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

0038 - William Gains - Architecture, Electric Car Charging Stations and being featured on the Big Screen.
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Stephen Drew: [00:00:00] Good afternoon, everyone. I am Stephen Drew from the architecture social and head of architecture at McDonald company. And I am joined by William Gaines here, who is an architectural assistant and someone that my mom has probably seen on TV while she's watching from the street.

William Gains: William, how are you? I'm very good.

Thank you. Yeah. Nice to meet you.

Stephen Drew: Yeah. We're here. We're here digitally. And you made time to see me on Black Friday. So first question, first important question. Have you bought anything in the sales yet?

William Gains: Not today, but I did actually buy a pair of wellies the other day because of wellies.

Stephen Drew: It is the season to be having wellies, but yeah,

William Gains: they're working from home in the country.

I think it was like a necessary purchase

Stephen Drew: fair enough. For anyone that hasn't seen you yet, just to put it in context, the reason I said that my mom has probably seen you while watching correlation street is [00:01:00] that lately you were in an advert, isn't it? And we'll jump to that a bit later, but just so anyone knows your background, you are an architectural assistant.

Is that correct? Yeah. Awesome. Yeah. Awesome. And so do you want to let everyone know a little bit about when you started studying architecture and your transition to architectural

William Gains: practice? So just turned 26 and I, yeah, started thinking about wanting to be an architect probably in 2010 at school.

And I think it was an interesting time because speaking to people when you. choosing a career and everything like that. I at the time didn't have maths or art. So I don't know whether it's a thing that other people have experienced, but I was told that I probably wouldn't be able to get into architecture.

Stephen Drew: Me too. It's same thing. Same thing. I did geography, not maths, and the career advisor said, no chance.

William Gains: So I, maybe that's just an old school kind of train of thought, but I [00:02:00] think it's probably changing. But at the time I was like, Ooh that's a shame. Cause It's something I'm really interested in would like to go down that avenue.

So I set to about looking at maybe different routes into it and did a bit of work experience with some local architects. I say local. To me, which will have been Skipton in North Yorkshire. I don't know if do you

Stephen Drew: know that? I've been to Yorkshire. I've not particularly been to, what was it?

Skipton.

William Gains: Skipton. I think it's known as the gateway of the Yorkshire Dales. So that's where the journey started for me, really. Yeah, and managed to get a couple of weeks work experience with a local architect there. And as I say that went really well and enjoyed my time there.

It cemented this idea of, yes, it's a career I'd like to pursue. And then I just had to sort out my A level choices and the route into it. I say it's a bit of a rocky start because I didn't, I did well in my AS [00:03:00] levels which kind of got me places at half decent universities. But then didn't do too well in my a twos

Which kind of put a kibosh in those plans. So then it was back to the drawing board. And I think it was my parents at the time, they noticed that the same firm that I'd done some work experience at they were looking for an architectural technician actually at the time to do a part-time course.

That Leeds met at the time, I think it's now Leeds Beckett. It is Leeds Beckett. Yeah. Yeah, so it's like a part time five year integrated course with them. And obviously I had my heart set on architecture rather than architectural technology. So I went back to them and said, One could have a bit more work experience in the year of finishing school.

And two, at the end of that, we that went really well and we posed the question like, or I think I posed the question, I said, This, the same [00:04:00] university do a part time course for the architectural course as well. I don't think anyone ever did it because it's like making the longest course even longer at the time.

Yeah, so I set to on a six year voyage to get my undergrad which was. Yeah, a lot. A bit of an experience. I think there was only two of us on that part time course surrounded by 60 odd full timers, which, it was really, it was really good fun, but yeah, I think anyone who studies part time probably knows just the difficulty of that work life and university life balance.

Stephen Drew: It's interesting because I did it for, I did it full time and I spoke to one or two people recently because you've got these new architectural apprentices courses coming and I do think it's like you said, it's a complete trade off because on one hand, you're doing it part time. [00:05:00] It's a, it's a. The course is at a slower pace, but I assumed, did you cause I can see that you work at Bowman Reilly.

Did you decide to work in an architectural practice while working part time on the course? So how did you go about it? Yes.

William Gains: So this was at a time before the architectural apprenticeships were a thing. And they the firm that I work for, they basically said, look, we really like you and we've never done this kind of before with an architect rather than a technologist.

