I know where your colleague is coming from when she says 'out of her comfort zone'. I have experienced a feeling like that when I was in an IT support group years ago. I think it finished my career really as I had lesser and lesser duties from that point onwards ultimately ending in my exit by redundancy in the 2009 financial crisis.

But you're right about the old London buildings being magnificent. I think the blackened look is quite appealing too.
!ALIVE
!WINE
!PIZZA