My name is William Lawlor and I’m a Conservation Technician and Mount Maker.
William, can you tell me a little bit about your role here?
We mainly present objects for exhibition, handling every type you could imagine from tiny hairpins to huge cannons. We make purpose built, bespoke mounts for each and every object. Every single mount is unique and we cater to different needs, whether it’s on display or behind glass.
And what’s it like to work in this building?
At the moment we haven’t quite put our stamp on the building but, from a functional perspective, it’s an excellent place to work. It’s just very flexible and that is paramount for me because I have to use every material in order to deliver. There’s also plenty of ‘step back’ space here and you can scrutinise what you’ve done with greater efficiency.
So you feel the building increases the quality of your output?
I think it does. Having a large open space like this is really quite wonderful and we can change the space quite easily to accommodate different sized objects or different quantities of material. But we also have the workshop where everything’s quite specific and well thought out. Having flexibility but also having the ability to be precise is really helpful.
Lots of different departments and people are based in this building now – has that complicated your job at all?
It’s actually reduced complications inter-personally speaking. The flow in my department is excellent – even when you’ve got three or four people in a workshop working simultaneously. And that’s very important because it has to be safe. You don’t want to be tripping over somebody else when you’re grinding a piece of metal or cutting wood.
Has the building changed the relationship with your colleagues?
Our previous building was quite inaccessible so we’d have to rely on email in order to make a change to a mount. There’s a lot more face to face conversation here and that helps to create better outcomes – particularly with mount making because I need to know so much information in order for me to begin.
Has the building had an impact on your life outside of work?
I’m very comfortable in this building and I’m sure that must play a role in my home life. I notice it in my colleagues as well. In the last building, it was mostly business at lunchtime but here they seem more relaxed and open to conversations.
And finally, can you sum up the building?
The building feels professional, just the way I like it. It represents that we’re here to deliver.