But we would like to offer you the same. Support and that we do for them in terms of will pay you a bit of a salary. It wasn't a huge one to somebody who's just left school on a part time course. But it was, at the time to an 18 year old, it was, Yeah, and then, yeah, they just they've sponsored me all the way through and I've actually as of last year, signed up to the architectural apprenticeship that came through down in London.

So yeah, I had a bit of [00:06:00] relocation after that.

Stephen Drew: Amazing. It's going to be, you're going to bring your wellies, you're going to take your wellies back to London now, isn't it? I don't need any,

William Gains: no use for them there. It's all concrete jungle, isn't it?

Stephen Drew: It's true. They can be handy now. And then I can remember once I had some suede shoes and then the moment it started raining, they were ruined.

So your wellness will come, they will come in use. But that's really interesting. So good on you, actually. And I feel. That there are definite advantages to the apprentice scheme and working part time as in what I would argue is that all that experience that you've got now, actually, we touched upon it briefly before as chatting, but you have seven years in industry effectively.

And I still believe that. Okay. While you're not working full time in an architectural practice I put, my belief is that you are still there every week. You're still soaking it up and compared to your counterparts, which are working full time, in an architectural in a university course you're in the practice, so that will help.[00:07:00]

Cause I had one or two friends while I was studying who were working part time in an architectural practice. And compared to me, which was like pie in the sky ideas and stuff, I felt like their approach was a little bit more grounded. Whereas maybe mine was a bit more, how do I say, naive. I had one friend that I would.

I always tease me and be like, Steve, how is that going to stand up? And I was like, Ryan, you're just going to let me try it. You're going to let me go for it. But he's worry

William Gains: about that later. That's a problem for tomorrow. Yeah, no, I definitely agree. I think it, it gave me that balance between the real world and also.

letting you kind of creativity flow at university. I think there's times where I was at work doing toilet layouts for Morrison's refits and then going to university and designing pneumatic analog banks that run off the London tube network and things like that. Was a nice, it was nice to have that kind of escape once a day.

And then one, you you take some learnings from university and you bring it back to the office. And then you [00:08:00] take some learnings from the office and you bring it into uni. It's all your professional studies modules and your tech modules were always just like high marks because it was everyone in the office to bounce off.

Stephen Drew: Yeah. You are, you, I guess you were that guy that got bombarded. I would have totally bombarded you with questions on detailing because that would have been handy. It's really interesting though. Cause, you mentioned briefly, you talked about the practice when they met you, they were really in, they were like, we like you, we're going to try and work out this part time thing.

What was quite interesting, I was speaking to a member of our community as well on the architecture social called Emily Foster. And when she was applying for it to be an architectural apprentice, you almost had to teach the architectural practice a little bit, how to go about it. Cause As you said, they're not familiar, but when I was looking for a part one position, it was the 2009 recession.

So I actually had to spend a lot of time and I sent a lot of CVs all the way [00:09:00] around London. I think I sent something, gosh, God knows, but I think it was between. 700, 800, 900 CVs would be really, I'd be really interested to know how you went about your search at the time looking for a job because you're in Skipton and I can see for LinkedIn, Bowman Riley is in Skipton, right?

So it was not too far away then, I

William Gains: guess. No, exactly. So I it was the local firm and I was quite fortunate in that they, I say local that they are nationwide. They've got three offices Skipton. Leeds and London now. So it was kind of, it seems like the perfect fit because they were a local firm and had that family feel, but also have had the the kind of opportunities.

within the company to, to go into all different sectors and stuff. So you asked the question, how is my job application and that process? And I think, I've been quite fortunate because I entered [00:10:00] in when I was straight out of school, so I never, I've never had to go through this the absolute washing machine that some people have to go through for interview processes and applications and yeah, hearing some stories, you just, yeah, you just some people really get put through the paces,

Stephen Drew: don't they?

It's difficult, but that's what's quite nice about the story because I always find that while you're looking, what's interesting is that in the end, I joined an architectural practice that I really was fortunate to, it was an AJ100 company, EPR Architects. They were really good for me.

