For many university is the last platform from which they will have the freedom to let their imagination soar and hopefully they will learn a way of thinking that you don’t have the opportunity to learn in practice. A way of thinking that will make them stand out an be able to take a strong sense of identity forward. There is a huge gap between university and practice and they should NOT be compared. Often schools that pride themselves on detailing do so because it’s the default position when you cannot compete with the creativity of schools like Westminster, the Bartlett and the AA.

There are many skills that any graduate doesn’t have but you have the rest of your career to learn about budget, programme and buildability. The platform of university affords conditions that should not be wasted by working to the confines of practice pragmatics.

I am a firm believer that imagination is far greater than knowledge and even more so in modern times with an internet of information available literally at your fingertips.

The problem with architecture today is the quality of architecture schools. Many are willing to pass students who have very low standards and have developed very basic schemes with little or no imagination – just to keep fee-payers on courses.

James has done a first class job with many valuable skills and a very distinct style and I am sure he will go on to have a very fruitful career.

If heritage grains become more commonly grown, then the cost of thatching straw could drop significantly and one day make this kind of project viable. Hats off to James. The more thinking like this the better!