"Not to embarrass anyone, but it’s pretty clear they don’t have the faintest clue what ‘Raum’ means — yet using the company name without understanding it seems perfectly fine with them. They tick like a Black Forest cuckoo, taking over a made-up nest and pushing out the rightful owners’ offspring.” - Michael
I started preparing the business in 2009 after being made redundant from CAD Architects in Penryn due to the economic crisis. During this time, I:
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Took a year to organise self-employment and attended many courses
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Supported the business through difficult personal times, including Adam’s meningitis and Daisy’s mother’s cancer
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Invested my limited savings to create a new company website
The business breakdown began with two major events:
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Daisy, Adam’s wife, was made a director without my full knowledge or proper discussion, supported by Adam
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Daisy, the office manager, demanded the same salary as me despite having less education and a smaller role; I had taken a low salary for years to help the company grow
Key issues that followed:
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Our mentor/accountant Mike Hutchinson and HR Consultant Sally Read sided with Adam and Daisy
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Adam bypassed my professional oversight despite not being a registered architect
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Adam acted independently on projects, communicated with clients, and made design decisions without proper credentials
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He charged the same hourly rate as me, although I bore legal and professional responsibility as the qualified architect
When I raised concerns, both Adam and Daisy ignored them. To protect my professional integrity, I resigned as the qualified architect.
After this, they launched a campaign to remove me involving:
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Undermining, manipulation, isolation, intimidation, shaming, and gaslighting
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False allegations of assault and criminal damage, which I had to defend against
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An incident where I locked myself in a meeting room to escape ongoing harassment
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Being filmed in a vulnerable moment, leading me to throw Adam’s phone into a river — the only damage I was responsible for
This ended with insolvency tactics during a time I was expecting my daughter, causing further emotional hardship.
Additional consequences included:
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Erasure of my contributions to projects like Jubilee Warehouse and 24 Dunstanville Terrace
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Loss of credit for founding the company name and clients not informed of my departure
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Being forced to sell my shares for £50k and agree to a two-year non-compete in Penryn
This experience severely affected my mental health, and at times I felt overwhelmed by despair.
Despite full documentation, the RIBA did not support me as a member and architect during this ordeal.
To turn this experience into something positive, I want to be open and support architecture students — and other business owners — in avoiding situations like this. It was a painful experience, and I’ve learned that having a strong business structure and more knowledge could have prevented me from being so deeply hurt by two people who later positioned themselves as victims when I disagreed with or stood up to the way they treated me.
Being neurodivergent made it even harder for me to recognise what was really happening — the manipulation, the imbalance, and the lack of respect. My openness and trust were exploited, and what I needed was fairness and clarity, not control or power games. I now understand how important it is to protect yourself early, especially when you work differently or process things in a more vulnerable or honest way.
Ways to Avoid Being Taken Advantage of by a Business Partner
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In the excitement of starting a business, take time to consider potential conflicts.
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Have a solid business contract that requires important decisions to be made in recorded meetings only.
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Clearly document your role and contributions.
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Keep records of important decisions and communications.
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Trust your instincts — and take time out to evaluate the business and the relationship from different perspectives.
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Be careful with business consultants, accountants, marketeers, some may offer support but actually exploit you.
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Seek advice and know your legal rights.
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Be prepared that relationships can fail.