Speakers and Panellists
We have had the pleasure of having speakers in senior positions at a variety of prominent practices, organisations and institutions.
Antoinette Yetunde Oni
Architectural Designer & Director at Agreka Build
“The built environment is inextricably linked to the "natural" one as urban inhabitants rely on peripheral landscapes for resources: food, water, minerals etc. Strengthening this fragile treaty between the urban and the rural through skilled, thoughtful design underpins must underpin our approach. Confronting the climate crisis demands attentive ears to those who steward the earth and its waters namely agriculturalists, artisans, fishing communities, indigenous custodians and so on.“
Stephanie Delgado
Associate at SB Architects London
“I have a profound passion for architectural design and my professional journey has encompassed working in both small and large architectural practices, enabling me to develop and tackle diverse projects in size, complexity and level of detail. My international experience reflects in projects across South America, Europe and the MENA region.”
“Fostering diversity, equality, inclusion and equity in Construction creates environments where everyone thrives and is able to contribute their best work. To choose anything else makes little sense.“
“Our practice seeks to create accessible and inclusive places and spaces that excite and inspire. We do this through investigating the physical, social and cultural environments specific to a place, looking to enhance and elevate such qualities in how we shape the built environment.“
Lara Milward
Head of Partnerships at Shine for Women and NeuroLeadership Coach
“If you limit who you include, you limit what you can solve: why women matter to construction“
Jonathan Martin
Director of Inward Investment and Higher Education Academic Relationships at Waltham Forest Council
“How do we get there? By becoming comfortable in the uncomfortable.”
Rebecca Lovelace
Founder and Chief Dot-joiner, Building People CIC
“Cities are made by people. People live, work (and everything in-between) in cities. But if we don’t have diversity of thought going into the planning, designing, building and maintenance of our cities, how can we all truly be happy and healthy in them?“
Jennifer Castle
Director, London and South East at LHC
LHC London Construction Award finalist 2022 D&I category
“We need to change the way we talk about the built environment. It’s more than just bricks and mortar, it’s health justice, climate change, diversity and more. To motivate the future leaders of tomorrow, you need to change the language you use today.“
“People are the pulse of a city, and the vitality of society depends on exchange. As design stewards, how can we create urban spaces which offer more access and connectivity amidst a dynamic and ever changing world?”
“The future of our cities is in our hands. We must take advantage of all the incredible talent that exists; to ensure that our diverse cities are shaped to fit the needs of each & every person, & community. Diversity drives innovation & when we limit who can contribute, we in turn limit the problems we can solve. By collaborating together we can all learn from each other & deliver cities that respond to the needs of communities, not just now but for future generations & future communities.”
Deborah Saunt
Founding Director, DSDHA
“If we are to take on the challenges of saving our beautiful planet, no single solution will be the answer to the entangled complexity that faces us. The only way to do this will be by deploying the brightest minds, so we need access to all the best people – not just those who have traditionally been invited to the table. Let’s reach out and welcome every problem-solver out there and celebrate their potential and not deprive our diverse plant of their rich imaginations!”
Hanna Afolabi (née Osundina)
Development Director, Balfour Beatty Investments
“Real Estate, as an industry, is far reaching and touches the lives of every type of person. The industry needs innovative solutions to solve problems in the built environment, this requires diverse voices, views and people in the decision making process.”
Valentina Galmozzi
Director, AKTII
“Architecture connects communities, places, climates and in fact it has been to the centre of civilisation itself. But can it fit us all? Our mission, as designers, is to ensure everyone can find something in Architecture which improves their quality of life, independently on where, when and how… Human scale and the impact we leave on nature are at the heart of the debate.”
Jason Boyle
Architect, Mentor, Content Creator and Founder of Global Architect Alliance
“Change needs to start at the outset of a career in architecture by changing the attainability of becoming an architect. We should therefore rethink how architecture education is provided with most students being funded to study architecture through a government supported apprentice route, this will help reduce the costs for all.”
