst studying architecture at the Oxford Brookes School of Architecture, where we were taught to fully integrate and coordinate all decision-making processes as an integral component of our design input on “live projects” within tight time-frames, I would never have survived some of the challenges I faced later on during my career.
I can honestly say that having tutors who were not only practical but also highly experienced with their own architectural practices proved invaluable during the whole of my training at the Oxford Brookes School of Architecture.
What have been the challenges?
Working overseas on mega projects where highly technical issues were compounded by both language and cultural differences proved very challenging. Having to rely upon third party interpreters to relay vital instructions was nerve-racking – the need to double and triple-check was essential to ensure proper compliance.
Virtually every project I’ve been involved in has presented some kind of challenge during the course of its progress from start to finish – looking at them as potential opportunities rather than so-called “problems” proved beneficial.
Working collaboratively with other professionals has been highly rewarding.
One of the biggest challenges was being able to confidently identify and manage risks during the course of a project in order to achieve value-for-money without comprising safety or the specified quality.
What have been the highlights of your career?
It was both a privilege and pleasure to be part of the construction management team as one of only six Design Managers on the highly-successful World Expo 88 in Brisbane – in short, an unforgettable experience all round.
Establishing my own design management consultancy was another major highlight.
What advice would you have for prospective students?
Choosing a career in Architecture will be one of the best decisions any prospective student will ever make – especially if he/she trains at the Oxford School Brookes of Architecture which has such a good reputation internationally.
The knowledge gained at the Oxford Brookes School of Architecture will allow any prospective students to diversify into other specialised areas if they want to explore other career opportunities within the construction industry.
One bit of advice - take advantage of everything on offer because in reality, architectural students do not really start to learn until they work on actual projects. In simple terms, don’t be afraid to test your limits and even more importantly, don’t be afraid of making some mistakes. Lastly, don’t panic - what you learnt at the Oxford School of Architecture will hold you in very good stead.