14 - 08 - 2026

At BPTW we are proud to take on apprentices, Briza and Ben have both recently finished their Part 2 qualifications and are graduating this year.

Joining back in 2021, Briza has been working closely alongside the team at BPTW and mentored by Olivia Pfiel; Briza states: I’m especially grateful to Olivia Pfeil, who mentored me throughout the course. Olivia was incredibly supportive, always taking the time to offer guidance and feedback.

Briza describes her time at BPTW:

‘I’m looking forward to continuing my development at BPTW, taking on greater responsibility across a range of residential and mixed-use projects while working towards qualification as an architect…my experience as a Part 2 has really strengthened my confidence in developing projects from concept through to detailed design while balancing technical and environmental considerations.’

BPTW’s collaborative value has been an important part of Briza’s experience at the University of Cambridge and BPTW. Briza notes that the collaborative nature of the course bought  together academia and professional practice that allowed her to apply learnings directly to her work at BPTW; creating a highly collaborative, enriching experience.

Brizas Dissertation titled: ‘The Civic Gateway’, explored how architecture can strengthen the relationship between tourism, local culture and everyday city life. The proposal reimagined a visitor information centre for Cambridge as a civic and cultural hub, creating a welcoming gateway that supports both visitors and the local community through flexible public spaces and sustainable design.

In 2023, BPTW supported Ben in undertaking the Level 7 Architects Degree Apprenticeship at the University of Nottingham, enabling him to continue working within Onur Osman’s team while studying towards his Part 2 qualification. Throughout the programme, Ben demonstrated BPTW’s Passionate and Creative values through both his project work and academic research, graduating with a First-Class degree in July 2026.

Ben’s dissertation, A Free Space to Dwell: The Adaptive Reuse of Torquay Pavilion, explored how historic buildings can be adapted to remain relevant and valuable to the communities they serve.

Discussing the project, Ben said:

“My dissertation explored how these historic buildings can be adapted to remain relevant to the communities they serve. An initial body of research documented and analysed all thirty surviving British seaside pavilions, identifying how they have evolved over time and distilling these findings into a set of design principles for their future adaptation.”

The quality and impact of Ben’s research has led to a recommendation for submission to an academic journal focused on community infrastructure, while the design proposal will be presented to Torbay Council this summer as part of its ongoing feasibility work for the future of the site.

Speaking about the apprenticeship, Ben said:

“The apprenticeship has been a fantastic opportunity to meet and work alongside other apprentices from a wide range of practices. Learning how different offices operate and hearing about the variety of live projects they are involved in has been particularly valuable. The course itself was well organised, with supportive and engaged tutors throughout.”

Briza and Ben will both continue their professional development at BPTW, alongside their respective universities as they continue their Part 3 studies and qualifications as ultimately, qualifying as architects.

Ben and Briza, pictured at the beginning of their apprenticeships

Ben and Briza, pictured in 2026