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April 2017

Brandon Schmidt Profile Photo

Brandon Schmidt

BSc Hons Architectural Technology 2006


1.  Tell us about yourself. 

I am the Head of Technical Department at the Redrow Homes £1.2billion flagship development that is the regeneration of the former Met Police training headquarters, providing in excess of 3,000 new homes, school and community.

2.  What is your fondest memory at Anglia Ruskin University?

Graduating with my fellow students with First Class Honours and collecting the Award for the highest graduating student by the Chartered Institute for Architectural Technologists.

3.  What advice would you give to current students as they're preparing to graduate? 

Revision is key and vitally important to ensure that you can have at least a month of no distractions whatsoever to complete your dissertation.  Well in advance of Graduation it is worth putting your CV out there and contacting companies who offer graduation programmes.  We at Redrow run a very good programme.

4.  What do you know now that you wish you had known whilst you were studying?

What modules were more relevant to what I do.

5.  How did your time at Anglia Ruskin help you? 

As a mature student, my time at ARU, combined with becoming a father made me grow up very quickly and helped me master the art of report writing and how to prioritise workloads and gave me self-confidence.  

6.  What did you love about your chosen course?

I always wanted to be an Architectural Technologist and after a life threatening accident forced me into retraining, I finally got to do the course that I always wanted to attend and enjoyed all of it.

7.  What would you tell someone thinking of studying at ARU? 

It is a great place to learn, which is welcoming and rewarding and given me the tools to become the success that I have in a relatively short period.

8.  In one word how would you describe Anglia Ruskin?

Fantastic.

9.  Who was the biggest influence on your career?

Gil Lewis.

10.  What accomplishment are you most proud of?

Winning the Paul Horan memorial prize for perseverance in adversity in my first year 2003/4.

11.  What advice would you give your younger self?

Never give up and allow sufficient time to revise.

12.  What drives you?

Success and the rewards for my family.

13.  What’s next?

I am due to become a Director of Redrow Homes next year if I continue to achieve my targets.