Working on one of London’s landmark residential development projects, Cassie Pashley tells us about what inspired her to a career in the new homes sector and what she enjoys about her role on the Canary Wharf site.
Please tell us a little about yourself and your current role.
My name is Cassie Pashley and I am a design manager at Canary Wharf Contractors (CWCL) working at its latest development, Wood Wharf. I am currently managing the design of a 28-storey residential block, as part of the larger Wood Wharf development the new district at Canary Wharf, as well as the Canary Wharf’s commercial marketing suite.
Design management bridges design and construction and is the management of the overall design process and delivery of information for CWCL projects. Design managers need to have a range of skills, from being well-organised, with strong interpersonal and leadership skills, to being well-grounded and able to engage with design development in order to deliver maximum value. In a nutshell, my main objective is to keep the project on budget and on programme, however many meetings, coffees and chocolates it takes to keep the team on track!
Tell us about Wood Wharf.
Wood Wharf is the new residential district at Canary Wharf. Situated on 23 acres of reclaimed land, the site has been master-planned by Allies and Morrison Architects and will welcome up to 3,600 new homes, two million square feet of commercial space, 490,000 sq ft of retail space, eight acres of public spaces, plazas and parks. Amongst this will sit lively high streets, boutique shopping malls, a collection of public art, an NHS surgery and a two-form primary school for 420 children.
What education/job route has brought you to this position?
I studied Architectural Technology at university, within the built environment school. It was a sandwich course that gave me one year’s work experience and designed to cover multiple aspects of construction including; construction technology, integrated design, planning and surveying, contract administration and building services.
After university I completed a graduate training scheme with a large construction company before moving to Canary Wharf Contractors. At CWCL I have been fortunate to receive further training and have had many opportunities to widen my experience. I initially started work on One Bank Street; a large and complicated commercial project. In the last two years I joined the team at Wood Wharf, one of the most challenging mixed-use developments in London with different types and scales of buildings, at all stages of construction.
What part of the job do you find most exciting and satisfying?
Construction is very satisfying, in the way that it provides an end product. After all the hard work, developing concept designs into something practical and then managing the delivery and construction, we get to stand back and look at a building with family and friends saying ‘We built that; this is my legacy’. It’s a fantastic feeling to be able to walk around a finished product and see how drawings and schedule come to life.
Has your interest in design always centred on buildings?
No. As a child I always had a very creative mind and active imagination, but I never knew what I wanted to do. I remember asking my dad one night, what sort of career advice he could offer. Following the usual ‘do what you love’, he asked what I’d like to change about the world and what I’d like to leave behind as my legacy. Then I knew I wanted to create homes for the homeless, schools for people to learn and hospitals for those who were sick.
How does your job lead to interacting with other teams, on- and offsite?
As a design manager within an integrated development and delivery company, I interact with a wide range of other professionals from the internal business development team, architects and engineers, to the trade contractors out on site. As part of this process, there are progress meetings and design workshops, factory visits, mock-ups and testing. Onsite, I liaise with the project managers and the contractors to assist in coordinating delivery and ensure an efficient exchange of information. My job is very social in that respect.
Are there any current or previous projects where you are especially proud of your input?
I am very proud of all of my projects; from helping to deliver a local schools and working on the Olympic Aquatic Centre and Stadium, to now working for Canary Wharf on the development of the Estate.
The great thing about Wood Wharf is its focus on sustainability. People often talk now about sustainability as a new idea, but for all the residential buildings here, it is going to be the norm. It’ll be a new way of living that is about being clean, environmentally friendly, full of natural habitats, gardens, green roofs. Wood Wharf has all of that. It doesn’t feel like being in the centre of London. It’s by the water, feels very outdoorsy, fresh, and yet, you’re still part of the Estate and all its hustle and bustle. It’s a beacon of sustainability, and hopefully an inspiration to future developments of similar scale.
Have you had mentors and met inspiring people during your career?
Since leaving university, I have always made a point of surrounding myself with approachable and inspiring people. I have been offered mentors through company schemes and I have also found my own mentors. For me, it is important to get advice and converse with people you see as a good role model for what you want to become. They have always offered a great insight into their roles and encouraged me to be the best version of myself.
What ambitions do you have in further training and job roles?
I am filled with ambition and self-development. Canary Wharf offer lots of career opportunities and training courses; I will no doubt be reviewing my career plan and requesting something again this year, during my appraisal with my line manager. Design management is a good basis for further development in the industry because we experience the whole process from concept to completion. Perhaps I could go into the development manager role next, so that I can get more involved in the business as a developer.
The construction industry has a reputation for being quite male-dominated. Do you agree?
Canary Wharf Group takes the hiring of women in construction particularly seriously. There are so many amazing opportunities for women here; from marketing to crane drivers. But the old-fashioned view of construction – the builder’s bum and men whistling at women from the scaffold – is absolute rubbish.
What’s your advice to young designers about working in the property industry?
It’s a hard job, trying to manage so many different expectations and visions for the same thing. However, if you can find satisfaction in the challenge and surround yourself with amazing people, who inspire you to be the best version of yourself, you’re doing the right thing!
What’s been your best day at Wood Wharf so far?
It was early spring. The sun was rising and I had just got into the office. I remember looking out of the window across the water and seeing the building I am working on being built, literally seeing it coming out of the ground. It was so rewarding.
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