Profession: Architect & Director
City: Tyne & Wear
Country: United Kingdom

What inspired you to want a life in Architecture and the creative industries?:
Looking back, I recognise that from a young age, I didn’t fit the environment around me. So I literally made a new environment. My mum was profoundly deaf- so I used to draw pictures to communicate what I wanted to eat or wear. I drew before I could read and write english! I found the suburbs of Manchester, where I grew up: boring. So I made a concrete village down the side of my semi-detached house, by smashing up the existing path, mixing the concrete powder with water and sculpting shapes. As a teenager, I became inspired by Manchester and it’s music, the buzz of the city, people and places. The more cities I visited, the more I became taken by Architecture, culture and people. By the age of 16, I knew I wanted to study architecture.

Who inspired you in finding your path to Architecture/Film and the creative industries?:
I didn’t have immediate inspiration in my home setting, which was an eclectic mix of western influence and South Korean traditions. And I didn’t know anyone in the profession or particularly have the encouragement of teachers at the time. But I was so excited by being in Manchester in the early 90’s, that I was swept along with the indie music scene, the sounds, the designs and spirit of entrepreneurialism. Designers like Ben Kelly and Peter Saville caught my attention and the independent spirit was contageous.

How you unlock obstacles and overcome bias in your work?:
In my earlier years, I would often be intimidated and silenced by bias. I lacked the tools, knowledge and support to address things when they arose. Nowadays, I have a bias radar. Both my own and that of others. I’m more able to have difficult conversations, practice listening and am able to understand and mediate complex situations. Much has been unlocked from lived experience and being around those I’m able to learn from. I’ll always try to create a collaborative approach in the workplace, make space to listen and disarm conflict. Seeing different viewpoints as valuable, not being the one who knows best and being able to challenge with kindness helps.

What improvements do you feel are required to promote effective change in the academic and working environment?:
It’s easy to say we want to change, it’s much more difficult to wait it out, tweaks our methods, until change is visible. So I’d love to see consistency and the retention of long term focus until representation is noticeably improved (particularly outside of London). It’s pretty clear that we want to change, but the challenge comes when budgets are problematic, change leaders move on and agendas become diluted. Imaging if we stopped starting again and again, maintained focus? I also think we need to adjust the tone of seeing inclusion as an add on. It’s critical DNA needed to penetrate the power imbalance fed by selfishness, control and money.