Tea with... Darren Wright
It’s been six months since our Birmingham office launched back in May, marking the start of Darren Wright’s journey with us as Location Director. We recently sat down with Darren at the office, then ventured around the city to enjoy a cup of tea at one of his favorite local spots.
We first met with Darren at our Birmingham office and asked how the team has settled in over the past six months. It’s clear he takes pride in their progress and the collaborative spirit they’ve fostered since opening. Reflecting on the team’s journey, Darren shared how quickly they’ve built a solid foundation together:
“The team has settled in really well; it was great to be able to bring my colleagues from or our previous team as we knew how each other worked and they all settled straight away. Since then, we have added experienced senior electrical and mechanical engineers to the team, which has complimented the current engineers technically and formed a great atmosphere. The most rewarding part for me is going from nothing in April to having a new office and building a team in a short space of time, it’s also great getting out and representing the brand and building our presence within the region.”
Team & Culture
Darren’s team brings a wealth of expertise, with each member contributing unique perspectives from various sectors, including residential, commercial, and healthcare. This blend of local knowledge and industry-wide experience has allowed the Birmingham office to cover a broad range of disciplines, from mixed-use developments and office fit-outs to purpose-built student accommodation. The team are also looking toward the future by investing in new talent. As Darren shared, fostering young talent and welcoming experienced professionals are key priorities as the office continues to grow:
“Now we have built the core of the team around experienced members we are currently in the process of bringing in our first trainee engineer to the office, investing in the future of a local young person to become the next generation of WW engineer, nurturing young talent has been so successful across our other offices. Additionally, we’re always looking to hear from exceptional engineers who are looking to further themselves and who want to join a company that puts its people at the forefront as we are seeing growth across the business.”
Ongoing Projects
Before heading off through the town centre, we talked more with Darren about the projects the team is tackling locally and beyond. The Birmingham office has quickly established itself in the region, with projects like the Digbeth High Street redevelopment and the highly anticipated Smithfield development bringing new opportunities to shape the city.
“Locally, we’ve just delivered a stage 3 design for Digbeth High Street, which will transform the local area. We are also privileged to be involved in the Smithfield development, and we are eagerly awaiting the next phase of design to begin. This will be an iconic centerpiece for the city centre and it’s a prestigious project for us to be involved in.
Away from Birmingham we have been providing resource on the Monklands Replacement Project which is a marque project for the company so we are more than happy we can assist on that, and we have also been working on a large project at a Life Sciences Campus in Cambridge!”
Looking ahead
Leaving the comfort of the office, we headed toward the town center, strolling through St. Paul’s Square in the Jewellery Quarter and enjoying the autumn sights. Eventually, we made our way to Java Roastery’s new location on Charlotte Street. Over tea, we asked Darren what’s next on the horizon for the Birmingham team.
Darren shared some recent highlights, including their success at the Healthcare Estates conference in Manchester and upcoming plans for more industry events and awards season:
“We’ve recently attended the Healthcare Estates conference in Manchester, it was the first year we’ve had a stand and proved to be a successful few days talking about our healthcare expertise, so much so we have already booked for next year, additionally after attending UKREiiF in Leeds earlier this year I will be attending again in 2025.
More locally, its awards and black-tie season so I will be at the Insider Property Awards on the 7th of November and then the CBISE dinner on the 8th.”
Future Goals
After finishing our tea, we headed back to the office to wrap up the day. As the Birmingham office approaches its six-month mark, we were eager to hear Darren’s vision for the future. With such strong initial growth, we wanted to know what’s next for the team—both in terms of expansion and the kinds of projects they aim to take on. Darren shared his goals for establishing Wallace Whittle as a trusted name in the Midlands, matching the high standards the company is known for across the UK. He also highlighted the sectors where the Birmingham office is seeing the most momentum and outlined their commitment to new growth areas:
“We expect to see continued growth in the residential sector, working in partnership with our established clients whilst seeing growth with new clients. I’m really proud of my team and the impact we’ve made so far here in Birmingham, and I’m excited to see that grow further.”
As Wallace Whittle continues to grow, we invite you to explore current career opportunities with us. If you’re interested in joining a dynamic and forward-thinking team, or if you have a project that could benefit from our expertise, we encourage you to get in touch.
For more information on job openings in Birmingham or to discuss your next project, please contact Darren Wright directly at [email protected]
