Profession: Partner at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios |  Lead Architect of International Slavery Museum & Maritime Museum
City: London
Country: United Kingdom

What inspired you to want a life in Architecture and the creative industries?:
For me, designing; pulling ideas together and creating something from nothing, was always a joy. From the first day in the Graphic Design lesson in High School with those drawing boards, parallel motions and set squares. I loved learning how to create absolutely anything from those tools with a blank sheet of paper.
Architecture is a step beyond this. Instead of creating a world on paper, we get to shape the world around us. Instead of creating for myself, I get the privilege of creating from the vision of the communities I work with.

Who inspired you in finding your path to Architecture/Film and the creative industries?:
I’m grateful to teachers, friends and family members who saw my passion and encouraged me in it and didn’t let me give up when things got hard.

How you unlock obstacles and overcome bias in your work?:
I heard these wise words somewhere, “…just because they’re trying to shoot you down, doesn’t mean you are doing something wrong”.
People are often afraid of change and intimidated by difference, and that can shape their responses.
I try to remember the vision. Write it down, make it plain and come back to it every time something comes as a distraction or opposition.

What improvements do you feel are required to promote effective change in the academic and working environment?:
I’d love to see a genuine understanding in leadership circles, that that there’s strength in diversity.
Filling Boardrooms and Design Tables with the same voices, same thoughts and same approaches, however comfortable it may feel, ultimately hinders creativity and makes organisations weaker and less adaptable to change.