Building on this foundation of design, business and real estate knowledge, she is an industry expert and encourages others to join her in taking charge of the future of our cities—”the centers of innovation, culture and learning.”

She believes technological disruption is here, it is our present, and with strong networks among professionals there is a greater opportunity for knowledge sharing and advancement. Technological advancement will help to resolve present challenges and change the way we build and live.

As the founder of WIRES (Women in Real Estate Spain), Panadero encourages her counterparts to work toward the shared objective of greater corporate social responsibility and inclusion within the built environment industry.

Could you please tell us a bit about your background?

I am an architect and director of Business Development at DCN, where I lead the company’s real estate development. In addition, I also run IE Business School’s Master in Real Estate.

I have a lengthy track record working at companies such as CBRE—in strategic consulting, repositioning of assets and management of large accounts—as well as at Estudio Lamela, where I’m the project drafting technician and work in international business development.

This involvement across different areas of a highly professional sector has given me significant “added value”, because having been a technician, sales person and consultant has allowed me to reach my present “expert” status giving me solid foundations to build on.

You began your career in architecture, transitioning to real estate development later. What are the key skills your background in architecture has given you?

The skill set that has helped me has included:

• A global vision and understanding of complex problems (that’s what my background in architecture gave me)
• Perseverance and a desire to learn from colleagues in different fields (architects know they can never stop learning)
• Knowing how to create value in the real estate environment. And understanding that buildings are the base on which everything else (the financial, legal and management part) pivots.
• Reading, investigating, chatting with experts… with a single purpose: to keep up with new techniques and innovations, always keeping an eye on trends that give us clues as to where the
  future of our sector is going.

Has your background in the real estate sector changed your view on architectural studies? Do you think that there is a knowledge gap in the way architecture is taught?

For me, architects can develop into leaders in the real estate market, but must be trained in areas that complement their technical background, particularly the need to understand the fundamental strategic, financial, legal and management aspects of the real estate environment, as well as the agents, tools and techniques involved.

The real estate market is based on property assets and how they are valued in the market and the built environment. Understanding the relationship between them is a significant part of this profession. This requires developing the following skills:

• An understanding of the principles of urban economies and the capital markets that invest in the real estate sector, as well as understanding how cities work, along with knowledge of the tools and financing processes in the built environment.
• The strategic management of real estate operations.
• The relationship of the real estate sector with the urban environment in which it develops, identifying synergies between both.
• The disruption of new technologies and sustainability: we live in the digital era.

What are your thoughts on digitization in the real estate industry? Will Proptech disrupt the real estate business?

Yes, the world is changing and it is time for real estate to stop being a mere spectator. We have to start leading this transformation. Proptech is no longer the future of our sector, but the present. The disruption caused by new technologies and how they affect the property sector are basic concepts that professionals in the sector must master or at least know that they exist and how they affect us. We live in the digital age: not being digital is no longer an option.

“Proptech is no longer the future of our sector, but the present.”

Buildings are already being built with digital twins that help us to control all the parameters that affect the design, construction and subsequent behavior and management from the same scorecard, and that is something we should know how to take advantage of.

You are the president and founder of WIRES, the association of Women in Real Estate in Spain. Could you tell us more about your work in the organization and your goals for the future?

Wires was born four years ago and the results were very positive over that time. When the founding members created the association we had the idea of becoming a reference point for the many women working in the real estate sector. We had two main goals: to help women build networks based on trust; and to give greater visibility to women in the Spanish real estate sector by increasing awareness of the excellent work they have been doing for some time now.

Today, we have more than 220 members! We receive proactive requests every month from more and more female managers who want to be part of Wires; at this point, we have formed a group of talented professionals contributing ideas and working together on common objectives.

We want to give great value to our members through training and events. It is time to give something back to our members. For their efforts through specialized training, career plans or specific orientation. We are also strengthening the relationship between us through themed dinners and meetings oriented toward issues that affect all our members.

Another important area I am working on now is to give more importance to corporate social responsibility: at WIRES we believe that now we have a representative place in the sector, we must direct a part of our efforts to the social good and we want to act in two areas.