And, at the time during 2009, If I felt a bit like the same, I was like, I can't believe how lucky I am. And I remember I had a part one salary of 20,000 pounds and I thought I was stinking rich. Yeah. I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed with my friends to talk, I was like, ah, don't worry about it.

I am only on yeah, a little bit of money, but back then I was like

William Gains: 20,000 pounds. Yeah. That's it. It is I think I had the same when I obviously it. I got a salary [00:11:00] straight out of school and other people, students studying kind of law or finance, just normal students. It was the tables turned.

I was, I had the money at university and now how it changes.

Stephen Drew: I know. And do you know the other thing as well? I can remember it was a really scary idea finding a job and I respected anyone in the architect when I was studying architecture, that was working full time. So I imagine there's a few people that were like, how did you get a job?

How do you do it? How do you work? Did you get all them questions of people just like, how do you do it? How are you in practice? I'm sure you must've got quite a few queries and wonderings, right?

William Gains: Yeah, definitely. I think, I can only really talk about my experience and my journey so far. It's only, I say only been seven years.

It's it's enough time to to know where you are and if you're happy with your career or not, but I think if anyone was [00:12:00] looking How to get into it. I think it's hard if if they were a bit older and my age now, but I would say to someone who is maybe 18, I'd say get in as early as you can and do maybe do the apprenticeship route because as I say, if if you're getting with the right practice, they'll support you the whole way you'll.

you'll be financially better off in terms of university fees and all of that. And you can get the best of both worlds. I say that, yeah it's probably not the best of both worlds. It's because it's not the full student experience going to work on a Monday rather than a house.

Stephen Drew: Yeah, do you think that's always, it's like you said, the grass is always greener. Cause I remember one year that my friend was in like the coolest dorms in first year and I was in like a little bit of a boring dorm and I used to stay around his all the time. And I used to be like, Oh man, I so wish I was in that dorm.

But then the funny thing is [00:13:00] then it's like that thing of. You go, you then the next year I was effectively in that dorm and you're like, Oh, okay. It's all right. As in you maybe, cause when you're a student, you crave almost what you had. I was like, I would have loved the experience you had. I would have loved the money, even that I know it's not a huge amount, but it's something, isn't it?

Because full time student, you were literally, I remember I was, my dad was supported me through university as much as he could, but. I used to work in waitrose, which is I remember at the time getting working in waitrose felt like a heck of a step up and I had to learn a lot. And at first you're like, Oh, I go speak to people, and I remember being like, I've got to remember where the milk is and everything.

This is so stressful. And. You get over it now, but actually working, I've reckoned part time while studying for me was so important because it definitely grounds you. And I do think though, for me personally, the first year where I didn't work, you have them things of, [00:14:00] and I'm going to be really honest with you here, now is that I, sometimes we'd have Tuesday's studio and Wednesday and Thursday studio. And sometimes I would just do nothing until Monday evening, like classic, terrible student in my part two, I saw it out. But for first year of the degree course and the grad. Yeah, it was just, I was, my dorm was in Camden in London and I was babe out of the woods as in I just come from Wales and I entered the big city.

Sounds like a

William Gains: recipe for success or disaster.

Stephen Drew: I was total disaster. They're in a brilliant way, but I was lucky. I scraped, I get to, I say scraped us. I got a two, one, but when you look back for the amount of it was this silly toy and I always find it funny now, cause in my part two, I did it the opposite way of, I walked.

really hard, normal hours. And I didn't do much late nights, but in my part one, I don't know whether it's that naive thing that you just, you leave everything or I did to the last minute. And [00:15:00] I've got all of them stories. I don't know if you'd be the same. I was just like trying to print late at night and printers jamming and ink running low and freaking

William Gains: out.

And definitely, I think everyone's probably well, whether it's right or wrong, but I think we've all done an all nighter. At university on deadline day, haven't we? I

Stephen Drew: think, I think it happens, but I'm quite impressed the amount of time you've worked in architectural practice, but to give them everyone an overview of bro Bowman Riley, can you let us know a little bit more?

You touched upon it briefly, maybe the sectors that you've worked on, because imagine over seven years, you've seen totally different projects, right? It must be

William Gains: loads. That's it. I think another thing about starting. When you know, nothing is they want to try and mold you into the employee that they need and they want.

