A KPF Director’s Honest Advice for Young Architects

What does it really take to build a long-term architecture career inside a global practice?

Stephen Drew speaks with Francesco Casella, Director at KPF, about career growth, working at scale, and what young architecture professionals can learn from staying, developing and leading inside one major studio.

The conversation covers:

• How to get hired by large architecture practices
• What helps Part 2s, Part 3s and early-career designers stand out
• The value of staying with one firm and building trust over time
• CAD, BIM, design judgement and how technology is changing practice
• AI, global projects and the skills that still matter in architecture

Guest: Francesco Casella, Director at KPF

KPF: kpf.com

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▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daFiWGho19c

📝 Read the full write-up, with the key takeaways:
https://architecturesocial.com/podcast/kpf-director-advice-young-architects/

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/

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Chapters

• 00:00 Francesco Casella, KPF and the episode context
• 03:54 Getting a first architecture role in London
• 05:07 Joining KPF and building a long-term route
• 14:18 Promotion, progression and changing firms
• 18:58 Teams, collaboration and leadership
• 26:05 BIM, technology and AI
• 29:43 Interviews, hiring and what candidates should show
• 33:15 Recruitment, judgement and understanding the profession
• 40:18 The rewards and pressure of architecture
• 41:51 Why architecture still feels worth it