Our Founder and Lead Architect, Alexandra Powell, reflects on a defining moment early in her career as an Architect – how one placement opportunity led to working on a RIBA House of the Year-winning project, and how that single "yes" helped shape her journey in architecture.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has just announced the RIBA House of the Year 2025, recently featured on Grand Designs. This year’s winner is a beautifully considered stone-clad home in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, by a local practice Izat Arundell.
Named Caochan na Creige, meaning “little quiet one by the rock” - the house is designed to sit gently within its rugged landscape, with its exterior formed from blocks of local Lewisian Gneiss stone. It’s a project that feels deeply connected to place, shaped by its environment rather than imposed upon it.
Seeing the announcement brought back a powerful memory from early in my own career.
After completing my Master’s degree, I was determined to secure a placement in practice. Like many hopeful graduates, I sent out application after application – 120 in total.
At the time, most practices weren’t hiring, and out of all of those applications, only one opportunity came through.
That opportunity was a placement at Skene Catling de la Peña Architects in London.
During my time there, I worked on a project called Flint House in Buckinghamshire. Even then, it was clear that the building was something special, but none of us could have predicted what would follow. In 2015, Flint House went on to win RIBA House of the Year.
The design is beautifully rooted in its landscape. Flint and chalk were chosen to echo the chalk seam running beneath the Waddesdon Estate, with the building reading almost like exposed geological layers - darker and more rugged at the base, gradually becoming lighter and more refined as it rises. The house feels as though it grows directly out of the ground, shaped by the land rather than simply placed upon it.
One detail that has always stayed with me is the narrow stream of water that runs alongside and through the house, passing directly in front of the fireplace. It’s a quiet, poetic moment where architecture, nature and atmosphere come together - something you feel, just as much as you see.
Looking back, that single placement opportunity changed the course of my career. After so many “no’s”, one “yes” opened the door to working on a project that would become one of the most celebrated homes in the country.
It also made me deeply aware of the responsibility practices hold when they offer placements. Taking on a student isn’t just about providing experience - it can shape confidence, open doors, and influence how someone sees their future in the profession.
That understanding is a big part of what drives me to grow The Powell Academy. If we can offer even a fraction of the encouragement, belief and opportunity that was once shown to me, then we’re doing something truly meaningful, helping the next generation find their footing, their confidence, and their inspiration.
Because you never quite know which opportunity will shape someone’s future.
Sometimes, all it takes is one yes.
Alexandra
