Mark Vaughan gives talk to students at London South Bank University

Words by BSBG Media Team, Tuesday 19 October 2021

Brewer Smith Brewer Group (BSBG) Associate Mark Vaughan attended London South Bank University’s School of the Built Environment and Architecture, presenting to the Architectural Technology professionals of the future on a variety of important subjects to help prepare for a successful career in the discipline.

Joining Mark to speak at the forum were James Banks, Membership Director at the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT), and Joe Oxtoby, a Business Manager with Hays Recruitment. The session was organised by Jennifer Hardi, Course Director for BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology.

Opening up proceedings, Joe Oxtoby from Hays Recruitment presented a guide to success in searching for a job as an Architectural Technologist. From perfecting the CV and portfolio, to ensuring social media platforms are suitable, Joe gave invaluable insight from the perspective of an employer. He also gave some guidance on job interview techniques and the crucial follow up, post-interview.

Next up, James Banks provided an overview of CIAT, explaining the benefits of and the route towards attaining Chartered status. James spoke about the opportunities that lie ahead for the students in terms of projects and locations across the world, and the support and guidance available through the institute as they navigate through their career.

Mark Vaughan then took to the stage to present an overview of his career to date, along the way highlighting some of the important techniques and skills that help an Architectural Technologist stand out from the crowd. Mark explained that there are huge opportunities in the market now for Technologists that display certain skills and have a comprehensive understanding of relevant software – most importantly Revit.

Mark Vaughan

Director

“Every line on a drawing means something. If you drew it, you should know what it is…"

In his presentation he gave students an idea of the career path they can expect to take, before giving tips and examples of the methodology behind presenting first class architectural drawings to stakeholders. Layouts, aesthetics and attention to detail were all touched on, and the quote: “Every line on a drawing means something. If you drew it, you should know what it is…” is one that will stay long in the minds of the attendees. Mark explained to the students the importance of mastering Revit in addition to AutoCAD. He said: “Revit is fantastic as a tool for 3D modelling, automation, coordination, documentation and collaboration, but there is a danger that technologists can forget the attention to detail in terms of the lines that end up on the drawing, which is a prerequisite of AutoCAD.”

He continued: “With AutoCAD we’re using lines to create geometry. With Revit we use geometry to create lines. In Revit, you could be working with one view, for example a floor plan, but other views are being generated at the same time – such as elevations. We find the danger with Revit is that some users now don’t consider what they’re drawing. You need to model with the foresight of what you’re going to be detailing.

“In the era of tracing paper, architects would ensure the line they drew was correct, because they did not want to have to go through the painstaking process of scratching out mistakes (this was how my training started). It meant that they knew what every line meant. In AutoCAD you also have to manually draw every line and therefore think about what you’re drawing. Because Revit allows you to draw a 3D element which has properties dictating the lines displayed, the consideration and the fear of not knowing what each line means has become lost. Most people believe Revit does it all for you. We need the technologists of the future to bring back the attention to detail into the industry. As an industry we need to post-rationalise to reset the balance of the Revit efficiencies with technical input and quality output. If you can master Revit with this mentality, in addition to AutoCAD, this can give you an edge both in the job market as well as project management in the field.”

Mark then went through some of the key projects within his portfolio, explaining many of the challenges unique to each of them, the techniques used and subsequent outcomes. From The Island and Banyan Tree Residences – Hillside Dubai, to London project The Mayfair Townhouse, each of the projects had its own set of unique challenges, Mark explained. However it was the level of detailing within The Silk District Phase 2, currently under construction in Whitechapel, that really captured the imagination. Mark demonstrated the advanced level of Revit application used within the project, showing a number of 3D gifs which detail the way in which certain components within the building fit together. A blog will follow outlining this process.

“I enjoy talking to students and engaging with those that are going to be building the architecture of the future,” Mark commented. “As a CIAT member you take on an ambassadorial role in many ways, and for those of us currently in the industry, it is important to engage and offer insight that could help to guide the careers paths of young technologists.”

BSBG’s London studio has recently taken on an intern from the School of the Built Environment and Architecture at LSBU, with Cieran Joce joining the team to assist as an Architectural Technologist on projects such as The Silk District Phase 2, as well as new projects currently in the planning phases. “We’re pleased to have brought Cieran in from LSBU,” Mark commented. “We’ve taken him under our wing and will aim to give him well rounded experience, but in line with the career path developments set out in my presentation. It’s important to not overload young technologists and not allow them to run before they can walk. My personal aim is always to give the same quality of development to juniors, the like of which I had given to me.”

BSBG Media Team

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