Barcelona Mum

Charmaine Lay - architect/interior designer

- When did you set up architectural practice?
I started architectural practice together with Carles Muro in 1995 when we won our first competition for a public building. I had recently arrived from London to a Barcelona that was immersed in the post-Olympic recession so we saw this as a great opportunity to participate in as many architectural ideas competitions as we could. We won the first competition that we participated in and built it.
Over the last decade my practice has worked on the design of many public administration projects such as the new Municipal Market and Public Square in the centre of Inca (Mallorca) or the Public Health Centre in Castellar del Vallès. My work with my other partner (Santi Soto) focuses mainly on projects from the private sector (residential and commercial).

- What kind of projects do you offer?
We design and oversee the construction of projects of all scales: interior design (residential, commercial, corporate…), the renovation and refurbishment of existing buildings, one family houses, singular buildings, town planning and furniture design.
Illustrating this diversity is the fact that at this moment we are finishing the construction of an important 16,000m² public building in Mallorca, we have recently finished the construction of two luxury one-family houses in Sant Cugat and are simultaneously designing a 4m² bathroom in the Born district in Barcelona. Also, our shelving system for books, “Perec”, is produced and marketed by Puntmobles (www.puntmobles.es).

- In your opinion, why do you think someone should use you as opposed to any other based in Barcelona?
I believe that we are very good designers. We are passionate about what we do. We are contemporary designers, who believe that in refurbishment projects our intervention must enhance and emphasize any original valuable features of a space. We believe that in a well designed space the old and the new mutually enhance each other
I am British -born and educated in London- and my partners are Catalans, I have worked as a registered architect in Spain for 15 years and we all have extensive experience of designing and running jobs in Spain.
I have worked both in Britain and in Spain and have a deep understanding of both Northern and Southern European cultures. This means that my office is a good choice for English speaking clients who are interested in good design and who would like to realize a project here.
Having been immersed in life in Catalunya for a decade and a half, I feel that I have become a sort of hybrid, and am as comfortable in Spain as I am working at home in London. We know how to move within the public administration system here; we know how it works and what its strengths and limitations are. The fact that my partners are Catalan-Spanish helps enormously, particularly when we deal with planning permission applications at the councils of tiny villages.


- What are the pros and cons of being an architect based in Barcelona?
I first came to Barcelona as a student to work in an office for a year of practice in 1990 and was involved with one of the Olympic Village projects. I fell in love with the architecture and the way of working here and so I decided to return after finishing my studies in London. I think the greatest advantage has been the fact that Barcelona has given me the opportunity to work on a large-scale projects that would have been impossible for me to have access to in Britain at that time. For instance, we won and designed a sector of the Barcelona’s New Marine Zoo in the Forum area (this project is now awaiting the go-ahead) and we have also been commissioned important town planning projects in Barcelona.
The disadvantages are that there are very many architects registered in Catalonia and I think that architecture has become progressively less valued by the public administration which is having an enormous impact on the overall quality of architecture here.


- How have you found juggling your life as an architect with that of being a mother?
My life as an architect encompasses practicing as an architect in my office as well as teaching (I teach Interior Design). Before my daughter was born, I would easily work a twelve hour day minimum. On competition entry days we could work a non-stop 48 hour day. When Emma was born there was an overlap between “architect time” and “mummy time”. For example, I was overseeing the construction of a refurbishment project at the time of her birth and although I managed to take a couple of weeks off immediately after the birth to recover from the c-section, I soon found myself back on site having a conversation with the carpenter with a noisy baby hanging between us in a Baby Bjorn carrier, or having to tell the stonemason, “excuse me but I have to breast feed the baby” and doing so in a quiet corner of the building site while he waited for us to finish.
Emma’s needs have influenced a restructuring and reorganization of my working day. I am so much more efficient now than before she was born.
I was lucky because it is possible for me to do both things at the same time (except for when I am teaching). This overlap also means that I often work at home once Emma is in bed. Our home was designed by me taking into account the fact that I often work there.
The beautiful thing about architecture is that it can and should be shaped to fit around our everyday lives.
Emma is growing up in an environment full of architecture (my partner is also an architect and my business partner), so somehow it feels natural for her to participate in and enjoy our world too.

- What do you think has been the most challenging aspect of being a working mum so far?
I had always imagined that when we sent Emma to nursery life would become instantly easier. The transition took just a little longer than we had naïvely imagined, but now that she has settled in and has finally built her immunity to all those childhood illnesses they pick up, things have fallen into place.
I think that the most challenging thing about being a working mum is finding that balance between work and baby. It is necessary for me to be flexible about my working hours. I count myself lucky to run my own office and not having to work the typical Spanish day which is I think is totally family un-friendly, although I often work into the small hours.

- How do you deal with the stress of being a very busy working mum?
I realized that it was simply a matter of taking deep breaths, not panicking and good organization. Somehow things fall into place if you have an organizational structure and it does all get done. So I’m much more ‘relaxed’ now because even though I know that I will spend a few nights working late, it’s not something that I’m not used to dealing with
My first architecture tutor at university told us that we could expect to work a minimum of a twelve hour day for the rest of our lives. We were completely shocked to hear such a thing, but he was right! Architecture school and the many years of working hard and sleeping little to build a practice has well prepared me to deal with being a mother as well as running my business and teaching.


- What advice would you give to others in the same situation?
Don’t panic and take many deep breaths. As I mentioned before, the most helpful thing for me has been organization and structure. Once that is more-or-less in place somehow everything else falls into place too.
If you are like us and don’t have an extended family structure to help you, it really is necessary to try to build a “team” of trustworthy babysitters. Even if you don’t need to use them often, it’s necessary to know that you will have someone available for last minute blips if necessary. It takes a little time, but it makes things so much easier in the long run.


- How did you find the process of setting up a business in Barcelona?
The process was relatively easy because just before winning our first competition I simply made sure that I my title was recognized here in Spain (this took six months and a trip to the Foreign Office in London to stamp my diplomas) and then registered as an architect with the Institute of Architects of Catalonia (COAC). I followed their guidelines for becoming a practicing architect and began to work legally.


- What do you think are the most challenging aspects of having a Spanish business?
Sometimes it has been difficult believing that things will work out well in the end and that the struggle is worth continuing. I think it’s not so much to do with having a Spanish business as having an architectural practice. Simply running an office is challenging, but it would be so wherever the office might be based.


- How does working in Catalunya compare to working in the UK?
I have not had my own practice as such in the UK, although I have worked in good offices there and I am currently running a couple of projects there. I think that generally people work many more hours here compared to in the UK, although when running one’s own business, one tends to work for as many hours as are necessary.


- What are your long-term goals personally & professionally?
Professionally, I am particularly interested in finding more high-quality commissions, of all scales, from private clients. I think that we have a lot to offer to the English speaking community and so an important goal is to expand our business into that specific market.
Personally, I simply want to continue having a happy family-life and to be a better than good mother and architect.


- How can people find you?
Mobile: 617.845.914
Email: clay@coac.net
I am on the list of registered architects at the Col.legi Oficial d’Arquitectes de Catalunya (www.coac.net)
We are working on our web site and will announce it on the forum when it becomes active. In the meantime, if anybody is interested in knowing our work, I can send examples.
(Sep 09)