A Day in the Life...of Architect, Elena Barti
On the day Elena Barti joined Lees Associates in 2019 the first project she was allocated was at the world’s (and London’s) most iconic department store, Harrods. This was a dream come true for Elena who, from the age of 13 dreamed of becoming an Architect in London. So, what does a typical day look like for Elena at Lees Associates?
Elena with LA partner, Kath Archer
Elena sets her alarm early so she can be up at 6am, she grabs a quick coffee and heads to the gym for an hour-and-a-half of training. Elena enjoys CrossFit, gymnastics, and Olympic weightlifting. “That’s what you can watch at the Olympics,” Elena explains, “so there are two basic lifts: the clean and jerk and the snatch.” After the gym, Elena heads home for a shower and a quick healthy smoothie before she leaves for the office. With a smoothie packed full of banana, flaxseed, vegan protein powder (because she is vegan) and chia seeds, Elena is ready to jump on her bike for the 20-minute commute from Deptford where she lives, to Lees Associates’ office in London Bridge.
Elena enjoys an early morning workout to start the day
“I am normally quicker in the morning,” she laughs. But not because she is running late, it transpires. “I am always racing someone on the way to work, I don’t like having cyclists in front of me, I must be the one at the front. It stresses me out if there is someone in front of me and they are slow! I don’t know what that’s about?” Elena questions herself, giggling.
But today there is no race to work because she is heading straight to Harrods, before the store opens to the public at 10am, for a meeting with the project manager, interior designers, M&E engineers, estate managers and Harrods’ in-house project managers who represent the client. “We are refurbishing two existing rooms to create a new lingerie and nightwear department, which is the largest project in Harrods I have worked on. We are the Executive Architects and Principal Designers on this project,” explains Elena. “The role of Executive Architect entails taking the concept design from the interior designers and developing and coordinating them to deliver the end product. We have to work out how to successfully execute the concept whilst ensuring the original design intent and aesthetics are not compromised.”
Elena on site in Surrey
Today’s site walk around Harrods is important because construction begins the following week. “Harrods is an amazing building,” enthuses Elena. “It used to be five separate blocks of building, but they have been unified over the years to create Harrods as we know it today. We never know what we are going to uncover when we are working in Harrods because there are so many different construction methodologies that were used over the years. Harrods is a heritage brand known all over the world and the building is iconic. It is such an honour to create something new here.”
Elena on site in Surrey
Elena would never have dreamt that her ambition of being an Architect in London would eventually lead to her working at Harrods. “I was immediately so excited when they told me on my fist day that I would be the project lead at Harrods,” she recalls fondly. “I remember calling my parents to tell them because everyone has heard of Harrods.”
Elena’s parents tell her that when she was just 13 years-old she woke up one day and told them that she was going to move to London and study architecture. Elena was born in Greece, her father is Greek and her mum is Canadian, so she also lived in Canada for a time. Her parents took her to London on holiday and the rest, as they say, is history, or as Elena puts it “I was in love.” This love for London has remained. “I am a city girl; I love the city and love how fast-paced it is,” she coos.
Elena takes the time to select the best finishes for LA’s clients
It is now time for Elena to return to the office and check her emails before a team debrief to ensure everyone has prioritised their workloads to meet deadlines and agree on what needs to be tackled first. “I work closely with Kathryn, (Kathryn Archer, an LA Partner) - we are currently working together on the Harrods project and a very high-end residential project in Surrey,” explains Elena.
After the team debrief, Elena puts the finishing touches to a CPD session on Mental Health and Wellbeing for Architects which she is going to present to the team at lunchtime. She recently qualified as a Mental Health First Aider and is now responsible for helping to support staff in looking after their own mental health and to look out for others. “I look at what can be done to help reduce the levels of stress in the office and help people to manage their workloads better.” Elena explains. “This is an area that really interests me. It’s important that we treat our mental health in the same way we treat our physical health. If we look after each other in the office then we will have a better work environment. I am looking at ideas for team bonding and making sure people know what resources are available if they are suffering a mental health crisis. It is well known that Architects and those in construction can work long hours and suffer with stress. We encourage people to leave on time and give them tools to help manage and prioritise their workload.”
A debrief with LA partner, Kathryn Archer
If Elena isn’t running or attending a lunchtime CPD session she enjoys a walk when the weather is nice and will grab something to eat from the local Borough Market. She also enjoys bringing in a packed lunch to eat with other people in the office around the large table. “That leads to some interesting discussions,” she admits, laughing.
After lunch Elena has another meeting in her diary. This one is for the other project she is working on with Kathryn in Surrey. The first hour of the meeting is with the client whose temporary home is very close to the permanent home for which Lees Associates has been appointed as Architect, Principal Designer, Project Manager and Contract Administrator. Then it is onto the site for a meeting with the contractors. “We discuss the progress on the project, any issues that may cause possible delays and see if they require any further information from us. As the Principal Designers appointed by the client, we are also responsible for the co-ordination of health and safety information during the pre-construction phase of the project, as well as ensuring significant and foreseeable health and safety risks are managed throughout the design process. We also monitor, so today we are inspecting the site for a health and safety audit,” she explains.
Elena on a site walkaround
On the return train journey to the office Elena uses her time to ensure there is enough internal resource for each project she is working on using LA’s custom project resource trackers. She also runs through her work list to ensure that the next day she knows what her priorities are going to be.
After work Elena attends a contemporary dance class at the Laban Dance Centre in Greenwich. “I then rush home for a shower before heading out. I love to cook, but I absolutely love eating out. Bubala in Spitalfields, Dishoom in Shoreditch or Mildreds in Dalston are my absolute favourites,” Elena declares.
Just time for another workout!
Tonight, Elena is meeting a friend at Dishoom to discuss the creative direction for her friend’s new clothing brand. Elena once owned a fashion brand and was its creative director. “I still enjoy helping my friends by doing graphic design work for them,” she explains. “I also enjoy helping them with photoshoots for fashion brands and helping them with the creative direction their brands could take.”
After our chat we are not sure if London can keep up with the pace of Elena’s life. Well, on her bike anyway!