Tim Derrington

What we talked about

Trust is part of the architecture brief

Tim Derrington brings a dry sense of humor to a serious subject: what makes someone trust an architect with an expensive, uncertain project. In this Making Names conversation with Aidan Evans, the founding principal of Derrington Building Studio returns to relationships, relevant experience and being genuine. A prospective client needs to feel that the architect understands what they want to do. Derrington does not describe himself as the only person capable of good work. He sees authenticity as a way to find clients with whom the working relationship can feel more natural.

Hiring for judgment, not a fashionable word

Asked about hiring people with an obsession for customer experience, Derrington resists the language of passion and obsession. His emphasis is on training, accountability and knowing why a decision makes sense. An attractive design idea still needs to answer practical questions: how does it function, what does it add to the project's longevity, and how does it improve the client's or user's experience? He wants team members to investigate rather than treat a feeling as evidence. Design ambition starts with a foundation that can withstand those questions.

Grace creates room for accountability

Derrington pairs that standard with permission to make mistakes. People need enough grace to admit a problem instead of spending their energy avoiding embarrassment. Once someone owns what happened, coaching becomes possible. That may include helping a younger practitioner explain the situation to a client without making the conversation harder than it needs to be. His focus is recovery rather than the performance of perfection. In his account, accountability and support are not alternatives: support helps people take responsibility, learn and approach the next decision with better judgment.

Smaller checkpoints make correction easier

The same thinking shapes how Derrington assigns work. Instead of handing over one large task and waiting for the result, he describes breaking it into smaller pieces sized to the person's ability. A checkpoint gives the team a chance to correct course before an error creates a larger problem for the budget or schedule. He uses a chess analogy: ask someone to make the first two moves and then discuss them, rather than simply telling them to win the game. The point is to make supervision useful while there is still time to act.

Helping a client carry less uncertainty

Architecture relationships can last years, particularly when a commercial client keeps opening or adapting physical spaces. Derrington describes long-running work with a climbing-facility client and the trust that can develop through repeated projects. He also recognizes why starting can feel intimidating: construction involves significant expense and decisions that are difficult to predict perfectly. His role includes addressing concerns early, clarifying the process and helping clients focus on the decision that matters now. Removing obstacles does not mean pretending there are no risks. It means making those risks easier to understand and work through.