Hello we are AST* - a collective of creatives and designers
Chris Boyce on why he set up the practice, and gave it such a long and strange name…
Why set up a new practice in such difficult times?
“I needed to do it. It was never an itch, but creative and “customer” focussed projects are my thing, and I wasn’t able to be the best I could be in other practices, not their fault, I am a lazy perfectionist so I needed to make a home for my way of working….I never really cared about the name, or scale, of where I worked, just what we did, or at least what my teams did. I always assumed that eventually I would just quietly become a partner of a mid size practice, as a leader and creative director, but not to get my name on the door. Instead I found myself having to set up on my own because clients kept asking me too and I wanted to make work that reflected my way of seeing architecture, client focussed, simple, socially responsible.”
Why are you called Assorted Skills + Talents*….?
“After twenty years working with teams across the world, as part of Aedas (AHR) and then Capita I must have worked with around 400 – 500 people directly and the one thing I have always been amazed by is the diversity of those who call themselves “architect”. It is not a defined career, there are many strands to the profession, and few people can grab them all at once. The idea of teams made up of assorted skills and talents was one that I came up with before we set up. Finding and nurturing individual talents, seeking experience and skills which get the client to the goals they set, leading teams by looking after them to ensure they create the very best work, that was what I loved about the process of practice directorship. I have carried that title for 15 years now, and respect what it means.”
You can read Chris’s interview with Architect’s Journal here:
Team AST* 2017