A mentoring program to provide support and guide young women through their careers to better achieve their professional goals. Women’s CSR, a once a year event with WIRES donating a percentage of our quotas to an NGO chosen by all the members. We believe that both initiatives will be a milestone in the work of the association and we are very proud of both projects.

Do you have any advice for Archipreneurs interested in a career in real estate development?

My best advice? Hard work, continuous training and a desire to learn. After that comes everything else. In this world there are no shortcuts in what is an increasingly professionalized sector.

Our responsibility as professionals in the sector is to master the following principles:

• The urban economies of cities, the relationship between built heritage and the urban environment in which it is developed, and identify synergies between both.
• The capital markets that invest in the real estate sector.
• The tools and processes of financing in the built environment.
• The strategic management of property development and custody of the built environment.
• Understanding the drivers that move the world now: new technologies and global sustainability.

My second piece of advice would be: have the courage to face challenges and embrace innovation.

What are your thoughts on the future of architecture and the built environment? How can it improve, and where are the best opportunities?

Without a doubt: cities. Cities are centers of innovation, culture and learning. The real estate world and especially the promoter arm are the main catalysts for growth. In addition,  for social development in cities, bringing people and companies together and creating communities.

“We live in the digital age: not being digital is no longer an option.”

Population transfer to the cities is happening at an unprecedented speed and scale. The majority of the world’s population now lives in urban centers and the numbers are growing. This translates into an increasingly important role for responsible property development.

Technology is also evolving and will provide new opportunities to effectively address emerging challenges. Investment environments are now global and increasingly complex; The new governance models will affect the way we build, manage and live in cities to create more competitive and democratic territories. —

The post Real Estate in the Digital Age: An Industry in Transition appeared first on Archipreneur.

The coworking trend first appeared in English-speaking countries a few years before reaching Germany. The paper identifies the 1995 Berlin-based programming community named C-base as the precursor of coworking in the country. The sector grew significantly over the following years due to the reduction in available space and rise in rental prices across most of the German real estate market.

The paper identifies three main models of coworking: coworking spaces in the narrow sense, hybrid model which describes a mix of private offices and open spaces, and business centers where fitted-out office spaces are rented out as private offices for short or longer terms, and provide other optional services and infrastructure. Advantages of coworking spaces include the focus on creating an interactive social environment. In practice, there is a trend for large, flexible workspace operators to move to a hybrid model. This combines elements of business centers (i.e. flexible leasing of small private offices) and elements of coworking spaces (i.e. open space, trend towards contemporary design, communal areas and collaboration).

There are several trends driving coworking. Technological advances enable people to work from anywhere. The rise of the start-up culture and digital nomads has also impacted the way we work. Digital start-ups in particular who benefit from low marginal cost and high scalability of their businesses benefit from the advantages of coworking spaces. Another important driver is the proliferation of the sharing economy, with coworking as one of its elements.

According to the recent study “Start-up-Unternehmen in Deutschland” (Start-up Companies in Germany) published by PwC, Hamburg is seen as a location expected to offer a highly attractive environment for new companies and significant potential demand for coworking space. In contrast to the current trend in respect of new company formations, office space take-up by startups as a core target group in the coworking segment has increased significantly here over the past few years, reaching its high point in 2014 with up to 40,000 sqm.

This study researched and classified flexible workspaces and analyzed further information relating to size and pricing models in Hamburg as at the end of August 2017. It considers the following types of operator: coworking space in its narrow sense (including selected office communities), business centers and hybrid model providers as described above. The latter category has been allocated to the business center or coworking segments depending on their positioning. According to the study, once all currently planned centers have opened, there will be around 9,800 workstations in flexible workspaces available in Hamburg.

The total number of workspaces (including planned locations) offered by flexible workspace operators equates to around 118,000 sqm of office space. This is less than 1% of the total office stock or a quarter of the average annual office space take-up, and around 3% in the city center. While coworking might currently account for a small percentage of offered office spaces, it has a high growth rate and attracts a lot of attention.

