In late 2020, we welcomed Alexandru Rece to the Brown & Brown team as Architect and, while our working lives are still conducted at a distance because of pandemic restrictions, it's been terrific to add his skills to our studio from afar.

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Now that he's settled in a little, we grabbed five minutes with Alex to say hello:

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How did you end up here?

Serendipity: sometimes the right pieces just fall into the right places. Not long ago I was back home in Romania. I had applied for an exchange scholarship to warm, balmy Portugal and was offered Finland instead.

It all worked out for the best! Finland was fantastic and I met a girl who I ended up following to Scotland. We both worked for Rural Design on the Isle of Skye until November 2020. Then serendipity struck again, and here I am!

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What does your role with Brown & Brown involve?

Much the same as my colleagues: I solve puzzles.

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What does a typical day look like?

You get a great, big box of mixed pieces, some are from the clients, some are from the site, some you have to chase your colleagues up for (Andrew's always hiding a couple in his pockets).

You pore over them and do your best to assemble them into something that sparks joy.

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Any architectural heroes?

I do but most of them are unfortunately unsung… although you might have heard of a gentleman by the name of Nick Thomson.

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Have you managed to work in the Brown & Brown studio yet or has it all been remote so far?

Unfortunately, the pandemic has kept me away from the studio so far. I’m having to make do with a desk I’ve temporarily (I hope!) set up in my workshop. The wood-storage racks certainly make for an interesting video-call background. (See above, featuring Moss the dog)

It does mean that I have to keep the workshop a lot neater than it would otherwise be, so I'm looking forward to being in the new Studio. I will have to negotiate with Andrew for a desk close to the stove...

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Do you prefer a quiet or noisy workspace?

My wife works in the adjacent room so I can’t really crank up the ol’ '80s playlist as much as I’d like to. Will have to see if that changes when we're all in the office.

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Favourite thing about your job?

The puzzles don’t come with a reference picture on the front of the box.

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What do you like doing when you're not at work?

I like to learn new things. I enjoy using my hands and head to make useful objects.

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Describe Brown & Brown in three words.

Great Puzzle Solvers.

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