Episode Details

Welcome to Where it's AT | the Architectural Technology Podcast

Host Jon Clayton interviews AJ Fleet, a Chartered Architectural Technologist working across East Anglia. AJ describes growing up around the profession through his father’s practice, his current role balancing management, client conversations, and hands-on technical detailing, and a key challenge of struggling to say no to opportunities. He enjoys meeting people and solving complex project problems, and discusses differing personality strengths within practices and the challenge of moving from technical to management roles. AJ’s believes that most practices should charge higher fees and account for profit, supported by better internal transparency on hours and allowances. He highlights misconceptions about the breadth of Architectural Technology and recommends tools like Wisprflow voice dictation and Polycam LiDAR scans. He advocates talking to peers, apprenticeships and nurturing junior talent.

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AJ Fleet MCIAT

AJ (Adrian) Fleet MCIAT is a passionate Chartered Architectural Technologist working in a range of sectors across East Anglia. AJ's experience primarily focuses on the residential sector, working for both householders and developers and extends to the equine market, working with many of the key players in flat racing.

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00:00 Introduction

00:53 AJ's Early Roots in Architectural Technology

01:43 Growing Up Around Practice

02:22 Following Dad’s Footsteps

02:38 AJ's Typical Week Today

03:41 Hands On With Details

04:06 Working On vs In Business

04:45 Learning When To Say No

05:29 Approaching Work Challenges

06:48 What AJ Loves Most

08:00 Problem Solving Mindset

09:06 People Skills in the Industry

11:12 Playing to Team Strengths

12:48 The Case For Charging More

13:45 Profit and Pricing Reality

15:11 Talking Fees With the Team

17:53 Peer Support and Community

19:21 The Added Challenge For Sole Practitioners

20:32 Common Myth About Architectural Technology

23:20 AJ's Favourite Work App's

25:42 AJ's Main Takeaway

27:01 Architectural Technology Apprenticeships

28:10 Wrap Up

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Key Takeaways

Learn when to say no

AJ admits he has always struggled to turn down opportunities. He sees something promising and jumps straight in, which has sometimes worked against him. Over time, he has learned to step back and think about what saying yes really means — the time, the money, and whether the client is a good match. Not every opportunity is the right one, and sometimes it's better to pass it on to someone else.

Charge more — and don't forget profit

AJ believes most professionals in the industry are undercharging, sometimes by a lot. He points out that people often just multiply their hours by an hourly rate without properly thinking about profit. Profit is key in running a business, and if it isn't built into your fees, you could spend months working only to find out you've barely broken even. His advice: sit down, look at your real costs, review past projects, and be honest about whether your fees are high enough.

Talk to people — it's how you learn and grow

AJ's main takeaway from the conversation is simple: it's good to talk. If you don't talk to people, you won't get work. If you don't talk to people, you won't learn. He points out that sole practitioners in particular can end up sitting in an echo chamber with no one to bounce ideas off. Talking to other professionals — about fees, about technical problems, about how other businesses run — helps you spot what you're doing well and what you might want to change. Peer support, he says, is something you can't do without.

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Connect with AJ Fleet on LinkedIn