There is a great variation in prices for workstations in flexible workspaces. Asking prices in business centers range from €250 to just under €1,000/space p.m. In the coworking segment, asking prices range from €50/space p.m. to just under €400/ space p.m. The average (median) price in a hybrid centers is between €290/space p.m. for a coworking space in open-plan premises and €480/space p.m. for a private office. There are individual discounts for longer-term coworking memberships and in business centers. The wide range of prices is because the service is aimed at different target groups. Operators providing coworking space in its narrow sense often have lower costs and attract almost exclusively small companies. Operators of hybrid centers and business centers are aimed also at large companies.

Comparing the benefits of leasing self-contained office spaces vs. taking membership of a coworking space, a self-contained office lease contract generally means there are costs in setting up the contract in terms of legal advice, which are not required in the case of a membership of coworking space. In the case of a self-contained office, there are initial costs for equipment, tenant fit-out and more comprehensive office technology. This expense must be paid up-front or financed and is in some cases lost, as is the case with tenant fit-out at lease termination. Financing costs are not taken into account. There are also the refurbishment works. Furniture remains the property of the tenant upon lease expiry and is a more important consideration in the case of long-term letting decisions.

The total pre-contract costs for a self-contained office are significantly higher than for coworking space (around €60,000 compared to €14,000). But the monthly cost for the membership of the coworking space is around €1,300 higher. This is hardly surprising, as this is an inclusive fee and the coworking center operator’s costs must be remunerated through the monthly income. Looking at costs over a term of three years, both working models come to an almost identical cost of around €187,000. Over a period of just one year, the cost for a self-contained office is €102,000 and for a coworking space it is €72,000. Over a five-year period, the costs for a coworking space (€302,000) exceed the self-contained office (€271,000) by 11%.

The coworking trend continues to grow. The company rent24 is opening a combined coworking and coliving project in Eiffestrasse in 2018. WeWork has already rolled out the WeLive concept in the USA and is active in the leisure segment with WeWork Wellness. The study concludes with the expectation that the coworking boom is likely to continue, as people continue to pursue more flexible lifestyles and work conditions.

The post JLL Study: Coworking is More than Hype appeared first on Archipreneur.

For decades, the real estate community has perceived architects as “artistic” types who design well but can’t crunch the numbers. This stereotype has become somewhat rooted in reality because of the flawed education system lacking in business instruction. Thankfully, over the last decade, there have been studios and individuals who proved that the transition in real estate development from working strictly in design to having more creative and business control is a viable option. Compared to other archipreneurial business models, architects pursuing real estate development is one the riskiest endeavours because of the cut-throat nature of the industry and the difficulty of getting a in the door. Nevertheless, it is possibly the most rewarding path.

Even should you feel that you lack business skills, background in architecture can give a competitive edge because you understand the process of building. For instance, many project managers in smaller architecture firms perform various roles such as recognizing potential locations that real estate developers might miss and spending a lot of time honing presentation skills. Additionally, over time, most working architects gain experience in specific typologies or areas in the AEC industry. This familiarity coupled with the ability to gradually add real estate development to their portfolio allows these architects to become design-builders.

In deciding to make this shift, your first project will depend on several circumstances including whether you already have a day job and want a low-risk scenario or if you’re completely dedicated in time and resources to pivoting towards real estate. Alternatively, you could take relevant courses, earn a MBA or real estate development degree, reach out to experienced peers for advice or mentorship, and look into work opportunities to learn and build competency under knowledgeable people or real estate developers.

Different Approaches to Become an Architect as Developer

For more specific scenarios, the following are proven paths on which to transition from architecture to real estate and become an architect as developer:

Build Your Own House

According to the acclaimed architect-developer Jonathan Segal, building your own house is the No. 1 recommended course for architects who want to start developing their own projects. You are able to cut design costs, learn about the different aspects of real estate, build a network of collaborators, and perhaps create a blog documenting the entire process in order to reach out to potential clients and other interested parties. As such, the completed project can be an excellent marketing asset and turn you from a DIY builder into a design-build expert just like Zeke Freeman, principal architect at Root Architecture + Development.

