Today, I’m honoured to have with me Simone de Gale, the visionary architect behind Simone de Gale Architects, celebrated for melding mathematical rigor with striking design, creating unique spaces across London and internationally.
Simone’s story begins with childhood memories of watching her family build and create those early experiences ignited a love for architecture that’s grown into an award-winning career, from redesigning Central London townhouses to master-planning large international projects.
In this conversation, we’ll delve into her roots, what inspired her to stick with architecture in a space where few people might look like her, the challenges and triumphs she’s encountered, and most importantly what listeners can learn about following their own passions and crafting a fulfilling career.
Grab your coffee, sit back, and join us as we journey with Simone de Gale, a force of creativity, resilience, and purpose!
Key Takeaways:
* Founding Strategy: Launched Simone de Gale Architects in the 2009 recession, leveraging a 10-year network to immediately secure projects, including a major international commission in Bangladesh.
* Design Philosophy: Uses mathematical principles (geometry, pattern) to create environments that foster peace and belonging, believing "your environment creates you."
* Business Model: Focuses on building deep client relationships, which leads to repeat work across entire property portfolios (e.g., 10 projects on one street) and minimizes business development costs.
* Team Growth: Scaled to a 12-person firm by hiring for shared design ethos, enabling effective delegation and freeing up leadership time for strategic work.
Episode resources:
Simone de Gale: www.linkedin.com/in/simonedegale
Simone de Gale Architects: www.simonedegale.com
Chay Executive Coaching: www.chayexecutivecoaching.com