As the project for Stansted Airport was nearing completion, Small began working on designs for the building’s interior components.  With a background in industrial and furniture design, he quickly realised this was something he wanted to focus on, and remembering when Small raised this with Norman Foster, the latter encouraged his interest.

Small reflects that he had never encountered the “rigour” with which the practice organisation approaches projects. The experience of collaborating with the Stansted team, creating a building from a kit of parts assembled on site, would prove “fantastic” for Small. He notes this was all the more significant as the project represented “an indication for airports to come”.

On working directly with Norman Foster, Small acknowledges that he was “very lucky indeed”; not least since both colleagues shared a sense of humour. The ability to immediately identify uncertain aspects of a design, and to discuss them with a thorough understanding of the processes involved, indicated for Small “the signs of a good designer”.