Renovate Existing Buildings

Once you’ve found and bought the right property to renovate, you need to arrange financing. To avoid overinvesting and overcomplicating the design of a first development project, you can take out a mortgage or a bank loan; release equity from your own property to re-invest in the new; or sell, rent out, or remortgage the renovated property. If this seems like a plausible path for you, a inspiring example of an architect who got into real estate development through renovation projects is Cary Tamarkin. He purchased and renovated 140 Perry Street in New York’s West Village at the tail end of a recession, a beginning success that led to his firm being one of the leading design-builds in the United States.

Build Co-Housing Communities

To learn on site and avoid assuming all the risks of development, residents and architects are able to have more control over project development by building co-housing. The two most common models of this are co-operatives and condominiums. These differ in terms of ownership, financing, and the architect’s level of involvement. By teaming up with communities, architects can share financial risks, receive part of the profit, and get their project off the ground. For more on personal experiences with co-housing, check out our interview with Berlin-based architect-developer Matthew Griffin.

Crowdfund Your First Project

By generating public excitement about your project from its origins to its completion, you can use several models of crowdfunding, a route specific to the online world. These can be small, innovative prefab structures, projects on locations of great public interest, etc. You can choose to use the donation-, reward-, pre-sales-, lending- or investment-based crowdfunding options, as well as choose between different types of campaigns to mitigate financial risks. If you’re looking to learn more on this topic, here is comprehensive list of all the crowdfunding models architects can use to finance their first development projects.

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What are your experiences with getting a project of the ground? Please share your experiences in the comments below or join The Archipreneur Community to meet your fellow Archipreneurs.

The post 4 Ways to Become an Architect as Developer appeared first on Archipreneur.

The property sector is a huge industry experiencing a new trend through the proliferation of digital technologies. Traditional bricks-and-mortar businesses are facing strong competition from startups working at the intersection between real estate development and technology. This new situation has blurred the line between the online and the offline world, making every company a tech company while tech companies are becoming property companies and landlords.

This recent technological innovation within the real estate industry, dubbed “PropTech”, has introduced real estate crowdfunding, electronic processes that increase efficiency and promote a rapid operation of workflow tasks, and it replaced cumbersome areas like customer support telephone lines of building management.

Several real estate accelerators have been created in recent years, targeting seed-stage real estate startups, providing support and resources to companies based on their industry-specific needs. This is a great opportunity for archipreneurs developing their own projects and working on products for the AEC industry.

1# Fifth Wall

Venture capital firm Fifth Wall invests in construction and real estate-focused startups and innovators. Headquartered in Venice, California, the company is backed by large real estate companies and construction firms and has created an accelerator program as an early-stage investment vehicle. The program aims to help entrepreneurs test out and develop their ideas, but it also connects them with investors and the industry’s key decision-makers.

Fifth Wall has already invested $60 million in businesses of different kinds, including Opendoor (home-selling platform), and storage provider Clutter. A large portion of Fifth Wall’s investments come from VC funds.

2# AREA

Chaired by Daniel Rose, serial entrepreneur who developed Pentagon City in Washington D.C., One Financial Center in Boston, and several notable buildings in New York, AREA is one of the world’s leading real estate tech accelerators. They have already selected six startups to participate in their incubator program.

These include Tobly (construction equipment rental community marketplace), Zoner (digital zoning ordinance optimization software), Founder House (co-living community and network for innovators in the New York City area), Spacio (lead-management app for residential brokers), Urbanr (residential listing platform), and AtlasX (platform that streamlines commercial real estate acquisitions).

3# Brigade REAP

Startup accelerator program Brigade REAP (Real Estate Accelerator Program) was set up with a view to identify and nurture startups from India with a focus on technology that will help the Industry while helping startups scale in a sustainable manner. It focuses on young companies in areas relevant to real estate, retail and hospitality.