Virginia Newman
Director, KSR Architects
"A wise woman said, 'The environment is too important to leave to for men alone to design.' When I think of the arsenal of skills needed to be an architect, there are none that men do better than women. Women can design, communicate, detail and problem solve as well as any man."
Arc Mobolaji Adeniyi
Fellow and 2nd Vice President, Nigerian Institute of Architects
“Women are natural builders and have a natural eye for details by their inherent strengths and multitasking abilities and therefore make excellent builders whenever they are given the opportunity. Today women no doubt have all that it takes to excel as designers and builders of life and in all that they do.”
Teri Okoro
Director, TOCA
“Socially and economically, with the BAME community concentrated in conurbations, living within poorer quality housing and with lower incomes; the lock down impact includes limited access to open space, lowered incomes, loss of employment and quite likely also their mental well-being.”
Sonia Watson, OBE, Hon. FRIBA, Hon.FRIAS
Chief Executive, Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust
“The business case is increasingly clear, consumers and global demand in the construction market is demanding diversity and this imperative is set to increase, a call to action that the UK industry must respond to in order to compete on a global stage”
Fatai Dabiri RIBA
Director, TP Bennett
“People outside the construction industry tend to conflate ‘construction’ with ‘building sites’ only. Such misconceptions need to be changed, by educating people early about the wide range of career opportunities available in the industry”
Dipa Joshi
Partner, Fletcher Priest Architects & Mayors Design Advocate
Wilfred Achille
Lecturer, University of Westminster
“As architects we need to take back control and are in a good position to create projects for ourselves”
Alisha Fisher
Co-Founder, Black Females in Architecture
“The power of those who build our cities depends on the access and support we provide NOW!'“
Katy Cresswell-Maynard
Chief Executive, Engineers Without Borders UK
“We have no planet B and time is running out. We need the scale of ingenuity only achieved by bringing diverse minds together to address the challenges we are facing. Whether that's in building design or other engineering industries. The time is now to embrace our collective potential and drive change for the future.”
Bola Abisogun, OBE FRICS
Founder and Chair, DiverseCity Surveyors
“My aspiration is to positively influence ‘diversity of procurement’ across UK public and private sector policy. I believe that opportunities for growth across the sector should be premised upon demonstrable talent and capability’
Femi Oresanya
Principal, HOK London & Chair, Architects for Change
“Our profession needs to focus more on social mobility - creating equal opportunities for all aspiring architects regardless of one's family or societal background”
Tolu Fatogbe, BSc MSc CEng MCIBSE MRICS FCABE
Head of Property, Lambeth Council
“To increase the pipeline of required diverse talent, mentoring needs to be more visible and accessible…at all career stages”
Oluwafunmbi Adeagbo
RIBA Presidential Candidate 2024 and Ex-Morris & Company Project Architect
“Anthropomorphic climate affects the global south disproportionately. With 40% of the world's population living within 100km of the coastline; Coastal cities will become key frontier in grappling with the issues of building resilience in our urban fabric for an unknown future.“
Sarah Osei
Spatial Practitioner, Facilitator, Writer + Researcher
“Climate is also about people and communities”
Chardae Dacres-Hylton
Co-Founder Next Generation Architecture, Part 2 Architectural Assistant
“Diversity is more than the incorporation of people from different cultures into one environment, space or practise.. it’s about creating a safe space for designers of diverse ethnic and social backgrounds to comfortably manoeuvre in these environments, having the ability to be themselves and flourish without any racially motivated barriers“
Azzees Minott
Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of 2-3 Degrees
“We need early, wide and meaningful engagement that includes the WHOLE community. Unfortunately, time and time again we see that young people are not included in the consultation process despite being the community that will likely inherit and live in these assets. We all need to work together to ensure young people are involved, heard and exposed to a variety of opportunities in the built environment. Not only will it improve their personal skills, but provide them with the professional knowledge to consider working in real estate in the future..“
Mei-Yee Man Oram
Associate Director and Access and Inclusive Environments Lead at Arup
“Collaboration, co design, and inclusion should be embedded into our processes and approaches to enable representation, celebration of our diversity, and to meet the needs of our communities.“
Jenny McLaughlin
Project Manager and Lead for Heathrow’s Disability Network
“Each person should have an equitable seat at the table and creating a safe environment to challenge and improve the way we interreact and build the world around us.”
