Architect; Building Safety & Fire

The construction industry is changing. The impact of AI, the regulatory reset following Grenfell, the housing crisis, and the realities of the climate crisis are reshaping how buildings are conceived, delivered, and managed. In this context, the traditional role of the architect, as it has often been defined, is under pressure. Professional agency has been eroded in parts of the industry, and many architects understandably question where their skills now sit and how they create meaningful value.

At Hollis, we believe that our existing building stock is central to the future of the built environment. This requires a shift towards a more engaged, technically grounded, and realistic understanding of how buildings actually perform over time. It means confronting the complexity of real assets, real constraints, and real risk. Therefore, we are excited to strengthen our Building Safety & Fire team with this new role based in our Glasgow or Edinburgh office.

This role reflects that shift. We value architects for the depth and breadth of skills they bring, including design thinking, iterative problem solving, technical judgement, spatial understanding, and the ability to operate across multiple scales. Just as important is an appreciation of the wider system within which buildings sit, and a willingness to engage in genuinely interdisciplinary thinking.

You will work within the Building Safety and Fire team, while also having access to a range of specialist disciplines across the practice. This environment supports collaboration, critical thinking, and informed decision making, and plays to strengths that many architects already possess but are not always able to use fully.

• Lead or support fire safety strategy development for new and existing buildings
• Conduct fire risk assessments and FRAEW (Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls)
• Prepare and issue EWS1 forms and supporting analysis
• Advise on Planning Gateway One Fire Statements and Safety Cases
• Deliver expert reports and third-party reviews
• Attend site visits and virtual meetings to assess fire safety compliance
• Mentor junior team members and contribute to team development
• Collaborate with other Hollis services to deliver integrated solutions (project management, TDD, Building Forensics, H&S/CDM etc.)

• Degree in Architecture, Fire Engineering, or related discipline
• Experience in building design, construction, or fire safety consultancy
• Familiarity with BS 9991/9999, PAS 9980, SFPE guidelines, and Building Safety Act legislation beneficial
• Strong report writing and stakeholder engagement skills

If you are looking for a clearer sense of purpose, are confident in your professional capability, and want to work with colleagues who take the complexity of the built environment seriously, Hollis is the right place to continue your development.

Our preference is to recruit directly wherever possible. Should this role be approved for support from external recruitment partners, we will contact our PSL agencies accordingly.

Please note that we do not accept unsolicited CVs from agencies. Effective introduction of a candidate will only be accepted if it has been requested to submit CV’s in relation to a specific vacancy. Any speculative submissions will not incur a fee. For any queries, kindly reach out to the appropriate Talent Acquisition team member.

Hollis is a leading independent real estate consultancy. We work with owners, occupiers, developers and funders, across both private and public sectors, to help them get more out of their real estate, at every stage of the property life cycle.

We’re a multi-skilled team of surveyors, engineers, ESG consultants, project managers and technical specialists operating across the UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain and The Netherlands. We have a unique way of working and believe that people do things better by doing them together. We aim to do the right thing, be clear, transparent and find some fun along the way.

We are hardworking, progressive, successful and fun. We’re independently-owned and independently-minded, not afraid to give honest advice or to be ourselves. We aim to achieve…