So I think it was a good opportunity for me to just turn my hand to everything really in all sectors. I mean, I've pretty much worked in I wouldn't say all of them, but quite a few [00:16:00] of them. So retail, yeah, residential hospitality and kind of hotels, worked on the petroleum sector for a while, which is now very much the energy sector because that's gone under a bit of yeah, a rerun, which is right.

But yeah, so I think one of the benefits is that you just get. you get thrown it in at the deep end. The support is definitely there if you need it. But if you can show willing and, um, and you're up for the challenge they'll let you just get involved with all sorts, really.

Stephen Drew: Yeah, I had a similar experience for part one, you literally jumping out and I was like yourself, probably is, I was so grateful to get a job. I would have done any role to be honest with you. But when I joined my part one, and I guess this is where we both have a bit in common is that I actually worked on a team, which had an eclectic mix of stuff.

And so within EPR Architects, the team I was on, which at the time the director was Richard Barrett. And there was a really great associate [00:17:00] director who mentored me and he's since retired his name's Peter Fishwick and they were absolutely fantastic. And we would work on overseas projects in Kuwait which took a lot of the time and that was more traditional architecture.

But one other part of what I did was I worked on a concept at the time for electric car charging stations. Yeah, here we go. No, I'm not making, you can go on the website and if you, if anyone's looking at you got an EPR architects and you type in Eve Oasis. Okay, then you will find all that stuff and where it was cool is because it was really front end conceptual for a part when it was a dream, I was given photoshops, I was given sketches to do, all that little fun stuff of the part where I was like, I was absolutely loving it 3d models.

And cause what was interesting is that. At the time it was a Texas entrepreneur, investor, and, he saw potential as you're saying, 'cause the petroleum markets moved [00:18:00] to electric car charging and sustainable solutions because we need to, yeah. And he saw something in it, but obviously there's a lot of obstacles with it.

And I remember the time. There was what was called an e stat. And I said it on one of my podcasts the other day, but basically on one of the renders I felt really chuffed because there was a concept. It was like everyone's gonna charge their electric car in the E stats, but what do they do?

They need to go pop into a shop. And I was like, why don't we call it Sam? Stop and Shop? I like it. . Did you like it? Yeah. There you go. There you go. So I was like, stop and shop. And then I remember of the time, 'cause my director Richard Barry, he's you are wasted here as a part one, and he was just like, you need to go out there and do it, but then it was taken.

Yeah, but it was taken. So we couldn't call it stop and shop. It had to be shop and go. Oh, okay. But I like stop and shop to be honest. So that's my little foray into into this sector. So look, I respect what you've done. It's really nice [00:19:00] to be on an advert, but I was there in 2009.

Okay. Although mine, mine weren't realized because. A lot of that was conceptual. And I remember even a few years ago, talking about electric cars and stuff. Tesla Tesla, I always pronounce it wrong, Tesla cars, they just. They're super cool. And I remember, cause I, I like video games and cyberpunk, and you just see the Tesla cars and you're like, this is so futuristic.

But what I thought was awesome is you're actually working on these in a serious sense as in, so these projects that you're working on now, and we'll touch upon it for anyone that hasn't seen the advert in the advert, you're working on these models now, so we're actually rolling out car charging stations are a thing they're going to be they're actually going to be real am I going to see new stations in the future and it's going to be charging cars?

William Gains: Definitely. I think something's changed the change. [00:20:00] There's been a change in the wind kind of thing. And I think just the announcement the other day about the petrol and diesel car ban is definitely gonna speed that rate of change up.

Stephen Drew: It's crazy, isn't it? My dad works in the car industry, likely on electric cars, but it's mental, isn't it?

When you think it's not going to be a thing anymore.

William Gains: No,

Stephen Drew: exactly.

William Gains: And I think that's, it's just It's mind bending just how quickly we are expected to kind of transition hundreds of years of infrastructure kind of over from the kind of combustion engine and that whole yeah, as I say, infrastructure that supports petroleum and petrol and diesel cars.

And just, it doesn't happen overnight that change to to electric and cleaner energy, but it's just important that. All of the big players are now starting to really wake up to that. And

Stephen Drew: yeah, I think that's the way I would say it. And so for anyone that hasn't seen it already, why I was bapping my horn around earlier saying that my mom's probably seen you on this advert is that [00:21:00] you were featured in Shell's advert with working for Bowman Riley, talking about your journey as an architect.

