Hi Ali, how are you?

 

Very good, thank you. 

 

I'm interested in your rebranding as a firm, and also the fact that you've become CEO of what we now call WW+P Architects, as opposed to Weston Williamson + Partners. Could you give me a very brief background to this move? And why now?

 

 

Well, the practice is 40 years old. We've had some major changes over the last two years, of which joining the Egis group is the most significant. That transition has enabled a whole series of changes within the practice: in terms of the way we operate; in terms of the regions that we operate in - but it also focused minds on the future. And part of the outcome of that work - you'll have to appreciate, David, there was a lot of work that's wrapped up within the succession that isn't simply the leadership changes. There’s also the structure of how we operate, the rebranding, adopting the easier to use internationally, and more iconic, WW+P, rather than the two surnames of the founders. It's all part of the same thing. It's that succession. It's a focus on the future, and it recognizes that we're now a really global business; that although London has been home for the past 40 years, we operate in five continents now and are making sure that the business that moves ahead reflects that.

 

Obviously, you're mystifying the previous ownership names, aren't you, by going to an acronym? Presumably, that's on purpose in order to move the practice on to a succession line. Is that true? And did you consider other names? What's the process these days for rebranding?

 

 

Actually, we've been using WWP for a very long time. If you type it out, if you write it, if you use it on graphics, in presentations, it's a lot easier to contract it. We're absolutely proud of our heritage, and we would not be doing what we're doing today if it hadn't been for the founding partners; Chris [Williamson], Andrew [Weston], Steve [Humphreys] and Rob [Naybour] who have played an absolutely crucial role in steering the business for the past 40 years. In all honesty, given the kind of global practice that we are, the way that we operate now, in Asia, across the Middle East, North America, WWP is simpler to use, and it's certainly easier in terms of emails and the domain name when you're describing that to people or conveying that information. So, I guess that's obviously part of it. The individuals that were involved in setting up the practice...it is less about the individuals now and more about the collectives. I think that's a clear message. But we've not deviated from the name. It's the same old name, and legally we're still known as Weston Williamson + Partners. WW + P is more for the website, the branding and the graphics that we use.

 

I was sitting in a webinar this morning about affordable housing, and one of the speakers mentioned that there was a kind of block on transport infrastructure projects, as she saw it, in London, in terms of things like the Bakerloo Line Extension, which were forming themselves a kind of key block on bringing forward new housing. How optimistic are you about transport projects - grands projets, I suppose, in London and the UK, as opposed to the rest of the world?

 

 

Well, first of all, I certainly don't see transport as an outcome in and of itself. Transport is the enabler for development. Transport is an enabler for sustainable modes of movement around urban environments. Homes and jobs require a well-considered and well-connected transport network if they're going to be fit for the future. And if we are going to make that transition away from the private vehicle to more sustainable, connected modes, modes of travel, yes, sustainable mass transit has got a central role to play. So, I mean, that's just the start. We wouldn't decouple the two. When we talk about transit-oriented development, when we talk about 15-minute cities, when we talk about the way in which communities that are geared towards the future are set up, it's connected – absolutely connected. And we're seeing that more internationally than we are in the UK, frankly…

 

Yes, why is that?

 

I think they're able to learn from some of the experiences we've had. If you look at London, for example, the Elizabeth Line has already delivered its return on investments. The growth that it's stimulated and triggered, the increase in development applications, densities and business rates, etc., they're all paying back, and it's a well-proven model of a sustainable way of developing a city, reducing the reliance on private car ownership, and improving transport connectivity. So that's a model that we've been able to take internationally and have been instrumental in delivering in places like Australia, and clients internationally now are absolutely latched on to that. The work we're doing over in North America, in Toronto has got a sort of TOD-led mentality, absolutely tying together the development, the homes and the jobs with the transit. That's a bit of a long-winded intro.  But to come back to your original question, the last few years in the UK have been frustrating. The cost challenges have been pronounced. Seeing major programs of transport investment - High Speed 2, Crossrail 2, the Bakerloo Line Extension - be paused, is immensely frustrating for this practice, because we know the benefits that they deliver. When the government talks about homes and jobs and the acute need for those, we know the role these projects play. The Bakerloo Line Extension will deliver an enormous benefit-cost ratio. The BCR is great because it delivers a huge amount of housing in an area that desperately needs it. And so yes, we're optimistic....

