There’s a conversation happening in architecture about the “gap” between education and practice.

But no one is going far enough.

In this episode, I take a direct look at one of the most uncomfortable questions in the profession:

How can you be taught to design and deliver buildings… by someone who hasn’t built one?

This isn’t about criticism for the sake of it.
It’s about credibility, responsibility, and the future of the profession.

Because architecture isn’t just an academic pursuit.

It’s a profession.

And if we’re serious about improving fees, value, and recognition — we need to start by looking at how we’re educating the next generation.

• Why the “education vs practice” gap is bigger than we admit

• The rise of tutors moving straight from university into teaching

• Why architecture is not just an artistic discipline

• The real-world consequences for graduates and practices

• Why part-time tutors in practice often deliver the most value

• What a minimum standard for architectural educators could look like

• Why this issue feeds directly into fees, confidence, and professional value

We don’t just have an education gap.

We have a credibility problem.

And until we address who is teaching architecture and what qualifies them to do so the profession will continue to struggle downstream.

Do you think architectural educators should have a minimum number of years in practice before teaching?

Or is academic expertise enough?

I want to hear your perspective on this.

What’s not being talked about enough in architecture right now?

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The Broke Architect is a weekly, straight-talking briefing on the realities of the architecture profession.

No polished narratives. No safe conversations.

Just honest perspectives on what’s really going on — from fees and business to culture, education, and the future of the industry.

After being made redundant three times in three years, Paul Testa built a resilient practice called HEM Architects and reveals why the business model of architecture might be fundamentally broken.

In this episode of The Broke Architect Podcast, I speak with Paul Testa, co-owner of HEM Architects, about the realities of building a sustainable architecture practice in the UK.

After being made redundant three times in three years, Paul was pushed into starting his own practice. Fifteen years later, HEM has grown into a 15-person studio built around systems, transparency, and resilience. Paul also co-owns JAM Structures, a three-person engineering firm that generates the same profit as HEM. raising serious questions about how architecture businesses operate.

We discuss open-book management, stopping free optioneering, the challenges of working in one of the UK’s poorest regions, and why running an architecture practice is still bloody tough, but worth it!

A candid conversation about the business of architecture and what it really takes to survive.

Welcome to Season 5 of The Broke Architect Podcast , where we challenge convention and ask uncomfortable questions about how we design, build, and power the world around us.

In this episode, Jason Boyle is joined by Dr Tim Gregory, nuclear chemist and author of Going Nuclear, for a clear-eyed conversation about energy, climate change, and the realities behind Net Zero.

We’ve electrified buildings, debated gas bans, and filled landscapes with wind turbines, yet the UK hasn’t built a new nuclear reactor in over 30 years. So where is our electricity actually coming from, and is our current strategy sustainable?

• Why nuclear power fell out of favour in the UK

• Whether Net Zero is achievable without nuclear

• The limits of wind, solar, and energy storage

• The future role of gas in a low-carbon system

• Why symbolism often replaces systems thinking in sustainability

This is a grown-up conversation about energy — not ideology.

Links to Tim’s book Going Nuclear : https://www.tim-gregory.co.uk/goingnuclear