It was in an advert. Which was great, by the way, you did really well.

William Gains: It's a bit of a surreal experience. See yourself. I'm usually I don't know. I'm usually probably quite a shy person. And then when you've got a camera in your face there's no escaping it. So

Stephen Drew: how did that come about?

As in, so what did you go into office one day and your boss was like, Will, how do you feel about going on TV and you were like, huh, can we get out?

William Gains: It was a, it's a very strange one again, because I think the thing is these large energy companies, they they have to try and, let people know that they are trying to do good things and they are trying to do positive projects.

And I think part of that was trying to use the real people behind those projects. So instead of getting an actor in [00:22:00] let's actually get the people involved in these projects. Because I think one thing I found, I had my reservations at the start of it all. But one thing I've found since working in this sector was everyone on the ground is an honest good person wanting to try and do the best thing.

Think. I think it was really positive. But yeah, the call came in saying as you're designing the the first EV charge hub for shell we'd like to use you as one of the segments and I didn't know at the time, but it seems let the world know about my project, which is just.

Just crazy really seeing it on TV and then thinking, Oh, I need to go make sure I've got that door schedule sorted before the end of the week. It's a bit weird.

Stephen Drew: That's brilliant. I thought it was, I thought it was really insightful and it was actually someone that brought it to my attention.

What's interesting is that I don't want, I'm more of in terms of a TV person, right? I go on my Netflix. I've got my [00:23:00] prime and sometimes we're all guilty if we load TV up and everyone's watched come dine with me on all this stuff. I'm not going to say I've not watched my fair share of come dine with me, but I don't watch chronic stress.

I don't watch TV anymore. But the, what was interesting is that advert came through even LinkedIn. It came through the architectural network. And what was quite nice is to see the reaction of people, proud, to be involved in the, I felt from my perspective, what I quite liked is. Of course there was nice cameras and it was produced really well, but it wasn't that actual architecture model you are actually practicing.

And like you said, it was really truthful and I to, I agree with your point that you touched upon really of, talking about this change, talking about. Electric car charging, talking about sustainable solutions. It is good to see companies that have a longstanding reputation Within the energy sector doing the right thing.

So I felt it was just all really good news. I enjoyed them I mean, I thought it [00:24:00] was good.

William Gains: Yeah Don't get me wrong. I think the change has been a long time coming and I think It can happen faster than it probably is doing, but it's just encouraging to, to work on a project that is transitioning that infrastructure to, to today and one day in the future be powered on renewable sources.

And cause you can't. You can't drive an electric car unless you've got, sorry, you can't drive a car powered by the sun or the wind farm or a kind of a tidal energy unless it's electric. So we need to kind of transition that infrastructure and at the same time clean up where that energy is coming from.

And it's going to be beneficial for generations to come really.

Stephen Drew: I think it makes sense. And it's even with me, recycling is important. I think when I was younger, I'd be like, ah, recycling, it's another person's problem. But we're not, we actually all need to we all need to go this way.

And that's the point where I like about it is [00:25:00] I don't want to go into the ins and outs of the past, what we're talking about is. Going forward and all these companies being responsible, going forward, doing the right thing, I think it's really great. But that aside, cause I think we're both on the same page for that.

And I'm sure a lot of people are listening. So what I mean, what was it like having cameras in your face? It was like, and action. And you're like, okay, get the Revit model up.

William Gains: It's surreal because I am definitely not an actor. What you saw on the camera was all a hundred percent me I'm not going to lie.

It definitely wasn't first take. It was probably,

Stephen Drew: yeah,

William Gains: Yeah, just, I think. I think it only really dawned on me just how much effort was going into this and how important it was to them when I turned up to, to work and it was three crew vans, their security catering just the whole shebang really.

So which was. Which is, yeah very surreal, as I [00:26:00] say,

Stephen Drew: I think it's brilliant and good for your practice to get involved as well. I think it's great. It's a win for everyone. So if anyone hasn't checked it out, how do you can find the ad it's on LinkedIn as well, isn't it? You can definitely check out.

