When you’re at university, just beginning the journey of building your career, you’re often looking for guidance from someone who’s already made it. For the students presenting their design work at the End-of-Year Architecture Showcase, there was no better way to open the event than with a lecture from Steven McKay – Strathclyde alumnus and CEO of the world’s tenth-largest architecture firm.
McKay spoke fondly of his time studying architecture at the University of Strathclyde, not only because it’s where he made lifelong friends but because he gained a solid foundation in how things go together. Exploring the subject practically, not just in theory, is something he has found invaluable throughout his career.
With the current challenges facing graduates in the job market, McKay’s journey feels especially relatable. Like many, he was working in bars after completing his undergraduate degree. Where many of his friends found jobs abroad and moved to places like Singapore and Hong Kong, McKay eventually found work in Glasgow’s city design section. However, after a year, he returned to Strathclyde to complete his postgraduate studies.
After graduating, McKay applied for 158 jobs around the world, in countries he thought he might like to live in. “I sat on Farrell’s fax machine every night for a few weeks and sent faxes for jobs. I had 38 replies. Of the 38, a third offered me an interview,” he recalled.
Eventually, he accepted a position with a small British practice, the Michael Carter Partnership, and moved to Montego Bay, Jamaica. There, he spent two and a half years “working on everything from ice factories still using blueprints, to multi-million-dollar buildings, and even a golf course.” One lesson from this period has stayed with him throughout his career: “If you do a design drawing and you can’t figure out how to build it, then nobody can build it.”
That experience laid the foundation for his next move—one that would shape the rest of his career. With the money he made in Jamaica, McKay took a year to travel, eventually landing in the United States, where DLR Group became the first and only company he ever worked for in the US. It is where he built an impressive portfolio and career. “I’ve built miniature airport terminals where you can buy a triple set of jets. I’ve built millions of square feet of roof-filled shopping malls, luxury hotels. I’ve built the Oscars Theater for the Oscars in Hollywood.”
For McKay, being an architect has never been just about getting a job; it has always been about building a career. That is also the advice he passes on to current students: “Invest in yourself, in your own career, not just in a job. A job is a different thing. A career should pay you back. The firm should be able to pay you back.”
“I love, and always have loved, the purpose and value of being an architect. That’s all I ever really wanted.”
So, what does it mean to be an architect? To get to the answer that is relevant to you, you need to self-reflect.
“I’ve always self-reflected’ says McKay, it ‘is a huge power.” This habit of introspection didn’t just shape his own development — it also became a catalyst for change at an organisational level. It is what led him to help transform DLR Group’s design culture, from a primarily service-oriented business to one centered on the value of design.
For McKay and DLR Group, the value of the architect’s role is built on the belief in elevating the human experience through design, and in the idea that the power of our community is to make people’s lives better.
As he addressed students, McKay emphasised that, when starting out in your career, the two least relevant questions you should be asking at a job interview are “What’s the salary?” and “What projects will I get to work on?”
“Instead, ask about the culture. Who are you going to work with? What does the company stand for? What’s their purpose?”
McKay also addressed the growing presence of AI in the industry—an “incredibly powerful” tool, but one he doesn’t see replacing architects anytime soon.
What AI lacks, he says, is emotion. “Design is emotion,” says McKay. “As you design buildings, you shape lives and evoke feelings. If it’s a home, maybe it’s safety. If it’s a church, maybe it’s reverence. If it’s a stadium, it’s excitement.”
“You should want to create emotion in the work that you do. That’s its base value. Anything else above that is icing on the cake.”
McKay’s talk was not only inspirational but also rich in practical advice, earning enthusiastic applause from the audience. After the lecture, attendees, were invited to a reception with drinks and an opening address by Professor Tim Sharpe, followed by a viewing of the Strathclyde Architecture Department’s End-of-Year Show.
The exhibition is being held in the Mary Dunn Wing of the university’s Learning and Teaching Building and will remain open until 6 June.
Across several rooms, the showcase features architectural design projects from students in all five years of study. The work is accompanied by information boards that clearly communicate each student’s concept, design thinking, and research.
The show offers more than just an opportunity for students to present their work, it also fosters collaboration between year groups, allowing newer students to gain insight into the expectations and possibilities of later stages in the course.
It’s a celebration of creativity, achievement, and potential, highlighting the emerging talent that will shape the built environment of the future. Many of the projects stand out for their thoughtful consideration of sustainability, showing a deep awareness of architecture’s role in addressing global challenges.
Hi, I’m Julia Braun Raven, a second-year Journalism, Media & Creative Writing student. I’m co-Editor-in-Chief and Features Editor, and I love creating stories that matter to students, inspiring them, supporting what they’re passionate about, and celebrating their achievements. I’m especially interested in arts, culture, and student life, and I enjoy bringing energy, curiosity, and a love of storytelling to every piece I work on.
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