High pressure culture with disillusionment and burnout - Senior Architect JTP Employee Review

My experience working at JTP left me feeling deeply disillusioned with a practice I once genuinely admired. From the outside, the company promotes itself as collaborative, forward-thinking, and centred around people and community. I joined believing I would be part of an inspiring and supportive environment focused on good design and meaningful placemaking. Unfortunately, the internal reality often felt completely at odds with that image. The culture could be incredibly intense and emotionally exhausting. Long hours, constant pressure, and unrealistic expectations gradually became the norm, while support from leadership often felt inconsistent or absent altogether. There was a strong sense that staff were expected to simply absorb mounting workloads and keep pushing regardless of the impact on wellbeing. Over time, it created an atmosphere where stress and burnout were quietly accepted as part of the job. What became particularly difficult was the feeling that appearances mattered more than people. There seemed to be a significant focus on maintaining the practice’s reputation externally, while internal concerns around resourcing, communication, and staff morale were often overlooked or brushed aside. Raising concerns did not always feel safe or constructive, and there could be an undercurrent of blame and defensiveness when projects became difficult or pressured. SOME UNPREPARED, UNPERSONABLE , UNQUALIFIED ASSOCIATES/ DIRECTOR AND PARTNER LACKING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE A major issue within the practice was the noticeable lack of preparedness and leadership capability among some Associates and senior team members. Despite holding positions of responsibility, there were frequent situations where project direction felt unclear, reactive, or poorly coordinated, leaving more junior staff to absorb the pressure and resolve problems without adequate guidance. Rather than providing confidence and structure during challenging stages of projects, leadership could sometimes feel absent until issues escalated, at which point accountability often shifted downward. This created an environment where teams were expected to operate under significant pressure while lacking consistent strategic oversight or decision-making support. In some cases, it felt as though individuals had been promoted into leadership roles without the experience, management skills, or readiness required to properly lead complex projects and support their teams effectively. The result was confusion, inconsistent communication, avoidable stress, and a growing sense of frustration among staff who were already stretched thin. Despite the practice being full of talented and hardworking individuals, many people seemed stretched beyond reasonable limits. Instead of feeling mentored and developed, I often felt unsupported and left carrying responsibilities without the structure or leadership needed to succeed confidently. The emotional toll of constantly operating under pressure eventually outweighed any excitement about the work itself. The most frustrating part is that the practice genuinely has the talent and potential to be a fantastic place to work. However, until there is a more honest reflection on internal culture, workload management, and how staff are treated during difficult periods, I think many employees will continue to leave feeling undervalued and burnt out rather than inspired and fulfilled.