I think if you Google. You

William Gains: probably can't hide from it. Yeah, I think it's on, it'll be on YouTube the shells YouTube page.

Stephen Drew: And what does your family, girlfriend and so forth think about you and the ads? Yeah, I think,

William Gains: Again, they were just, it's for someone who's not, and never intended to go into kind of the TV industry or that world, it's just.

It's surreal seeing, seeing that person on the screen next after I'm a celebrity or like the Liverpool game or something like that, it's it's a bit it's, yeah, it's bizarre, but very exciting to be involved. As I say it's a great opportunity.

Stephen Drew: I think I think that makes complete sense.

Don't worry, the [00:27:00] cameras are off now. And. You can have a little breather, sorry. I know I'm doing the podcast with you, but I'll try to be, I think we're relaxed, isn't it? But what's the guess? What's the guess? What's the next step for you now? Isn't it? We you've had the, we've had the moment you're on the shell ads and life goes on, doesn't it?

William Gains: The thing is, I've been on national TV talking about my bird box that I designed when I was probably 10. No way. Yeah. Tell me about this

Stephen Drew: bird box.

William Gains: This is it. So I think Shell, as I say, they wanted a real story in real people. So they didn't come to me and say will we want you to w wear a roll neck and round glasses and a roll, roll up some drawings under your arm.

They said, what do you do on a day to day? What's can you remember a time, the first kind of memory of you wanting to get into architecture or something and design? And I think, again, my [00:28:00] brain went blank in that. In that moment, and I sent a message to send sent a message to mom.

I can't believe I'm saying this on live podcast as well, but I sent a message to my mom and said can you remember a time when I said, mom, I want to be an architect. And she said there was. There was this one time when you were a bit younger and your uncle asked you you wanted a project to do in the summer and your uncle said, Oh you can build me a bird box.

And I said, Oh yeah, that sounds like something interesting to do over the summer holidays. I'm sure everyone else is probably out playing football or something like that, but. So I set two on this bird box and yeah, I over engineered this thing into, I, it was made from 18 mil marine plywood and had scalloped roof tiles and completely.

Overdid it. I don't think the birds ever went in it. It was built like a bunker. But [00:29:00] yeah, I think it's just, it's quite funny knowing that however many, I think 14 million people watched. I'm a celebrity. Now know about that bird box I built when I was 10 years old.

Stephen Drew: Wow. Don't worry. The amount of listeners on this podcast is nowhere near that.

So you're in safe hands with the architecture community. I think it's brilliant. And so you mentioned that you are now doing the apprentice scheme or the next steps effectively because you did your part one part time. Yeah, while working in industry, you've got semi years experience.

And so now what I can see is just looking from the LinkedIn. So you're going to South Bank? Oh yeah. You're bringing your Wellies, aren't you? And so you've done, so you must have done a, you started that. Are you halfway through or something like that? Or how's that

William Gains: going? I am in my second year now, so halfway through the three and a half year program, it's great. Again it's nice [00:30:00] that the kind of architectural apprenticeship has come in in time for me before I graduate, because as I say, I was, I did the undergrad part time as well. And this just feels a bit more structured and focused on. On that part time balance, which is I think what they've the R I B A and kind of professional practice of really locked heads and said how can we get one, the quality of our graduates coming out of university with like more real world and knowledge and skill technical skills.

But at the same time, We need to make sure that they're being challenged at university and that, that balance, I'm sure it'd be interesting to see what all the other apprenticeships, apprentices say about it. It's a very tricky, it's a very tricky one to get, because I think that it's, it worked, I see it as a, it moves in threes, doesn't it?

There's your life work commitments and [00:31:00] university life. And you can't have, you can't have all three. You can only have two. And I think, and trying to make sure they all They all spin all those plates at the same time can be tricky.

Stephen Drew: Definitely. I think I w I watched recently, there's there's a there's a similar Australian graduate called Alvin who's setting up a, he did a little YouTube channel and the same thing.

You'll think there was this theory called like the pans boiling. And it's the same thing you're on about of you can't, it's very hard to get keeping track of your friends, keeping track with. University, keep on track with your job and it is definitely tough, but the upside, I'd say of what you've done is, look at the projects he's done.

