Meet James Lovering

RRA Architects > Meet James Lovering

James Lovering

Architectural Assistant

 

I was originally born in Devon but spent the first few years of my childhood living in Cyprus. We then returned to the UK in 2006, where I have lived in Cheltenham ever since, other than when I went to university at Sheffield Hallam, where I gained my bachelor’s degree in architecture. I have recently moved back to Cheltenham to work at RRA while also studying my part II degree apprenticeship at UWE part time. 

 

Why do I want to be an Architect?
I have always been interested with construction, as a child I would enjoy playing with Legos and construction sets and I’ve always had a strong interest with 3D Modelling. While at school, I would produce models of local buildings for Google Earth which could be downloaded and viewed publicly. After gaining some work experience at an architecture practice during my A-levels, it confirmed that it was something I would want to pursue as a career. I‘ve also watched most of the episodes of Grand Designs which I’m sure had an influence on my decision! I also quite enjoy the initial design processes involved.

 

How did I end up joining RRA?
During my second year of university, I decided I wanted to gain work experience during the Summer, after completing my deadlines over Christmas I applied to RRA after admiring their work around the Cheltenham area. I was intrigued by the wide range of residential and commercial projects. In my interview, the team came across very friendly and approachable. I joined the team in the summer of 2019 and worked part time during my final year of university before returning the following summer.

 

Where is your favourite place you have visited?
Along with my family, I recently visited Iceland and it was definitely a worthwhile experience. Alongside visiting the famous Blue Lagoon, we travelled around most of the country by car and visited The Great Geyser as well as the Gullfoss waterfalls. I enjoyed the peace and quiet compared to other tourist destinations, even Reykjavik was quiet, which made it a lot more enjoyable exploring the city.

 

If there was a fire what one object would you most want to save from your home (presuming all people and animals are safe of course)?
If there was a fire, I would probably save my desktop since it took so many hours to build by myself and I don’t think I could go through the same process of putting it together again! It’s my main productivity machine and has helped loads with university as well as working from home and I don’t think I could live without it.

 

If you hadn’t gone into Architecture what other career might you have pursued?
I couldn’t really see myself not doing something related to architecture. However, product design has always interested me and if I was given the opportunity, I would probably enjoy designing new products for a large tech firm ….. Apple.

 

What’s my proudest moment?
I don’t think I have a specific moment, but I do feel proud when we are able to exceed our clients expectations. Seeing projects being built, and how my drawings are translated into reality is also quite gratifying. At university, my proudest moment was probably receiving a first-class honours for my final grade, which definitely made it feel worthwhile!

 

What do I do in my spare time?
Fortunately, I live in close proximity Cleeve Hill, so I often enjoy taking long walks across the hill with our family dog, Ellie, a black Labrador who never seems to run out of energy! When I am not outside, I have a keen interest in the latest technology and finding ways to utilise it in the way I work for university and at RRA. I have recently tried my hand at investing in cryptocurrency, although I’m still waiting to make a profit!

 

What is one thing on my bucket list?
Once the pandemic has subsided, I look forward to travelling around Europe and visiting new places. I had originally planned to go interrailing across Europe with friends from university, however this had to be put on hold due to Covid. Hopefully we are able to resume by next year!