In conversation with Amber
Meet Amber, Hawkland's Architectural Assistant.
After graduating from the University of Portsmouth with an Architecture degree, Amber completed a year’s placement at a design and build company. Amber’s interest in sustainable design introduced her to the Hawkland team in early 2022. She has since worked on a diverse portfolio of work.
Amber’s role as an architectural assistant is dynamic and varies from week to week. A typical Monday is spent in the office, organising tasks and catching up on important project developments. During remote workdays, her focus shifts to editing CAD drawings, conducting takeoffs, drawing up comprehensive feasibility studies, and occasionally creating social media content. Beyond her desk, Amber might venture on-site, collaborating with subcontractors and conducting surveys with Ben.
Amber is currently immersed in two exciting projects. The first, a loft conversion based in Bath, requires frequent detail drawings as and when they are needed. The second is an early-stage private domestic retrofit project, featuring a comprehensive redesign. For this project, Amber is responsible for a significant amount of operational work, including collaborative decision-making with clients on finishes and electrical layouts. Amber also negotiates quotes with subcontractors and refines detail designs to ensure project success.
After nearly two years at Hawkland, Amber has achieved a lot. One standout highlight was a hemp workshop where the team delved into mixing hemp and lime into an insulation layer. As for specific projects, she is excited to be a part of the private retrofit in East Harptree, and has contributed to an early-stage endeavour focused on a commercial office redesign. She enjoys collaborating with people from diverse backgrounds and learning from their unique and varied levels of expertise, saying that “you can learn so much just by being around different conversations, it’s really interesting.”
Amber now calls Bedminster home, has travelled to Mexico and makes pottery in her spare time. She loves listening to live music and trying different cafes and restaurants around Bristol; her current favourite is Emmeline in Spike Island. Beyond Hawkland, Amber would like to apply for an Architecture MA while continuing to work for Hawkland part-time. She says, “I want to learn more about the details and processes that go on on-site - that’s something I don’t yet know a lot about.“
Learn more about our multidisciplinary design team here