Celeste Bolte
“I’ve long been fascinated by the way the spaces around us impact our experiences, relationships, movement, interactions, health and wellbeing.”
Photo by Jim Stephenson
#WomenWhoBuild meet Celeste Bolte,
Celeste is the Founding Director of SALT, a London-based communications studio dedicated to telling the stories of great design. A communications specialist with nearly a decade of experience, Celeste has represented exceptional businesses in the arts, architecture and design professions across the United Kingdom and Australia.
ArchNative sat down with Celeste to discuss her background in media and communications, challenging conversations she has had to navigate throughout her career, and how she goes about finding clients and building her business.
PAD Studio's Clay Retreat// Photo Credit: Jim Stephenson
Having a background in media and communications, what drew you to pursue this in the architectural/design domain?
I’ve long been fascinated by the way the spaces around us impact our experiences, relationships, movement, interactions, health and wellbeing. I studied at the University of Melbourne and moved to the big city from a quiet coastal town, and this huge shift in the built environment around me really heightened this interest.
I worked in digital marketing for Danish fashion & furniture labels during my secondary and tertiary studies. This helped open my eyes to the world of design. These early experiences with design prompted my desire to learn more about architecture generally, and so I applied to one of Australia’s largest architecture firms after graduating to get a better understanding of how spaces, cities and places are really made.
Working for a large firm was a brilliant introduction to the AEC industry. I was fortunate to be part of a studio that was rapidly reorganising its business, and in turn, its communications and marketing. I led the digital transformation of external communications - social media, publicity, profile building - which cemented my love for strategy, public and media relations.
I’m a people person and I love finding personal stories of spaces and weaving these into communications to engage the public in architecture-focused discussions. People engage with their built environment every day and I’m energised every time my communications studio, SALT, secures major public press or discussion; that’s really my north star.
Why do you think are some of the common mistakes that AEC professionals make while drafting a media and communications strategy plan?
Loader Monteith's restoration of Peter Womersley's High Sunderland// Photo Credit: Dapple Photography
Practices today really understand the importance of communications and the value it brings to their business; great communication helps win work! Through SALT, we work with established architecture practices to bring them up to speed while the fairly young studios are encouraged to invest in this essential function from day one.
An area often overlooked in the strategy phase is linking communications efforts to the wider business plan and practice goals. These two need to work in harmony and one’s strategy should look ahead to the practice they’d like to be running in 3-5 years’ time, as a reflection to the future of the business.
Consistency is extremely important in marketing & comms; I often see studios confuse being consistent with being constant. Architecture moves slowly, it’s okay for your practice marketing output to be slower too. A great base foundation for any studio is being genuine, considerate and consistent in their communication.
Loader Monteith's restoration of Peter Womersley's High Sunderland// Photo Credit: Dapple Photography
How easy or gruelling has it been to find clients in this domain?
I have been extremely fortunate to have a dedicated following and client base since setting up my own communications consultancy in 2020. My first publicity commission was working with the incredibly talented architect, Mat Barnes of CAN, on the launch of his viral house – Mountain View, which garnered a lot of attention for CAN, but also for my own work as a publicist and communications consultant.
Mountain View, CAN// Photo Credit: Jim Stephenson
Since launching SALT formally in 2022, I’ve retained a client list of practices across the United Kingdom that I’m extremely proud of. We are being approached regularly by new studios internationally looking for help with their comms.
What are some of the common challenging conversations that you find yourself navigating through?
I am joined at SALT by my first hire – Eleanor Michaelson, a communications Consultant, and one of the challenging conversations we have is about the need to balance PR and communications with business development. Although these are two separate functions, they must move in tandem with each other. Great comms wins work but you need a business development plan to bring clients in too.
Another common conversation we have is about print exclusives and the lead times these come with. The benefit of hiring a studio specialising in communications is like having an experienced negotiator in your corner who knows what editors are looking for, when and how to find the best home and press direction for every project, and how to capitalise on press attention to win new work.
As a subject that has contributed culturally through history, how important do you feel storytelling becomes for architects of the future?
Storytelling is utterly essential. The built environment is about people; I encourage architects to share about buildings and places in a way that touches on how they serve users, how the design considers the climate emergency, why design decisions are made and by/ for who, etc.
Storytelling starts when you’re appointed to a project. Sketches, models and maquettes, and renders are all a part of storytelling, acting as essential tools to help guide a client through the project’s journey. The story changes shape when a building is delivered and again if revisited years later. Our studio relishes working with practices to find engaging ways to tell stories, exploring a variety of media to bring ideas and stories to life.
Reeded House by Oliver Leech// Photo Credit: Jim Stephenson
What are some unique qualities you look for when discussing projects with your clients?
SALT clients share a common respect for the planet which is reflected in the projects we take on. Many one-off campaign projects fit broadly into a retrofit or adaptive reuse typology, a commonality bearing rich and varied stories about the history and changes in a building or site. We love working on private residences too. Newer built works tend to be low-carbon or low-energy homes and belong to interesting clients. We often look for projects that have a different point of view, interesting use of materials, unique design intervention or location.
Our studio also works with practices on long-term retainer bases which allows us to see the inner workings of a studio and uncover their values, beliefs, and goals in ways that their Directors are sometimes unable to articulate. This bird’s eye view of a practice married with our understanding of the media landscape is highly valuable in crafting effective communications strategies.
What are some insights that you would like to share with architectural students/ young architects seeking to pursue a career in communications or marketing?
Communications Consulting is certainly a career worth considering for those who might not want to practice architecture but would like to remain engaged with the wider profession.
I really enjoy the variety of the role; a week in SALT’s studio might entail a visit to a nearly completed building or site, popping into our clients’ offices for meetings or reviews, writing project media plans and press releases, and meeting with photographers and journalists to discuss upcoming work.
Communications and architecture roles require similar professional skills – attention to detail is imperative as is the ability to manage tight deadlines and both require a creative eye. I’m always eager to interact with likeminded individuals.
Earthrise by Studio McW// Photo Credit: Lorenzo Zandri
Interview Conducted by:
Megha Balooni