Episode Details

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

Lauren Winfield MCIAT on Studying Architectural Technology and Designing Healthcare Spaces

Host Jon Clayton MCIAT interviews Lauren Winfield MCIAT, a Chartered Architectural Technologist and co-chair of the CIAT Western Region aspiration Group, about her route into Architectural Technology, her non-linear career path, and her current healthcare work. Lauren discovered the profession via the CIAT website. She found university overwhelming due to the volume of new information, self-imposed pressure, and disruption from the global pandemic, but highlights the value of embracing the challenge and the field’s variety beyond “just drawings.” She explains her motivation to design buildings with purpose and impact, shares her experiences working on diverse healthcare projects (from refurbishments and temporary units to hospitals), and recalls handing over an ICU refurbishment two weeks into the pandemic. Lauren advocates for greater understanding that Architectural Technology is inclusive, encourages more women into the sector, and outlines how the aspiration Group supports students and early-career professionals through mentoring, events, and connections.

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Lauren Winfield MCIAT

Lauren Winfield is a Chartered Architectural Technologist & the Co-Chair of the CIAT Western Region aspirATion group supporting students and those newly qualified in Architectural Technology.

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00:00 Meet Lauren Winfield MCIAT

00:38 Finding Architectural Technology

01:31 Challenges Studying Architectural Technology

03:34 Overwhelm and Learning Curve

05:27 Advice for New Architectural Technology Students

07:27 Designing With Purpose

09:43 A Typical Week as an Architectural Technologist

11:34 Life in Healthcare Projects

14:16 Pandemic ICU Story

15:13 Women in Architectural Technology

19:00 Lauren's Favourite Piece of Tech

20:02 Key Takeaways and Getting Involved

21:40 CIAT Aspiration Group

22:49 How to Connect and Wrap Up

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Embrace the challenge — the path won't be straight

Lauren's journey through Architectural Technology wasn't a smooth line. It had ups and downs, moments of doubt, and even a global pandemic thrown in the middle. She put a lot of pressure on herself and often felt she had to prove herself to others. But she says the challenge is part of what makes it worthwhile — "where's the fun in it being easy?" Her advice is to push through the hard parts, because the other side of that effort is amazing. The learning never stops, and every day brings something new.

Buildings are about people, not just structures

Lauren always wanted to design with a purpose. Rather than grand houses, she chose healthcare buildings — spaces that save lives. She describes the feeling of handing a building over to the people who will use it as "gold." Her ICU project was handed over just two weeks into the pandemic and was used for exactly what it was designed for from day one. She reminds us that a building is not just about how it looks from the outside — it's about what life feels like for the people inside it. Spaces can outlive the people who design them, and whole lives unfold within them.

The profession is for everyone

Lauren often sits in meetings as the only woman at the table, but she's proud to be there. She wants people to know that Architectural Technology doesn't belong to any one group — it's open to all ages, genders, and backgrounds. She's already seeing the shift, with more women entering the field and a more balanced split among new graduates. Her message is simple: don't let anyone tell you this isn't for you. Get involved, take every chance that comes your way, and use the support networks that exis