The first batch of startups that already received funding are: AirZaar (company that uses drone sensor data & aerial images), PParke (parking sensor based technology platform), Qwikspec (construction management software with a mobile-based platform), and Snaptrude (automated CAD application and solutions for real estate).

4# Pi Labs

Pi Labs (Property Innovation Labs) is Europe’s first property-innovation focused accelerator that helps incubate and accelerate tech-enabled property startups. Entrepreneurs Faisal Butt and Umesh Kumar founded it in 2014, in partnership with global real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield and property venture capitalists, Spire Ventures.

In 2017 they kick off the fifth program of the Pi Labs Accelerator, with four new companies joining for a 13-week intensive mentor-led programs that will help accelerate their growth.

5# MetaProp NYC

MetaProp NYC accepts applications from startups working in multifamily, development, commercial, hospitality, industrial, and residential. The 22-week program provides up to $250,000 in financing, along with an office space in the heart of NYC’s real estate/technology startup community. They provide a minimum $50,000 investment, plus potential to invest additional $200,000, with 3-6% equity taken depending on company stage.

MetaProp NYC also pairs startups with C-level mentors from MetaProp’s RE200 industry mentor network covering each of the 10 major real estate disciplines: finance, basement tech, brokerage and consumer, development and construction, data and analytics, and special uses.

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These 5 accelerators are paving the way to new ways of thinking about urban living. They are helping AEC professionals and tech innovators bridge the gap between the built environment and technology, and bring the profession one step closer to breaking the mold.

The post Top 5 Real Estate Accelerators Rethinking Urban Living appeared first on Archipreneur.

This week’s interview is with London based developer Gus Zogolovitch, founder of several companies in property development and beyond.

Gus started on his entrepreneurial career path after discovering a gap in the market – project management for refurbishment projects – and building a business offering those services. He ran this venture for a couple of years before joining his architect father, Roger Zogolovitch, to set up Solidspace, which aims to deliver design-led boutique, new-build projects on forgotten inner-city gap sites. (Read the interview with Roger Zogolovitch here)

Gus then started his own venture, Inhabit Homes, London’s first custom-build enabler, which helps people to build their own homes and also sells some of the most desirable new-builds in London. During my interview with Gus, I learned that he had founded two additional companies and that they all interact in the process of building homes.

Continue reading to learn from a self-trained independent developer and to discover his take on the role of architecture today.

Enjoy the interview!

Could you tell us a little about your background? How did you start your career?

I was born and brought up in London, but I had travelled a lot both before and after I went to university. I also lived abroad during my studies.

I started my career in the City of London in investment banking, more by accident than by design. Basically, I had been living with a friend of mine who had to get up really early every day. He got really upset that I could sleep in every day so he got me a job in the City, so that I’d have to wake up early too!

I joined CS First Boston as an intern, working for a guy who later went to work at Goldman Sachs and took me with him. So in answer to your question how did I start my career, it was basically luck. At university, I studied mathematics and philosophy, so I had a good general knowledge but no specific knowledge.

And how did you get into property development?

I left Goldman Sachs and traveled around the world for two years. I did various things, even worked in Australia for a bit. When I came back to London I decided to try and get my house refurbished. I had a very bad experience trying to get builders. Since I didn’t have a job I decided to do it myself and take on the role of ‘project manager’.

It was a disaster! I employed some builders who then walked out on the job halfway through and so I then had to find some other builders who would finish what had been started.

But I realized that that was quite an interesting opportunity. I thought that maybe I could help other people who needed management for the refurbishment of their homes. The idea sounded much more appealing than a nine-to-five.

Seeing that gap in the market I set up my first company. My idea was, rather than paying a fixed price for a refurbishment job, why not pay the price of what it’s going to cost for each day of work and then pay a fee for my services in managing builders and making sure they’re doing what they should be doing. If it takes fewer days than scheduled, the client will save money. If it takes as much time as is scheduled, the client will not save money but can be assured the builders have turned up and completed the work.

