Outreach

Access to Architecture is a new initiative developed in-house at Jestico + Whiles. By working with young people studying at schools designed by the practice, the programme aims to demystify the architecture profession and pathways into it, while developing and maintaining our relationships with our school projects beyond their completion. As we celebrate our milestone of designing 100 schools, this programme embraces the opportunity to give back to the communities we serve.

Matt + Fiona is an award-winning social enterprise offering unique hands-on practical education programmes for children and young adults. As the enterprise’s inaugural industry champions, we offer financial support, resources, and our time and professional expertise to assist in their mission: inspiring young people to shape and influence the spaces in which they live, work and play. We’ve supported Matt + Fiona on many of their projects over the years, including play and performance spaces on a HS2 meanwhile site in Euston, and at Brixton House Theatre in south London.

Since 2017, we’ve been proud supporters of Open City Accelerate, a built environment education programme for young people from underrepresented backgrounds. Through workshops and mentoring, the programme supports 16 to 18-year-olds in exploring careers in architecture and the built environment, giving them the experience and confidence to make informed choices. We’ve also worked with Open City on other initiatives of theirs, including Young City Makers, which gives primary school students hands-on experience of model-making, and Accelerate Insight Tours, offering students a behind the scenes view of our studio.

We believe in the value of high quality, in-person and hands-on experience for emerging talent. We host an average of 20 work experience placements each year, with participants engaging with live projects and using industry standard tools to build genuine insight. We also offer mentoring, CV and portfolio review sessions for architecture students, in-house and through the RIBA University Mentoring Programme.

In 2020, we launched the Jestico + Whiles Bartlett Promise, becoming the first architecture practice to cover full fees and subsistence costs for a three-year undergraduate degree at the Bartlett School of Architecture, setting an aspiring student from an underrepresented background on the path to becoming an architect.