Our Managing Director, Alexandra Powell, recently visited The King’s Church of England Academy in Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent to deliver a workshop for students focused on helping young people better understand architecture and explore careers in construction.

The session was designed to give students a more realistic view of what working in the built environment actually involves, beyond the common perception of architecture as purely drawing buildings or designing contemporary structures.

Architecture is about people, not just buildings

One of the key messages from the workshop was that successful architecture starts with people. While creativity, design and technical skill are essential, great architecture is ultimately about understanding how people will live, work and interact with a space.

Whether it’s a home, school, workplace or public building, the goal is always to create something that genuinely works for the people using it.

A real-world construction challenge

To bring this to life, students were given a real residential project and asked to work out the potential construction cost. This exercise helped them understand how mathematics, problem-solving and decision-making all play a role in real-world construction projects.

It also gave them a glimpse into the commercial side of the industry, which is just as important as design and creativity.

Exploring careers in the built environment

The workshop also introduced students to the wide range of careers involved in architecture and construction. While architects are often the most visible, they are only one part of a much larger team.

Students learned about roles such as:

• Quantity Surveyors
• Structural Engineers
• Project Managers
• Construction Managers
• Contractors and trades professionals

Each role plays a vital part in delivering successful projects from concept through to completion.

Inspiring future talent in Stoke-on-Trent

At Powell Design & Construction, we believe it’s important to engage with young people early and help them understand the opportunities available within the industry.

The construction sector offers a wide range of rewarding career paths for those interested in design, problem-solving, engineering and hands-on building work.

We’re proud to support initiatives like this in Stoke-on-Trent and look forward to continuing our work with local schools.

We would like to thank The King’s Church of England Academy and the Three Spires Trust for inviting us to be part of the session, and we look forward to welcoming two of their Year 10 students for work experience later this month.

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