Akua Danso
Architect at Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
Co-Founder & Co-Director, Black Females in Architecture
“We are currently in an important period of time where the architectural industry is seeing progressive change but not fast enough. The built environment should at its core represent the wider diversity of the global population where all people have access, feel safe and have equal enjoyment of the buildings we use and reside in. Architecture is used by everyone and should be built and designed by those who come various backgrounds and walks of life. “
“As designers we need to think of how we will be living in the next 50 - 100 years. How will we move around our cities? What will families look like? Who and what will we be designing for? What resources will be available to us? Then we can start thinking about our future cities.“
Nkechi-Vivien Ashiedu
Founder of The Gneiss Way
“From the way, our cities are designed, constructed and powered. To the way our citizens live, work and are cared for. It is important for us all to be held accountable for our current actions towards our cities’ directions.“
“What is missing from the current delivery process and is there a role for ‘diversity of thought’ through the design and construction of future cities in seeking better and more inclusive outcomes?“
Siroun Button
Assistant Development Manager,
Berkeley St William
“It’s my belief that the success of future cities - and the protection of existing and future ecosystems - will be down to design as a problem solving tool that responds to it’s environment and incorporate genuine engagement, collaboration and information sharing.“
Anna Liu
Director, Tonkin Liu
“Step up, imagine, act, and call on nature as your mentor. Design connects to nature in multiple ways. Community identity: evoking powerful symbols such as mountain, river, flower, ocean. Living elements: harnessing sunlight, rainfall, wind, as energy and as sensuous experience. Biomimicry : learning from form, integrated systems, structural principles, using very little to achieve a lot..”
Julian McIntosh
Director + Founder, Julian McIntosh Architects
“Diversity is key to unlocking new value within spaces we design and can positively impact the spaces we occupy in our town and cities when incorporated with great design.”
Shawn Adams
Co-founder, POoR Collective
”If we are going to attract a new generation of designers to the profession we will need to move with the times.”
Tyler Ebanja
Masters Student at Umeå University
”We need a radical change of architecture. It’s not just about designing for better, more sustainable cultures within our current systems, it’s about changing the system itself to suit everyone”
Charlene Campbell
Architect and Director, Green Tea Architects
“We now live in a time more than ever we are all extremely conscious of our living, social and working habits post-pandemic. What's more that we are no longer designing for a stereotypical type of family. We as architects need to make architecture inclusive as much as possible when designing by offering flexible or varied spaces and buildings to meet this need. ”
Marsha Ramroop
Director of Inclusion, RIBA
"Giving female entrepreneurs in Britain equal access to capital would add £250bn to the economy. The global economy's wealth would be $160tr higher if the gender pay gap were closed. When we empower women, we all win.”
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Helen Taylor
Director of Practice, Scott Brownrigg
“I never doubted women’s ability and interest to design and build but I saw the structural barriers, attitudes and approaches that put hurdles in their way and wanted to do something about it- for my own selfish needs as well as hopefully for the benefit of others around me. It stems from a much wider early interest in inclusion and inclusive design- removing barriers that impact women, also removes barriers for others.”
Chithra Marsh
Architect and Associate Director, Buttress
“Having a balance of gender is important not just for architecture, but for society more generally. Women add a different perspective and if you have a diversity of talent and individuals within the industry then I think you get diversity in design and architecture, which helps enrich the environments in which we live.”
Cheryl Pilliner - Reeves
Head of Learning Tree, TEDI-London and Founder, Archimake
“2021 is the time to seize this golden opportunity, replacing societies outmoded limiting beliefs towards minorities with a desire for Diversity Conservation resulting in increased opportunities, equality and social mobility. This starts with access to education.”
Roy MacPepple
Non-Executive Consultant, National Housing & Place Delivery Consortium
“I am passionate about alleviating homelessness and addressing social values through public contract procurement. Also encouraging more BAME and women who are underrepresented in AEC sector with potential for delivering more than 70,000 homes and £40bn per annum to the UK economy.”
