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

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Chapters

  • 00:00 Intro
  • 03:00 Meet Alex Sutton
  • 03:40 How Alex got into architecture
  • 05:41 Starting out at Sevil Peach
  • 07:23 Setting up Studio Sutton at 29
  • 09:58 Six months before the pandemic
  • 13:08 Losing a year of work overnight
  • 14:45 Pivoting to Oslo and Stockholm
  • 17:08 The reality vs romance of running a studio
  • 20:38 The personal cost of being a founder
  • 22:58 The hidden cost of winning work
  • 26:17 Why better design doesn't always win
  • 29:27 Tick box forms and SME barriers
  • 32:16 £40,000 just to be in the room
  • 35:10 Where does design get lost?
  • 40:19 Where are the Mavericks?
  • 41:15 What actually creates value
  • 46:14 Advice for new founders
  • 54:34 Losing work to AI
  • 56:06 Is starting a practice in 2026 a dead end?
  • 01:00:16 Why architecture still matters
  • 01:05:08 Hiring and building a small team
  • 01:14:09 What architecture school doesn't teach
  • 01:15:28 The Bartlett and the culture of fear
  • 01:23:24 Where to find Studio Sutton

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