Design Architect

We are looking for a skilled and creative architect to join our design team within the real estate development business, focusing on boutique hospitality assets.

In this role, you will be responsible for conducting design research, assembling various architectural ideas, and developing sketches, designs, and drawings at different RIBA stages. You should be able to work independently throughout the day, coordinate with the team when needed, and deliver intermediate results weekly. You will report to a project architect (lead) but collaborate with the entire design team, including but not limited to interior designers, CGI artists, the MEP team, structural engineers, the FF&E procurement team, and client representatives.

This role will work more with early design stages. Personal engagement in RIBA 1-3 will be around 75%, RIBA 4-5 supervision and advisory - up to 25%.

Location & Collaboration Format 

• This is a fully remote job.
• We collaborate in Сentral European time zone (CET) or UK hours.
• Utopia does not provide visa sponsorship and/or relocation package for this position.

Responsibilities

• Work on a variety of high-end hospitality projects as a design architect
• Conduct feasibility studies, volumetric proposals, area calculations, and land plot analyses as part of the pre-design stage of projects
• Interpret the design brief and collaborate with client representatives to achieve the best results
• Perform design research and create presentations, mood boards, and reference materials
• Generate architectural ideas and sketches, and conduct research on references and mood boards
• Execute concept design development, including but not limited to detailed massing proposals and volumetric studies. Develop architectural layouts, optimize ergonomics and circulation, and balance aesthetics, function, and operational aspects. Focus on enhancing the expressiveness of volumetric architectural forms, facades, and free-form designs
• Develop volumetric studies into concept layouts, Revit (RVT) models, and foundational inputs for the CGI team
• Refine concept layouts through the schematic and detailed design stages
• Collaborate closely with in-house structural and MEP teams, as well as the local Architect of Record (AOR), to achieve optimal concept adaptation and spatial coordination, while carefully preserving the initial design intent
• Support the FF&E procurement team with quantity calculations, material research, and detailing
• Stay up to date with modern trends in the high-end hospitality industry. Research new technologies, materials, and methodologies; conduct investigations and propose innovative solutions
• Mentor junior team members, supervise work performed by BIM modelers, and elevate the design department's storytelling and presentation skills

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Architecture
• 7 to 10 years of experience in architectural design
• Experience working on low-rise residential and hospitality projects - private homes and villas, hotels and resorts
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Proficiency in Revit, AutoCAD, and SketchUp, or other sketch-oriented presentation software like Rhino, Lumion, or Enscape
• Advanced/Fluent level of English, both written and verbal
• Portfolio is a must

Benefits

• Work on projects from concept to realization: contribute across the full architectural journey, from early vision and planning to execution and operational experience.
• Design with long-term impact: create spaces intended to become globally recognized hospitality destinations.
• Cross-disciplinary collaboration: work closely with interiors, landscape, construction, operations, and guest experience teams from the earliest stages.
• Creative influence from the ground up: contribute ideas before projects are locked into rigid systems or external frameworks.
• Global architectural exposure: work on location-specific projects influenced by diverse cultural, environmental, and hospitality contexts.
• High design standards: join a team deeply focused on detail, materiality, atmosphere, and timeless hospitality design.
• End-to-end development insight: gain exposure not only to design, but also to execution, operations, and the realities of luxury hospitality development.
• Exposure to luxury standards and materials: work with elevated design references, premium finishes, and globally inspired concepts.
• Influence guest experience through design: contribute to how spaces function emotionally as well as aesthetically.