From Marine Tech to Megaprojects: Navigating Non-Traditional Pathways to CIAT Chartership
The technical disciplines required to design complex structures share a common baseline: precision, regulatory compliance, and structural integrity. For Will Watts, Senior Architectural Technologist at Bailey Partnership, discovering this common ground allowed him to successfully pivot from marine technology to nuclear infrastructure.
We sat down with Will to discuss his non-traditional route into the construction industry, his CIAT chartership, and the reality of technical coordination on one of the world’s largest construction sites.
The Anatomy of a Career Pivot
Will’s trajectory into architectural technology bypasses the traditional academic route, grounding his expertise instead in the rigorous disciplines of naval architecture and marine design. While switching from maritime structures to the built environment appears distinct on the surface, both fields rely on identical core principles: managing complex spatial constraints, interpreting strict regulatory frameworks, and engineering for high-consequence environments.
A pivotal industry placement at a construction consultancy demonstrated how seamlessly these skills translate. By applying the precision required in marine technology to structural and technical interfaces on land, Will identified a direct pathway to qualification, ultimately validating this non-traditional expertise through full CIAT chartership (MCIAT).
“I didn’t take a standard approach to my education,” Will explains. “I started out in marine technology, studying naval architecture. But a placement within a construction consultancy inspired me to shift into the built environment. I haven’t looked back since.”
The transition highlighted an essential truth about modern technical roles: the ability to manage complex interfaces, interpret rigorous safety regulations, and maintain structural precision is highly translatable. For career changers, the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) framework provides a robust path to validate these skills, culminating in Will achieving his full chartership milestone.
Designing for Highly Regulated Environments
Since joining Bailey Partnership, Will has applied this technical foundation directly to our nuclear sector team, spending significant time working on the infrastructure at Hinkley Point C in Somerset.
Working within a tier-one nuclear project introduces layers of complexity that standard commercial developments rarely encounter. Every detail must be safe, beautiful, and fundamentally sound.
“Being able to work on Hinkley Point C – one of the biggest construction sites in the world – has been a standout experience,” says Will. “Walking around a site of that scale and seeing technical elements most people will never see is incredible. What I find most rewarding is knowing that I am producing something that will safely impact thousands of lives.”
To deliver on projects of this magnitude, technical specialists cannot operate in isolation. Will credits Bailey Partnership’s multi-disciplinary framework as a critical factor in managing complex design interfaces.
“When you are dealing with highly technical, high-consequence environments, having immediate access to internal fire engineers, structural teams, and building surveyors is invaluable. You aren’t waiting days for an external consultant to reply to an email; you walk across the office and solve the problem collaboratively.”
Driving the Profession Forward: CIAT Aspiration
Beyond his project delivery workload, Will has taken on an active industry leadership role as the Vice Chair of Aspiration for CIAT. The Aspiration network focuses on supporting students, graduates, and early-career professionals as they progress toward chartership.
The network hosts regional and international trips – including recent visits to Belfast and Bristol, with future plans for Copenhagen – designed to build global technical networks among emerging architectural technologists.
“Aspiration was central to my own professional development,” Will says. “It allows you to build connections with peers worldwide, share technical solutions, and understand how different regions approach design challenges. My advice to anyone pursuing chartership is simple: get involved with your local region and leverage the knowledge of the colleagues around you.”
For Bailey Partnership, supporting grass-roots leadership like Will’s role in CIAT is not just about professional development – it is about ensuring our teams remain at the absolute forefront of industry standards, driving technical excellence from the ground up.
Technical Competency at Every Stage
Whether working on minor local interventions or nuclear infrastructure, the requirement for robust, evidence-backed design remains constant. Will’s trajectory from marine design to Chartered Technologist highlights that capability is defined by a commitment to technical precision and continuous professional growth.
To learn more about our multi-disciplinary approach to complex infrastructure or to explore career pathways within our technical teams, view our current opportunities: baileypartnership.co.uk/careers/