 

Where's the blockage? Is it Treasury?

 

No, I would say, actually, we're optimistic now. I think Labour have made all the right sounds, made all the right noises around reprioritizing transport, and in the regions that desperately need it. So, the Transport for the North agenda, Northern Powerhouse Rail, that's obviously going to align with the new homes, new jobs, the New Towns agenda. We're hopeful; you know, we've got to wait to see what the revised planning policy reveals. But East West Rail, for example, and the New Towns agenda, should absolutely work hand in glove. So yes, there's reasons to be optimistic. We'll see what the Autumn Statement comes out with, but certainly, the push to align nationally significant programs of transport investment and the homes and jobs that are definitely needed, it's clear. Let's see if it gets funded...

 

Well, it's good to hear optimism, that's great. Last couple of questions. Firstly, Chris Williamson is taking up the role of RIBA president from 2025 to 2027. How do you expect that to change the firm, if it does in any way?

 

I'm not sure that it will change the firm. I mean, we're incredibly proud of Chris, everything that he's achieved, and, yes, to be president-elect of the RIBA is fantastic. We really wish him well. He's taken a decision to focus on that role and no longer has an executive function within WWP. Rob Naybour will be assuming the chair role as I move into the CEO post. So, there's some clear distinction between the focus Chris has on the profession, and the focus Rob and I have on the practice. So, I'm not sure that it will change the practice. I know that Chris's role as an ambassador for the Egis Architecture Line is very important to him. We're all incredibly proud of what he's achieved, and I hope that as an ambassador for British architectural talent in the national and international sphere, he's able to represent the profession well.

 

So, very last question, split into two: what advice would you give other firms approaching similar successions? And secondly, what are your hopes for WW + P architects going forward?

 

They are big questions, David (laughs)

 

(laughs) Ok, just one tip?

 

Okay, succession is... there's not a one-size-fits-all. And whether you're moving to an Employee-Owned Trust, whether you identify talent in the business and nurture it, whether you decide that you want to stay the size that enabled you to stay well connected to every project in the practice, is an individual decision. So, I think that there's a lot of soul-searching that's required. The direction we've taken as a business is to try and capitalize on some of the international growth we've seen over the last 10 years. About 10 or 12 years ago, we moved into Australia. Five or six years ago, we moved into North America, and that has provided a great degree of resilience to the practice, particularly reflecting on some of the dialogue where previously on when programmes of investment here in the UK ceased to be funded, like the high-speed rail programme, it's almost dovetailed with the Australian government's decision to invest in high-speed rail. That gives us a huge degree of resilience to turn people around and face the right type of projects. So, the future for us is more international expansion to build a resilient global practice that places design quality and technical excellence at the forefront of what we do. And that's really, really important to our ethos, to our brands, to our identity, and to the legacy that we've got as a business. Those are the things within the business that I want to nurture the most. To keep this being a special place to work. Because it's not that long ago that I was doing the design competitions, putting the hard yards into the project needs that needed to be delivered, and I know how easy it can be when that's fun and when you feel rewarded, and how difficult that can be when it's not. Those are things I really want to bring to the role.

 

Brilliant. Well, congratulations on the new role and on the rebrand, and good luck going forward.

 

Thank you very much! One last thing - listen, I love everything we've achieved as a practice, and I'm very, very proud of the Elizabeth line. But I'm also conscious that I represent the next 20 years of our award-winning projects, and I want to make sure they get the recognition they deserve too. I will be at the Stirling Prize Award, cheering very, very loudly, for the Elizabeth Line…

 

…I actually think you will win. I hope it does.

 

…It's a great project that deserves to win. We're moving towards, in the next few months, where we need to decide what the brief will be for Manchester, what the brief will be for Leeds, what the brief will be for Liverpool. You know, this is where the government sets the bar. And what Crossrail has delivered in terms of quality – award-winning, best-in-class customer experience, there's no reason that the rest of the UK shouldn't have the same. Let's pitch it at the right level. That's clear to me. 

 

Perfect. Thanks for your time, Ali

 

Cheers. Bye!