I tried running that business for a couple of years. In the meantime, my father had been working on a residential development. I came in at the end to help him with some bits and pieces. And then he wanted me to help him with his website and stuff like that. So I did, and from then on I started doing more for his business. My refurbishment business started to decrease in size and so I ended up working full time for my father.

After a couple of years, we decided to become partners. We looked around, found some sites, bought them and developed them. One of these sites ended up being my house!

Did your experience from your work at Goldman Sachs help you to work with property development?

I suppose it gives you a head for numbers. That was very helpful because I think there are a lot of people in property development who can’t quite get their head around the numbers. They’ve probably been lucky because the markets did go up but they don’t always go up. For that reason, understanding the numbers and the finance is quite handy.

What is your role at Solidspace?

Today I’m just a director. I don’t have any active management in Solidspace. I am just there for board meetings.

That explains why you have time to work for your current company, Inhabit Homes. What is your business model for Inhabit Homes?

It has a few business streams. But the core of the business model is to build high quality, design led homes that are more affordable than some of the homes we built when I was working for Solidspace.

We built some lovely homes at Solidspace, but the reality is they are a premium product. That is almost inevitable as my experience is that good design costs more money. Whatever architects tell you, it is hard to avoid that. So what we do is build watertight structural shells that the owner can then fit out themself.

There are a couple of benefits to this:

First, it is cheaper for customers to fit out than it is for us because we have to include all the management costs, interest costs and the developer profit.

Second, they can choose what they want and how they want it. Rather than having us choose the colours and tiles for their kitchen they want, they can do it themselves. They can spend as much or as little time as they want.

Third, the owner has flexibility in the layout. If you sell someone a 1,000-square foot, they can decide for themselves whether they want three small bedrooms or two large bedrooms.

From our perspective, the benefit is that we get out of the project quicker and can move on to the next project. It also means we don’t have to deal with all the snags in a project that take up a lot of management time when doing a fit out.

At Inhabit Homes, do you employ architects or is architecture a commodity into which you buy?

We don’t employ architects within our company; we outsource the architecture. We do that at Solidspace as well. We like to bring in architects to do the job well and keep everything fresh and the design good. I also think it gives architects an opportunity to do interesting work. I’m a big believer in partnerships. I think of my partnership with an architect as similar to that of a movie director and movie producer. I am the producer and the architect is the director.

How do you carry out market research, and how do you find locations for your projects?

Land is very difficult to get in London so you can’t be that fussy. It’s generally gut instinct but it’s also massively influenced by the price of the land, our financial resources and where our customer base is. We have quite a lot of information on our customers and where they want to be, and we get a good sense of the kind of customer that likes our product. So obviously we try to build in those places.

At the moment, we tend to look in London but we’re also thinking about places outside London for the near future. For now, we’re busy trying to get our first projects off the ground in London.

Do Solidspace and Inhabit Homes ever interact?

Solidspace and Inhabit do quite a lot of work together. For example, Solidspace is building a very nice development not far away from Inhabit Homes’ office near London Bridge. Inhabit Homes is doing the marketing and sales for Solidspace. We are acting as their sales agency on that project because I think we have a very personal relationship with customers. When it comes to nicely designed products, people say, “I don’t want just a basic estate agent to sell it like they would sell any other products. They’ve got to be someone who knows what they’re talking about, someone who understands design and architecture.”

We’re collaborating with Solidspace but also with other clients. Right now, we are working on a project that was just launched in Holland Park, London, by Peter Salter. We are doing marketing and sales for that too.

Our core activity has been in acting as custom build developers, although I’m very interested to see whether or not we can bring Baugruppen (co-housing projects) to London.

Co-housing doesn’t yet exist in London?

No. The financing isn’t really there. Well, they do exist in some slightly strange forms but there are certainly very few of them and they certainly do not have any commercial perspective.

I found yet another company with your name on it: Crowdestates. When did you establish it and what was your goal for this business?

I’m involved with a couple of companies outside traditional property development. Crowdestates is a peer-to-peer lender, a little like crowdfunding for development finance. Small developers need access to finance and what they can borrow at the bank is quite expensive, up to 9% interest a year. The idea behind Crowdestates is to lend money collectively to small property developers at a lower interest rate than the bank.