Look at all the experience you've done. I personally think it's fantastic. And what I love is that actually all the stuff you're telling me Bowman Riley, I think being really supportive, it sounds like a really great environment. I can, and Hey, no one works somewhere for seven years if they don't enjoy it.

So I think that's a [00:32:00] testament. It's a testament to you and for them. So I'm sure I

William Gains: agree.

Stephen Drew: Yeah. Yeah. I think you're gonna, I think you're gonna, you do well. I'm sure you'll sail through your part too. I'm not worried about it. You're going to have a few people questioning, asking you, for the next year or two, everyone's going to ask you about the same questions here.

What was it like being on the end interview? You're going to be, you're going to be the, you're going to be the electric car charging guy. for a little

William Gains: while. Yeah, I think probably five minutes of fame. Oh, I remember you from that TV ad. Yeah. I don't think anyone, no one said that yet. And I don't think anyone probably will.

Yeah, I think

Stephen Drew: it, I think it's nice. And what you, it'd be interesting to see in the future, whether your career as well, cause. What's interesting, you've seen quite a lot of sectors and obviously it's quite exciting being involved in sustainable energy, but it'd be really interesting to see what you do in the future and what kind of architecture you do at Bowman Riley, which is great.

William Gains: Yeah, I [00:33:00] think right now, I think. The energy sector definitely excites me, and just because it's going through, as we touched on before, that really interesting transition period as we move into that cleaner energy and electric cars and infrastructures and stuff. I think There's a lot of challenges still to overcome.

I'm sure there definitely are in all sorts of sectors and housing and things like that. But I think right now I'm definitely yeah, I was going to say very energized. That's terrible.

Stephen Drew: Brilliant.

William Gains: Yeah. Excited. Let's

Stephen Drew: go with that. That's brilliant. I think you've done really well. I think that's a really nice overview.

So for anyone that's not checked out the ad, they can Google it online. The William Gaines, Shell, Bowman Riley, check it out. So you're on LinkedIn. If anyone wants to get in touch with you, I'm not quite sure if you're in the Architectural Society yet, but what I'll do is I'll send an invite there. We'll post this. And if [00:34:00] anyone wants to have a chat or maybe if you're happy with it, I'm sure you will anyone's interested in renewable energy or working in that sector, they, I'm sure they can get in touch with you as well. And anyone that's at the South bank university. They should definitely say hello and get in touch for him.

William Gains: No, definitely. As I say, I think I don't pretend to be an expert in this industry yet. And I'm sure there's lots of people with really good ideas and I'm open ears to all of those really. So definitely get in touch if if you're involved in the sector or want to be involved, cause I'll tell you everything I know.

And hopefully they'll do the same.

Stephen Drew: Brilliant. I think it's it's the true thing of. I don't practice architecture anymore, but when I was in it every day, you learn, and it's not like you could, you can complete it. And I guess in the sense now I don't directly do architecture.

That's what I do take a cross from it in my approach of every day you learn. And every day I make mistakes every [00:35:00] day you do things right. And you learn from it. And one of the interesting things about the sector you're involved in as well, is because. In some senses it's in early stages or there's exciting things happening, but it will be interesting to see how that organically grows, isn't it?

And I imagine that there will be stuff like, because when we talked about when I was in industry, I was doing concepts, but what your project is to be built. And I'm sure that the more and more there are of these these charges stations. Yeah. I'm sure they'll go for a lot of changes. So definitely quite exciting.

It

William Gains: Isn't it? Because we're all very familiar with what a petrol station looks like. There's an opportunity now to shake that up. And I think the first couple of designs and iterations you'll see come through probably won't be too wild and there'll be a soft landing into this kind of technology.

But I think I'd like to hope that as we get familiar with electric cars and get used to [00:36:00] the fact that it's just like charging you. your phone and we're all, we all get, we're very used to that. I think it would be interesting to just, as you say, see how the architecture evolved evolves over the years.

And think it's exciting. Just like there's an opportunity now to people get a bit worried about the fact that, oh gosh. The car is going to take half an hour or 15 minutes to charge, but I see that as not as a kind of energy spokesperson here, but I see that as a, an opportunity to to do something else for 15 minutes, half an hour.

