Jonty Mullis

From trips to Barcelona with course friends to getting absorbed in the model making studio and receiving glowing feedback from his presentations, Jonty's experience of university was a very positive one. He credits Ravensbourne for transforming him into the confident and capable architect he is today.

Despite graduating in one of the most challenging climates to date, he managed to secure a role at a leading architecture practice just months after graduating. He is now putting the skills and knowledge he learnt on his course to the test every day in his new role.

What initially appealed to you about Ravensbourne and your chosen degree?

When I applied back in 2017, I had already heard about the reputation Ravensbourne had for its student's success in transitioning from university into the workplace. This was one of the leading factors in why I chose Ravensbourne.

I knew that Ravensbourne would be the right university for me after I had my interview and viewed the facilities. Architecture has been a big passion of mine since early 2010/2011, and seeing what I could achieve at Ravensbourne really solidified the choice in my mind.

Could you tell us about the benefits of studying with us?

The open plan design of the building gives you visual as well as audible access to other students learning, meaning there’s always a chance to join a lecture or listen in to what other tutors are teaching. This is great for furthering your own learning.

Another benefit that I personally thrived on was the model making studio on level 9. The studio is packed with a variety of tools and equipment that allows you to put your thoughts and ideas into physical forms. 

What were your highlights from your time at Ravensbourne?

Throughout my time studying I have a reel of highlights, but some of my proudest was when I was presenting my projects to my tutors and classmates. The feeling of achievement after putting in so much work and receiving amazing feedback is incomparable.

As well as this, the trip to Barcelona to learn about the architectural culture and build strong friendships with my classmates (who I’m still friends with today) is another moment that I still think about. 

How has your degree at Ravensbourne helped you to achieve your professional goals?

With the skills I learnt over my three-year period and the work I produced, I managed to secure myself a job in practice at possibly one of the hardest times in recent years, considering the global pandemic.

The software skills and architectural knowledge that I learnt through my tutors made a very strong impact with my employers and have made the workload a lot easier because of this prior experience.

Could you tell us a little bit about what you have done since graduating? What does your typical day look like?

I knew the challenges of finding a job when no-one was hiring, so I wanted to be proactive and make sure I retained the skills that took me so long to perfect.

I decided to undertake a design project with some old classmates run by Architecture Magazine, VolumeZero. We needed to design a brief for a competition. Even though me and my team didn’t manage to win, we were able to challenge ourselves and put our knowledge to the test on a real-life brief.

A couple months after completing this, I secured a role at Grafik architecture, a predominantly residential-focused practice working closely with the likes of Barratt David Wilson, Bellway homes and Crest Nicholson.

Due to the volume of work being produced by us at the minute, I have a very varied day. It can range from bringing elevations and street scenes to life for clients, to working on technical drawings that help assist my colleagues in the design process.

Do you have any advice for prospective students?

My advice for potential students, or even people who are still on the fence about going to university is that sometimes taking the risk is the best thing you will do.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it – it’s hard work. But if you’re willing to put the work in, then you will reap the benefits. I too was once at a stage where I didn’t know whether I wanted to attend university, but I took the risk and put the work in. I can wholeheartedly say it’s been one of the best experiences of my life, and one of my best choices.

I wouldn’t be where I am today with my career if I didn't go to university. Because I took the risk and made that choice, I have been exposed to an environment that boosted my confidence and growth as an architect.