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Just last week, the firm won an architectural competition to redevelop a 9ha plant for JCB鈥檚 owner, Sir Anthony Bamford, who with his family is worth a cool 拢1.9bn and ranks 34th in the Sunday Times rich list 2008. Talk about friends in high places.

Even before that, the practice maintained its own celeb status over a full five years by being regularly featured on Channel Four as the architectural mainstay of Kevin McCloud鈥檚 campaign to regenerate the town of Castleford in West Yorkshire.

鈥淥ur footbridge in Castleford took five years to develop because our first scheme using floating pontoons was killed off by British Waterways,鈥� says a slightly regretful Renato Benedetti. 鈥淏ut we were constantly surprised about how much Channel Four simplified the project for the TV. They just focused on personalities, not the design or technology.鈥�

And what about the on and off-screen antics of architectural celebrity Kevin McCloud? 鈥淗e only asks a few questions about a building, and he always makes up a narrative about them,鈥� comments Jonathan. 鈥淗e鈥檚 very easy to get along with, but he doesn鈥檛 buy the drinks.鈥�

Kevin McCloud is very easy to get along with, but
he doesn鈥檛 buy the drinks

On the subject of drinking, the practice鈥檚 office, which lies two blocks east of the young designer ghetto of Hoxton, conveniently comes with its own pub just across the road. 鈥淭he pubs around Hoxton Square are too trendy,鈥� says Tabitha. 鈥淚 like this one 鈥� it鈥檚 one of the old school. Sitting here, you could be in EastEnders.鈥�

鈥淚t does really good bangers and mash on Fridays,鈥� chips in Sarah.

鈥淎nd really good homemade burgers at only 拢6,鈥� adds Ana, before pining audibly for the seafood and sun of her native Lisbon. But that hasn鈥檛 stopped her recently jetting off to somewhere even colder and more remote from the sea 鈥� a Swiss spa.

Conversation then turns to the fact that, other than the two founding partners and a year-out student, Matt, the practice is entirely populated by women. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we tried to redress the balance by hiring Matt in August,鈥� says Jonathan.

We get five or six cvs a day. Very qualified architects looking for work. It鈥檚 quite sad

Not that the practice is without its applicants. 鈥淲e get five or six CVs a day,鈥� says Tabitha. 鈥淎nd since the TV series, a lot more. These are very qualified architects looking for work. I think it鈥檚 quite sad.鈥�

鈥淲e made a commitment to reply to every applicant,鈥� comments Renato. 鈥淪o when you get five a day, that can be quite difficult.鈥�

Yet once Bamford鈥檚 grand mixed-use legacy project in Uttoxeter kicks in, McDowell + Benedetti should be doing its bit to lower unemployment in architecture and construction.