AYA 2025 shortlists: Best Architect Employer of the Year

Earlier this year BD announced all the architects who made it on to the shortlists for our prestigious annual Architect of the Year Awards.

Now we are shining the spotlight on each category in turn.

This year’s judges include: Yẹmí Aládérun, head of development, Meridian Water (Enfield Council); Amr Assaad, director, Buckley Gray Yeoman; Lee Bennet, partner, Sheppard Robson; Sarah Cary, chief development officer, White City at Imperial; Ben Derbyshire, chair, HTA Design LLP; Martyn Evans, creative director, U+I; Dicle Guntas, managing director, HGG London; Gavin Hale-Brown, director, Henley Halebrown; Tanvir Hasan, director emeritus, Donald Insall Associates; Lee Higson, board director, Eric Parry Architects; David Kohn, founder and director, David Kohn Architects; Oliver Lowrie, director and founder, Ackroyd Lowrie; Anna Mansfield, director, Publica; Jo McCafferty, director, Levitt Bernstein; Ian McKnight, director, Hall McKnight; John McRae, director, Orms; Andrew Mellor, partner, PRP; Sadie Morgan, director, dRMM; Setareh Neshati, director of regeneration and development – delivery and operations, Westminster City Council; David Partridge, co-founder, Senze; Manisha Patel, director, kpk Studios; Sarah Robinson, associate director, The King’s Foundation; Simon Saint, principal, Woods Bagot; Philippa Simpson, director for buildings and renewal, Barbican Centre; David Stansfield, senior partner, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios; Amin Taha, director, Groupwork; Magali Thomson, project lead for placemaking, Great Ormond Street Hospital; Ola Uduku, head of school, Liverpool School of Architecture; Tatiana von Preussen, co-founder, vPPR; Richard Wardle, director, Stanton Williams.

Today’s shortlist is for Best Architect Employer of the Year.

Bond Bryan

Based in eight offices across England, the practice describes itself as building an environment where staff ‘can grow, excel, and truly enjoy their work’. The Bond Bryan Academy nurtures current and future talent, supporting 15 work experience placements each year, while the Bond Bryan Elevate Programme works to widen access to careers in architecture. The practice provides a 24/7 employee assistance programme, subsidised wellbeing sessions, and a wellbeing room quiet space.

Haworth Tompkins

Recent initiatives to promote a healthy work-life balance include the launch of a 37.5-hour working week from April 2025, a clearer TOIL policy, and the introduction of an annual Wellbeing Week. Haworth Tompkins has improved its recruitment and progression policies to encourage greater studio diversity, with its latest annual reporting showing a 50-50 split between white and ethnically diverse hires. The Stirling Prize-winning practice has also taken on its first Level 6 and 7 apprentices.

JTP

The 30-year-old practice puts its continued success down to ‘our people-first approach, commitment to nurturing talent, and strategic approach to succession planning’. JTP recently promoted two home-grown staff to partners and introduced a new associate director level. Generous benefits include 28 days’ paid holiday with five additional days for those with over ten years’ service, 50% paid childcare fees, and an interest-free housing support loan. The practice has reduced overtime to 4.47%.

Pozzoni Architecture

Pozzoni describes its culture as one of ‘empowerment, support and putting people first’, underpinned by its ‘4Ps’ values of Purpose, Passion, People and Principles. Over the last year, the practice has targeted collaboration and staff engagement, introducing a Performance Development Review process with a focus on employee health and wellbeing. It has also upgraded its workplace environment. Staff activities include quarterly walk-and-talks, a subsidised bootcamp, and free yoga sessions.