William Gains - Architecture, Electric Car Charging Stations and being featured on the Big Screen.

Architecture careers rarely move in a perfect straight line. The useful parts often come from unusual projects, side opportunities and being able to explain what each experience taught you.

Stephen Drew speaks with William Gains about architecture career routes, part-time study, work experience, architectural apprenticeships, Bowman Riley, electric car charging projects, Shell advertising, sustainable infrastructure and career confidence.

The conversation covers:

• How part-time study and work experience can shape a career route
• Why unusual project experience can still be useful career evidence
• What sustainable infrastructure and EV charging mean for architecture work
• How to talk about public-facing or non-standard experience on a CV
• Why apprenticeships and alternative routes matter in architecture

Read the episode on Architecture Social: William Gains on Architecture Career Paths

Watch the video on YouTube: William Gains on architecture, EV charging and the big screen

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Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
• 00:32 Black Friday Shopping and TV Appearance
• 01:12 Journey into Architecture
• 02:54 Challenges and Early Career
• 04:44 Part-Time Studies and Work Experience
• 08:22 Finding a Job in Architecture
• 15:20 Working at Bowman Riley
• 19:28 Electric Car Charging Projects
• 20:52 Shell Advert Experience
• 22:17 Receiving the Call for the EV Charge Hub Project
• 23:11 Reactions to the TV Appearance
• 23:47 The Importance of Sustainable Solutions
• 25:16 Experiencing the Filming Process
• 27:18 Reflecting on Past Projects
• 29:23 Architectural Apprenticeship Journey
• 32:44 Future of Sustainable Architecture
• 35:08 Concluding Thoughts and Future Prospects

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• (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome
• (00:30) - Black Friday Shopping and TV Appearance
• (01:12) - Journey into Architecture
• (02:54) - Challenges and Early Career
• (04:44) - Part-Time Studies and Work Experience
• (06:27) - Architectural Apprenticeships and Career Advice
• (08:45) - Job Search and Early Employment
• (15:20) - Working at Bowman Riley
• (19:28) - Electric Car Charging Projects
• (20:52) - Shell Advert and Personal Reflections
• (22:17) - Receiving the Call for the EV Charge Hub Project
• (23:11) - Reactions to the TV Appearance
• (24:02) - The Importance of Sustainable Solutions
• (25:16) - Behind the Scenes of Filming
• (27:18) - The Bird Box Story
• (29:23) - Architectural Apprenticeship Journey
• (32:44) - Future of Sustainable Architecture
• (35:08) - Concluding Thoughts and Future Prospects