Studio Life: Studio Coordinator
Our Clerkenwell Studio Co-ordinator, Priscilla Rizzieri discusses her role & how she has enabled the team to return to a safe and energetic workplace.
What attracted you to the role?
Coming from an interior design background, I truly admire creative people and I thrive being surrounded by so many talented individuals. I believe that understanding the quality of the work produced in the practice allows me to engage within the studio in a meaningful way.
Any challenges?
Our practice is not small, and we continue to grow, which means more people entering the studio and adjusting to our working culture, which I would say is very friendly and cool. Supporting every staff member, from the young Part 1’s to the experienced Directors, involves having a very flexible and understanding approach.
Keeping a tidy and well-oiled studio full of architects can also be challenging. They tend to be between two extremes, concentrating and putting all their efforts into their work, so essentially into their computers, whilst all around them you can find samples, drawings, notes, stationery of any kind and so on. I find it fascinating, as it is usually those architects who are perfectionists in the way that they design, who are often the ones whose desks look like absolute chaos.
How have you encouraged team members to get back to the studio after a long period of home working?
Everyone missed the social aspect of working in such a vibrant studio, therefore we first approached returning to the office with a series of buffet lunches. These were appreciated by our staff, which then started to come in more often. Seeing how popular healthy food was, we arranged to have fresh fruit available every morning, as a gentle way to ease people into their working day. We also have a lovely studio dog, Blu, who efficiently greets everyone who comes in and then patiently waits for a few scratches and cuddles. She really has a calming and uplifting effect on everyone!
ML is turning 30 this year, what have you been doing?
This is an important milestone for the practice, that we decided to celebrate with two fun social events that involved both the London and the Rotterdam studios: a study trip in Cambridge and an elegant party here in Clerkenwell. I took care of the trip mostly, with the invaluable help of my Admin Team colleagues, and although it was my first time organising something that had such a big scale, I am proud of the outcome and of the memories we created together. I like to think I am the fairy godmother who works hard to spread joy in the office.
What advice would you give to anyone else wanting to work in your role – what attributes do they need?
A successful Studio Coordinator is not afraid of stepping into various aspects of the business; therefore confidence, organisation and communication are key points. An outgoing and chatty character would be an incredible bonus. I would say it is necessary to have the obvious skills, such as problem solving, multi-tasking, adaptability and IT knowledge.
Anything else spring to mind?
Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to share my view of our practice as an insider. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for us! Now please excuse me, I must go to the summer picnic which I organised for ML friends and families!
