6 Tammi 2025

Breaking the Architect Mold: Enrique Soler’s Shift to Interior Design at Willmott Dixon Interiors

Architecture careers do not have to stay on the most obvious path. Interiors, contracting, retrofit and client-side delivery can all offer serious design work and a broader view of the industry.

Stephen Drew speaks with Enrique Soler of Willmott Dixon Interiors about moving from architecture into interior design and main contracting, building technical confidence and avoiding the trap of becoming too narrowly specialised.

The conversation covers:

How Enrique moved from architecture into interiors and contracting
Why technical skills matter in design-led delivery
How architects can add value inside interior design and contractor teams
What retrofit and sustainability mean in workplace and education projects
Why career flexibility can be a strength rather than a compromise

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▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtuw3XlI8OE

📝 Read the full write-up, with the key takeaways:
https://architecturesocial.com/podcast/enrique-soler-willmott-dixon-interiors/

Architecture Social is where architects and designers find honest career advice, insight from practice, and live roles worth applying for:
https://architecturesocial.com/

The fastest way to get hired is to be better at the things practices actually ask for. Revit, Rhino, rendering, BIM, portfolio work. Our learning partner ArchAdemia is built by architects, for architects:
https://archademia.com/architecture-social/

Use code ARCHSOCIAL10 for a discount on monthly or annual membership.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction and episode overview
01:35 Meet Enrique Soler at Willmott Dixon Interiors
02:15 Enrique's career journey from architecture to interiors
05:58 Moving into main contracting
09:57 Technical skills in design
10:54 Architects in interior design
16:06 The risk of excessive specialisation
21:21 Projects at Willmott Dixon Interiors
24:44 Havant and South Downs College project
26:48 Transforming Quarry House in Leeds
29:01 Sustainability and retrofit
30:51 New project in Brent
33:40 The evolution of Architecture Social
40:40 Final thoughts and farewell

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