2 Juli

He Started His Own Architecture Practice at 29

What does it actually take to start your own architecture practice in 2026?

Alex Sutton founded Studio Sutton in August 2019 at the age of 29, just six months before the world locked down. In this conversation with Stephen Drew, he opens up about building an award winning international practice through a global pandemic, a war, an interest rate spike, an AI shake-up, and the hardest personal moments of his life. No fluff, no romanticising, just the real story of what running a small practice looks like when the cards are stacked against you.

If you've ever thought about starting your own studio, or you're already on that path and wondering if it gets easier, this one's for you.

Studio Sutton: studiosutton.co.uk
Alex Sutton on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alex-sutton

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▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Md1Fakkn7Q

Architecture Social is where architects and designers find honest career advice, insight from practice, and live roles worth applying for:
https://architecturesocial.com/

The fastest way to get hired is to be better at the things practices actually ask for. Revit, Rhino, rendering, BIM, portfolio work. Our learning partner ArchAdemia is built by architects, for architects:
https://archademia.com/architecture-social/

Use code ARCHSOCIAL10 for a discount on monthly or annual membership.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro
05:08 Meet Alex Sutton
06:14 How Alex got into architecture
08:34 Starting out at Sevil Peach
10:07 Setting up Studio Sutton at 29
12:19 Six months before the pandemic
16:33 Losing a year of work overnight
17:44 Pivoting to Oslo and Stockholm
20:09 The reality vs romance of running a studio
23:40 The personal cost of being a founder
26:29 The hidden cost of winning work
30:14 Why better design doesn't always win
34:00 Tick box forms and SME barriers
36:36 £40,000 just to be in the room
38:52 Where does design get lost?
43:34 Where are the Mavericks?
45:08 What actually creates value
51:02 Advice for new founders
57:16 Losing work to AI
58:49 Is starting a practice in 2026 a dead end?
1:03:07 Why architecture still matters
1:08:14 Hiring and building a small team
1:17:05 What architecture school doesn't teach
1:18:30 The Bartlett and the culture of fear
1:26:08 Where to find Studio Sutton

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