Profession: Architecture Student
City: Canterbury
Country: United Kingdom

What inspired you to want a life in Architecture and the creative industries?:
My overall inspiration is from the desire to bring about change within the built environment, more specifically through positive representation. I have witnessed first hand how poorly designed spaces can impact peoples wellbeing and that provoked me to do something about that, not just for those people but for everyone. I absolutely love designing and architecture in particular because it allows me to understand a variety of different subjects such as acoustics, biomimicry, geography and more.

Who inspired you in finding your path to Architecture/Film and the creative industries?:
I am not sure if there is a specific person who inspired by interest in architecture but there is someone who has heavily influenced a large part of my interest in design, Ivy Edemafaka. Ivy was one of the people leading a RIBA Skill Up called Biology to Buildings and I really enjoyed learning about the relationship between nature and architecture and this influenced a lot of my projects.

How you unlock obstacles and overcome bias in your work?:
The desire to ‘prove them wrong’, by them I mean people who have doubted my abilities before I have even started. This is what as has kept me going until now but I think that comes with an element of confidence and self-belief. I think, I try to understand and empathise with other people and my peers. I try to investigate as much as I can in the time allowed so I can get a better picture of the context of the projects. For me personally I believe it is really important to reflect on why you are doing what you are doing, keep asking questions and remain curious. Constantly have a desire to learn.

What improvements do you feel are required to promote effective change in the academic and working environment?:
Well, it is important to note that I am in my first year of architecture school but I have noticed a lot of problems with the work culture of architecture. Particularly from looking at the ARB Workplace Culture 2024 and my own experience in architecture. In terms of trying to improve this culture we need to start unpacking the source of these problems. In my opinion this starts with universities, we should be emphasising that it is ok to speak up and challenge any problems encountered for both the students and the academics. It would be good if there was more diversity with the education system, encouraging people to learn about other cultures through greater representation and CPD. In addition, we need to be encouraging a healthy work-life balance. To conclude, I feel like we need to start a new chapter, we are aware of what has already been written but how can we go about rewriting more inclusively through honest representation? For me that starts with education.