Glimpsing the Future

Magda Banach - One to watch

Magda Banach - One to watch

Being able to see into the future is a valuable gift, but unless you're a savant it's rather tricky.

At PF+A we break the rules of time travel and manage to glimpse the future by embracing the works experience system.

We take on as many students as possible throughout the year and have a tried and tested process to give them the best experience we can.

"This gives them an invaluable experience into architecture and allows them the confidence to choose whether this line of work is for them. However, we're not doing it for purely altruistic reasons. It allows us to see the bright young things of tomorrow. If there are students that coruscate we can start building a relationship and support them throughout their future studies." says PF+A Director John Hibbs.

An emerging star of tomorrow Magda Banach was kind enough to write to us following her recent week working with PF+A:

I was very pleased with my experience at PF+A and I cannot thank everyone enough for the support that I received upon my arrival. I was kindly welcomed into the office and spent time absorbed in their fantastic architectural library which allowed me to gain some valuable ideas and inspiration which would later come into practice when producing my portfolio.

I was then given the option of choosing one of four sites on which to base my project. Nick Socrates offered to let me see the sites before I made my decision so that I could visualise the areas and surroundings that I was working with. I chose a small site in the town area in which I saw a potential to develop further.

The whole team was very patient with me and aided me along whilst I was learning to use the professional software and equipment.

Overall my experience at PF+A has helped me deepen my interest in the chosen career path of architecture, and given me the opportunity to produce a portfolio which I can present when applying to various universities in the future. Thank you to all of the PF+A team for taking me on for work experience and giving me an insight to how interesting the architectural world really is.

I'm sure you'll agree she did a great job.

Contact

Guernsey Studio

Guelles Court
Guelles Lane
St Peter Port
Guernsey
GY1 2DD

9am - 5:30pm | 01481 712633

contact@pfaarchitecture.com

Learn more
about
our culture

Ollie Muston MCIAT

E: ollie.muston@pfaarchitecture.com

T: 01481 712633

Having been educated and grown up in Guernsey and developing a passion for technical design work, information technology and an intrigue for building design and history during his GCSE years, Oliver decided to commence his career in 1999 as an Architectural Technologist with Lovell Ozanne one of the largest architectural practices in the Channel Islands, During those first inspiring 9 years he gained his BTEC HNC qualification increasing his fundamental experience and developing his knowledge base by working on multi-million pound commercial and residential developments including, Mixed Use and Redevelopment Areas (MURA), offices, apartments and industrial units.

Moving to the States of Guernsey’s Property Services Team in 2008, Oliver was able to learn invaluable working skills and practices, increasing his expanding skillset in tendering and contract administration, whilst having the opportunity to work on public buildings and the differing challenges brought about by these types of projects. These projects encompassed education premises, States buildings with high security requirements, projects at the airport and harbours and fully accessible health facilities. Full Accessibility audits for the health facilities became a prominent project for Oliver as his career progressed and he carried out a number of audits and reports for substantial business within the Island.

Now with a total of 21 years’ experience within the industry, his expansive knowledge not only covers all areas of a very vast field, but includes all aspects of a project from inception right through to the final handover of a completed project; which, for Oliver is the most rewarding experience.

Oliver’s exceptional wealth of knowledge has lead him to gain his chartership with the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists and was formally invited to become an Interview Assessor for the Institute in 2015, a position limited to only a small number and in which someone can only be invited by the Institute. Oliver completed the necessary assessor training a few months later.

Ever striving to continue growing and expanding his professional knowledge, Oliver is a driven member of PF+A and one of the top in his field. With his professional yet friendly approachable nature he is an individual able to facilitate and communicate to clients, contractors, sub-contractors and other third parties to ensure that a project is always the best it can be. Internally an exceptional trainer to the less experienced members of the team with an ease of teaching methods to ensure an unseamingly level of continuity for their development.

In his spare time Oliver enjoys spending time with his young family of three daughters, experiencing travelling and cultural diversity and of course Guernsey’s beautiful outdoor environment.