My Â鶹ÊÓƵ Story: Constructing a graduate urban design career with Josephine Bruford
July 23, 2025
Josephine, a graduate urban designer, shares how she contributes to creating impactful, future-ready housing schemes
In the My Â鶹ÊÓƵ Story series, our designers, engineers, marketers, project managers, and leaders come together to share how their career journeys at Â鶹ÊÓƵ have shaped their lives and moved them closer to their goals.
Tell us about your role¡
I¡¯m a graduate urban designer within Â鶹ÊÓƵ¡¯s Masterplanning team. I contribute to the design and development of sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready urban environments. My role involves supporting senior designers and planners in delivering masterplans for a wide range of projects, from small-scale housing schemes to larger mixed-use developments. So far, I¡¯ve been involved in various stages of the design process, from site analysis and concept development to producing documents that effectively communicate our vision to clients and stakeholders. It's a dynamic role that helps me strengthen my core design skills but gain knowledge by working within multidisciplinary teams.
What attracted you to a career at Â鶹ÊÓƵ?
My career path into urban design has been a natural progression, shaped by my passion for creating better places. Working on a bachelor of science in geography and planning at Cardiff sparked my interest in how and why places are designed. This led to an masters of sciences in urban design at Manchester, where I deepened my understanding of masterplanning. I discovered Â鶹ÊÓƵ¡¯s global impact through standout projects and career research, making it the ideal next step to apply my foundation in a collaborative, forward-thinking environment.
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How has your personal and professional development been supported at Â鶹ÊÓƵ?
So far, the graduate programme has provided valuable training that¡¯s helped me build on transferable skills, benefiting both my role and personal growth. My team has supported me with discipline-specific training and guidance, which has been especially valuable as I find learning on the job most effective. It¡¯s also been valuable to speak with colleagues in the office who are working towards their professional chartership, something I aim to pursue after completing my first year in the role.
What has been the standout project for you during your time at Â鶹ÊÓƵ?
One of the most interesting projects I¡¯ve worked on involved creating four vision documents for two adjacent sites, each with two development scenarios¡ªone for leisure and one for residential uses. I helped design diagrams to show how each proposal would work and compiled contextual information to highlight the site¡¯s potential. The contrasting schemes made it exciting to explore different design approaches and collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to present compelling, tailored options to the client.
I¡¯m keen to contribute to projects that deliver meaningful impact, especially those focused on social value and innovation.
What are your ambitions for your future at Â鶹ÊÓƵ?
I¡¯m looking forward to continuing my journey at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, with opportunities to grow both professionally and personally. I¡¯m keen to contribute to projects that deliver meaningful impact, especially those focused on social value and innovation. I¡¯d love to gain experience on international projects as well, if the opportunity arises. Looking ahead, my key career milestones are to become a Chartered Member of the RTPI (Royal Town Planning Institute) and a Recognised Practitioner with the Urban Design Group.
What are your passions outside of work?
Outside of work, I like to stay active through regular Pilates practice and running, which help me maintain a healthy balance. I also enjoy travelling and exploring new places, both in the UK and abroad, where I can immerse myself in different environments and cultures. Having grown up in the countryside and now living in London, I now enjoy both the hustle and bustle of the city as well as returning to the tranquility of the countryside.
Why should others join the Â鶹ÊÓƵ team?
Since joining Â鶹ÊÓƵ, I¡¯ve seen a strong emphasis on personal and professional development. Through graduate events and working across different offices, I¡¯ve been able to connect with colleagues from a range of disciplines. This supportive environment encourages professional growth and presents challenges that have helped me step outside of my comfort zone. I¡¯ve also appreciated the approachable nature of both peers and senior colleagues, and I look forward to continuing to grow my career here.
At Â鶹ÊÓƵ, we put people first. For Josephine, as a graduate urban designer, it means having a meaningful impact on creating sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready urban environments with a team of like-minded colleagues.
