5 minutes with … Brian Connolly at HOK

2025-06-27T06:00:00

The firm’s regional leader for science and technology in London on hearing about scientific breakthroughs made in HOK-designed buildings, keeping work and home life separate, why his decades-old bike will never be stolen and his love of local food festivals

Why did you choose construction as a career?

Architecture has fascinated me since I was a kid, driven by a natural passion for drawing and design. Watching my father – a carpenter in the construction industry – work with such precision and creativity inspired my love for design and craftsmanship.

I was fortunate to attend a progressive technical school in Dublin, where I studied engineering, science and art. My technical drawing teacher, a retired architect, had a significant influence on me and encouraged me to apply for an architectural engineering course in London, which ultimately set me on my career path.

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