Hate it or love it. - Architect EPR Architects Employee Review

3.0
Feb 16, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Very steady, predictable, secure practice to work for as long as you meet your deliverables. Great practice if it's your first working experience, you will learn a lot. Good place for delivering time tested architecture, nothing conceptually challenging or groundbreaking. Great place to learn about project delivery. Over the years this practice has accumulated profound experience in delivering buildings within the UK. Lots of technically knowledgeable people. Bricks to building regulations. It is a very British practice. Being British will definitely help. Paid ARB/RIBA retention fees.

Cons

No benefits, no bonus until associate level. Promotion process is not transparent. Internal companies' surveys are not transparent. No sharing of information between management and the staff below associate level. Non native English speakers have very low chances of breaking in or being entrusted with liaising with clients. During annual reviews you are not allowed to discuss salary matters, can't get specific answers of what needs to be done in order to progress. Mentoring programme is just a smoke cover. Very strict austerity measures within the company. Design culture is not inclusive. Design values, methods, and approach feels very conservative. During design meetings they never pause to ask what you're thinking. All CPD, other activities, are during lunch break, not during working hours. Wearing headphones and listening to music is not allowed. Officially by work contract. Constant IT issues. Daily lack of software licenses. Revit is the center of the Universe. Adobe CS license is issued for 3 days. Very low motivation levels considering all the above. Internal team meetings aren't really meetings, it's a conversation between director and associate. Feels like big brother knows what's best for you and how things should be done all the time. Due to the nature of being a delivery architect some key projects aren't designed by EPR. It's delivered by them only. Which is very confusing because they forget to mention this in the website.

Explore other reviews about EPR Architects

4.0
Nov 18, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Lovely new office, colleagues were all friendly and I received lots of support.

Cons

Occasionally having to work overtime to meet deadlines.

1.0
May 21, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Beautiful office, lovely individuals working there, great design ethos

Cons

They have a no headphones policy, to ‘encourage collaboration’. Not much collaboration or general buzz or bouncing ideas on my team, just a very quiet room with an austere atmosphere. Most unusual rule for a creative company as most collaborate very well without banning headphones. As someone white ADHD I find the silence very difficult to work in. Very little communication from senior management. My director never replies to my emails. Very difficult to know what’s going on with deadlines You’re not allowed use the downstairs loo, for guests only. Wasn’t great when I had a bad ankle from footie.

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