As part of a new series from Folio, we are sharing the placements we're proud of, in the words of the studio and the candidate.
First up: Zoë, placed with Holland Harvey as Business Development & Marketing Coordinator, a newly created role at the practice.
Holland Harvey was founded on the belief that design should make a positive social and environmental impact. The east London architecture and interior design studio, led by Richard Holland and Jonathan Harvey, creates spaces that celebrate the everyday, working across brand-led residential and hospitality projects for clients worldwide. The practice has a particular interest in the conservation, retrofit and adaptive reuse of existing buildings, often working within heritage settings, and is a Certified B Corporation.
The brief
This was a new role for Holland Harvey, so the studio thought carefully about who they wanted to bring in.
"We were looking for someone with drive and initiative, a strong creative eye and the confidence to communicate ideas well across both business development and marketing," the studio explains.
"We also wanted someone who would bring something of their own to the wider team. We are a relatively small, close studio, so each person shapes how we work together. Finding someone who could bring a different perspective while complementing the supportive, collaborative and ambitious way we work was important to us. Not an easy balance to find."
Holland Harvey
Why Zoë said yes
"The role itself was hard to pass up. This was a new position for Holland Harvey too, so I knew there was an opportunity to have autonomy, make the role my own and grow alongside the practice.
"I also felt like we shared the same values, and working somewhere that embeds social and environmental impact in its work and decision making was important to me. I had such a warm and ambitious first impression of Holland Harvey and immediately knew I wanted to be part of their next chapter of growth."
Zoë
How it's been
"Zoë found her place in the team very quickly and has made a real impact already," the studio says. "What stands out is her ability to get things done without compromising on thought or quality. Always considering what we are trying to achieve, who we are speaking to and how best to communicate it. Her eye for graphics and presentation is excellent, and that same clarity and confidence comes through in how she communicates and presents her ideas.
"Thoughtful, proactive and a pleasure to work with, Zoë has built relationships across the studio with ease. She is already an important part of the Holland Harvey team, and we are looking forward to seeing how we grow together and where she takes the role next."
Holland Harvey
Zoë's highlight so far
"My biggest highlight has definitely been getting to know all the people that work here," Zoë says. "There's such a lovely, comfortable atmosphere in the office and I felt at home straight away. We all come together once a month for a studio lunch, where three people cook for the rest of the studio. There are a lot of talented cooks in this office."
Zoë
What she's working on now
"I'm working on lots of exciting things, but one I'm most excited about currently is the launch of our first newsletter," Zoë says. "There's a lot of thought that goes into planning this type of collateral: setting out what our objectives are, who the audience is and how we should position our content and tone of voice as a result.
"I've loved being able to shape something from the ground up and think about how we can make something genuinely interesting for our clients. We work with some amazing collaborators and partners and would love to use this as an opportunity to promote the collective impact we're making together."
Zoë
On being placed by Folio
"Folio was my first experience with a recruitment agency," Zoë says. "Thomas was very informative about the role and company, never pushy and had excellent communication throughout the entire process. Looking for a new job can be daunting and overwhelming, but Thomas took a huge amount of that stress away and I'm really grateful for that."
Zoë
Learn more about Holland Harvey: www.hollandharvey.com
Follow Holland Harvey on Instagram: @hollandharvey