And we need to make sure as designers that building and those hubs can facilitate. whatever it is you'd like to do. So whether that's do a bit of work or do a bit of exercise or I don't know, grab a coffee, do a bit of reading it. I think that building that, that petrol station from before is going to be so different going forward in the future.

Which is exciting.

Stephen Drew: This is it. That's where my stop and shop was going to come [00:37:00] in to play. But I'll tell you what, actually. If you want to do a stop and shop a shop and go ask Bowman Riley, I don't want any royalties from it. Just, it's cool. It's cool. You can have a, you've said it now.

So we all know where it came from. Yeah. You just go, Steve, when they make billion, Steve, listen to your own podcast and they'll be like, yeah, you're right. I joke around, but that was what the brief was that time it was, cause you've got you when your car's charging. The concept of the F STAT, you guys are further on to it, was that, you're right, there's that breakout area, there's that space above, it's about, what do you do there?

Is it, you have a coffee? Can people, charge their phones? Can they

William Gains: socialize? This is it. I don't think they're particularly new ideas, what we're trying to implement. I think what's exciting is we are now finally getting the opportunity to implement some of those concepts and stuff, as you say from years ago.[00:38:00]

It's just, it's very exciting that those designs are now coming to fruition. It and it, again, it's just exciting to see how they what's the next evolution of those going to look like as maybe the technology changes again. If we get flying cars, what does what does an electric charge hub for a flying car look like?

It never stops, does it? It's great.

Stephen Drew: This is it. I so Corbin's a really good American architectural practice and they did the concept for Uber which I know what you mean. That is, that's again, one of them, say what moments it's it's insane. I told you what to leave it on as well as I, cause there's Uber boats now in London as well.

So I actually booked it the wrong one. Cause I was like, okay, I'll go on there. It'll be a really nice scenic view of London. And I got on the Uber speeders and truth to their name, it blitzed it across the time. So I was like, this isn't scenic. Like I got to Westminster really fast and [00:39:00] I guess it's what I like about what you're talking about earlier is all this stuff now is starting to challenge that preconception of what travel is.

And then to me, it's almost like the car fueling up your car with petrol is the only way, or before it'd be like, Oh, let's use diesel because it's a bit more sustainable, but when you're talking about. I think the best analogy you used was charging your phone and soon charging your car, but I love that.

The idea of in 10 years, I'll be like I'll be there. I'll be there. I'm going to be there a little bit late. So I got about 20 minutes to charge the car, but Hey, it's more sustainable. I agree with it. I think it's the right way to

William Gains: go. We'll get to a place where we can. Cars will be able to share battery and if you've got just like phones now, you can split your battery between friends, but this is it.

There's endless opportunity. So it's it's, it will, it'll be interesting to see where it heads and where we get to.

Stephen Drew: That's interesting, isn't it? So in the back of the, in the back of the, around the bonnet, you'd [00:40:00] have a spare tire and a spare battery. And if, I can see some arguments on the road up.

Jeff, you didn't bring your spare battery, you're crazy. I can't get home. Yeah. I'm sure there'll be like services which come out and charge you up. Oh, that's a good business to get into now. Yeah.

William Gains: I think the AA are doing it these days, but that's not an ad. Yeah, I was,

Stephen Drew: I thought I was onto something then I was like, we should totally set up a business and batteries ready to charge.

But I think for in terms of saving the planet, it's a small price to pay, wait in 20 minutes. So fantastic insight. Look. Again, you're available on LinkedIn. We'll get you in the social as well. I really appreciate you sharing a little bit more about your career. And this is always really interesting to hear from people that have done it in a little bit of a different way.

And. To frankly talk about strengths and weaknesses, talk about, how it feels sometimes [00:41:00] to be on the other side of the fence, yep. You went in the dorms full time, but look at all this experience you've got. I think it's really nice to hear and well done on the advert and we'll see next time you have to top it.

Now, I don't know what you're going to do. Yeah. You're gonna have to run it too. Isn't that

William Gains: downhill from here? Hopefully not.

Stephen Drew: No, I'm sure. It gets all excited. It gets exciting for me. And the projects that you're working on at Bowman Riley, they won't stop. And and I think it's it's been a fantastic insight for everyone to see.

So thank you so much. I really appreciate your time. Yeah, no, thank you for having me. It's been great. No worries. Okay. Speak soon.