We are celebrating a major achievement after being awarded the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Award at the Belfast Chamber Awards 2025. The accolade recognises our ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and people-first workplace culture across all 6 of our studios.
HLM Architects named Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Award winner at Belfast Chamber Awards 2025
Reflecting on the win Simon Bell, Director at HLM Architects said:
“This recognition is a fantastic achievement for the Belfast studio and the practice as a whole. It’s a reflection of our people-first ethos – one that empowers every individual to thrive. At HLM, we don’t just aspire to be a great place to work; we strive to be a place where everyone feels valued, supported, and that they truly belong, reflecting our commitment as equality diversity inclusion architects.
As an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), we empower every employee to take ownership of the practice’s future. This model underpins a culture of shared responsibility, pride, and purpose, which has driven improvements in staff engagement, innovation, retention, and overall business performance.
Central to our EDI strategy is the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) Group, which guides initiatives across the practice and reinforces our commitment as equality diversity inclusion architects. Using the I-BELONG Framework, we foster inclusivity by building insight through data, encouraging open dialogue, promoting allyship, and supporting outreach into wider communities. The practice also ensures recruitment, promotion, and leadership development processes are fair, accessible, and inclusive, with unconscious bias training, structured interviews, and mentoring programmes supporting equity for all employees.
We go beyond policy with proactive support for mental health, wellbeing, flexible working, and family-friendly initiatives. Staff benefit from a Lifestyle Package covering physical, emotional, social, and financial wellbeing. Regular Connect Days and cultural events further strengthen collaboration, learning, social inclusion, and equality diversity inclusion architects initiatives in hybrid working environments.
The practice’s commitment to inclusion has directly contributed to our growth and success. By fostering a collaborative and supportive environment, we have enhanced innovation, project delivery, and client satisfaction, while improving retention and attracting top talent. Our people-first ethos ensures every employee can thrive, which in turn drives high-quality design outcomes and reflects our commitment to equality diversity inclusion architects value across the practice.
Being recognized at the Belfast Chamber Awards 2025 underscores the importance of embedding equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our culture. The award celebrates the collective effort across all our six studios, making HLM a workplace where diversity, equality and inclusion is respected, valued, and celebrated, reflecting our commitment as equality diversity inclusion architects.
Thoughtful Design. It’s in our nature.
