About ADP Architecture
What is ADP Architecture?
ADP is an architecture and design practice with more than 60 years of history, working across culture and community, healthcare, higher education, hospitality and leisure, residential, schools and further education, and workplace and science buildings. Alongside architecture it offers heritage consultancy, interior design and masterplanning, and it designs around three principles: sustainability, belonging and engagement. Recent work includes the transformation of a vacant Art Deco Debenhams store in Gloucester into a city-centre campus for the University of Gloucestershire, The Portico, an award-winning GP surgery in Hackney, the regeneration of Spanish City in Whitley Bay, The Forum in Southend-on-Sea and The Photographers' Gallery. Recent awards include Architect of the Year at the OxProp Awards, Best Student/Pupil Experience Project at the Learning Places Scotland Awards and the AJ Architecture Award for Best Health and Wellbeing Project. ADP is a certified B Corp and a partner in Corde, an integrated design team with services and structural engineers.
Where will I work?
In one of ADP's studios: Birmingham, Edinburgh, London, Manchester and Oxford in the UK, plus Delhi and Nicosia. "7 studios — 1 team," as the practice puts it: sector and skill experts are matched to each project from across the practice. Current vacancies include architects, technologists and architectural assistants in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Oxford and London, and a studio director for London.
What is the ADP team like?
ADP has been employee-owned since 2017, with shares held for staff by an Employee Owned Trust. An employee council with representatives from every studio is headed by an employee director who sits on the board, "so that all our staff can have a say at the highest level of the business", and an equal profit-share system recognises every employee's contribution. The practice is an equal opportunities employer and a gold-standard Investor in People. It supports Part I and II architectural assistants with in-depth project experience and ongoing mentoring, runs a practice-wide CPD programme, and has supported staff through courses and accreditation including Passivhaus design and the WELL Standard; a recently launched Academy brings that learning together around personal career paths. Its staff partner with schools as RIBA Architectural Ambassadors and lecture at universities.
Work-Life Balance
Every employee works a nine-day fortnight. "We know that a healthy work-life balance is key and in addition to other benefits all staff work a 9-day working fortnight," ADP's postings say; its Life at ADP page adds that "we also offer a nine-day fortnight to support a healthy work-life balance". Each studio has at least one Mental Health First Champion and its own wellbeing fund, which staff have spent on activities such as boat trips and art classes.
Perks and Benefits
- A nine-day fortnight for all staff
- Employee ownership, with an equal profit share for every employee
- Paid volunteering leave
- Life and critical illness insurance
- Enhanced maternity and paternity pay
- A wellbeing fund in every studio, and Mental Health First Champions across the practice
- A practice-wide CPD programme, mentoring for Part I and II assistants and the ADP Academy