And is Crowdestates also interacting with Inhabit Homes?

We’re still going through the regulatory authorisation process with Crowdestates. But yes, that is the intention. One of my grander visions is to create a company that does everything from beginning to end.

Another company of mine is called Patch Partners, which sources land opportunities. We train and support people to find development sites, to find old buildings that can be refurbished, or to discover a piece of ground on which to build houses. They go out and find these things themselves and we connect them with developers or investors to get the project up and going.

The vision is to work vertically, Sourcing opportunities through Patch Partners, financing them through Crowdestates, building and selling by Inhabit Homes.

I see! When I was doing my research and found all these companies you own, it made me wonder if you have more days in the week than the average person…

The companies are all connected. A lot of people say, “Don’t work for more than one company.” But I think, why not?

The market is different from how it was when you first started. How would you advise a fresh architecture graduate today on getting his first project off the ground? Any tips on how to manage it?

I think we’re living in amazing times. If you look at the costs of housing and land, they’re ridiculously high. But on the flipside, the costs of connecting and transparency are very low. For that reason, I think there’s never been a better time to create things like Baugruppen (co-housing projects) where communities can come together to buy developments.

I think that we’re going to see more and more of that because why should big companies be the ones buying the land?

Why not get ten of your friends and buy a bit of land together? Through the power of digital technology, you have the power to bring strangers together.

You don’t have to rely on your own networks. It has become much easier to network and to do radical things.

In a way, the barrier to entry into the market is higher because you need more money to buy land. But arguably the ability to find experts is much easier and comes at a lower cost. In the past, what were you going to do? How would you have found an air quality assessor? Now all you need to do is google them, right? In the past, it was a really painful process.

It is all about connectivity and ensuring that you think big when connecting with others.

You have worked a lot with architects. What do you think would help their profession?

I never trained as an architect. But what I see is that there are quite a lot of architects who are very impractical in terms of actually knowing how buildings are put together. Architecture is not just about the design process but also really understanding how a building is structured, for example, knowing what heavy rain or wind would do to it. That’s why I love it when I see architects who have built their own homes and have actually gone through the building process at least once.

Do you have any advice for archipreneurs who are interested in starting their own business?

Don’t be afraid. The key is to realise that there are always going to be risks and there will always be reasons to say no. But you have got to step into the unknown and try it or nothing will change.

Also, believe in yourself and be nimble. Read a lot, speak to a lot of people, and develop your network. There’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t succeed. This goes back to my earlier point. We live in a world where 24-year-olds can be billionaires. With the digital world, you don’t need to have been around for 60 years before you launch your first invention. You can just get on and do it. No one is stopping you.

How do you see the future of the architectural profession? In which areas (outside of traditional practice) can you see major opportunities for up and coming architects and developers?

I think architects should think of themselves as collaborators rather than as passively waiting for commissions.

They need to think about their role in the process. They’ve got to go out and find opportunities, and get developers to partner with them and say, “Okay, how can we do this together?”

It’s a bit like my director and producer analogy. When a movie is at the beginning of development, producers, directors and writers will sometimes pitch to the studio together. It’s about building a team around an idea, and that doesn’t always have to come from one side. It can come from the architect who has recognized their role in the process.

I think architects will always be needed because they add a great deal of value, especially in terms of the products. But I think that these days, even if you’re in a practice,

you should be thinking about how you can be entrepreneurial and how you can do things differently.

About Gus Zogolovitch

Gus started his career at Goldman Sachs in London where he was an equity analyst before he set up his first property specialising in residential projects. He ran this venture for a couple of years alone before he joined his architect father, Roger, and set up Solidspace with the aim to deliver design-led boutique new-build projects on forgotten inner city gap sites. He pioneered the Solidspace split-level model by building his own house in north west London where he still lives today.

Gus has most recently started his own venture, Inhabit Homes, which acts as London’s first custom-build enabler, helping people build their own Grand Designs while also selling some of the most desirable new-builds in London. 

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