Prof. Hanif Kara
Design Director and Co-Founder, AKT II & Professor in Practice, Harvard GSD
“To make change, we must first tune out the dissonance between what the industry can do for us and what we can do for it. What is diversity and what does it do? What binds the industry? What are the key components of a necessary dialogue and an action plan?”
Sumita Singha OBE RIBA
Director, Ecologic Architects & Founder, Architects for Change
“Unconscious bias is a major issue in the construction industry. We as BAME professionals can work together to do something about it”
Albert Williamson-Taylor
Founder and Partner, AKT II
“The building industry is being slowly and reluctantly dragged into prefabrication and component-type assembly system. It is still not an approach embraced by the establishment as it would change the dynamics of construction funding and finance”
Angelene Clarke
Founder, Bearded Ladies Design Strategist
“Design is becoming more collaborative and more efficient. I believe this gives the under-represented an opportunity to sharpen the tools they have at hand”
Neil Pinder Founder
HomeGrown Plus
“More must be done to support young people from non traditional backgrounds to be involved in growth industries such as Architecture, Technology and Product Design”
Kossy Nnachetta
Partner (Architect) Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
“Mitigation and adaptation …holding onto hope!”
Chiara Cozzolino
Associate Director at tp bennett
“A city designed by all and for all perhaps has always existed, in its simplest shape is the spontaneous urbanism, agglomerations of individually initiated buildings along natural paths of movement. Imagining a city for all makes me think of a place where each individual path overlaps into a network that has no collisions. A diverse pot of interest needs to form the recipe, along with a multidisciplinary and diverse design team that reflects the demography of our society.”
Jessica Taylor
Partner and Head of the London Construction and infrastructure team of Ashfords LLP solicitors.
“I am delighted that Ashfords has been given the opportunity to host the next Lets Build even on climate Change: The global Majority at our London offices. As a construction Lawyer, I feel strongly that this is an urgent debate we must all actively participate in the avoid the destructive planet draining hand of global narcissism dominating the decision-making.”
Gurmeet Sian
CEO and Founder at Office Sian Architecture + Design Ltd
“I am passionate about collaborating with communities to understand how places can be improved through the built environment and design, and to benefit the well-being of people from all backgrounds of society.”
“Urban density has fallen throughout the 20th century, as evidenced by the increased urban sprawl and commute times. Counter-intuitively and conversely, compact, human scale, and pedestrian friendly historic cities are more sustainable – socially and in the consumption of resources. Two, first-principle based changes in our approach to city building can reconnect with historic wisdoms and positively steer our urban future: changing how we design and build, and engaging citizens on what gets built, when and where..“
Maxwell Mutanda
Lecturer and Co-Director of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion at the Bartlett School of Architecture
“By 2030 it is estimated that two billion people will be living in “informal”, self-built settlements. More than 61% of the world’s employed population already make their living in this informal economy. Professional architects, therefore, have a responsibility to go beyond the dominant western, Eurocentric approaches to the built environment.“
William Murray
Founding Partner, MurrayTwohig
“There is a fundamental misalignment between the skills, experience and insights that are needed to make successful places, and the way in which the real estate industry is structured. Successful places are the product of diversity in input and execution, and yet the industry persists in being mono-cultural, hierarchical and traditional in practice, demography and process. The sooner we recognise that the richer the input, the richer the output, the better off we shall be.“
Mahsa Ige
Climate Emergency Engagement Officer, The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council
“Every one of us feeling safe, included and proud of the spaces in which we work, live and play is critical. Without an authentic sense of belonging, we will struggle to drum up the motivation needed for an invested cultural shift towards regeneration and sustainable development.“
“The great cities of the future rely on two primary assets that foster connection and belonging - the home and the high street. Both are subject to considerable change as we expand our lives in the digital age. There are a few challenges to overcome, such as the rise of technology that shifts consumer behaviour, the climate emergency, and the mobility pyramid. There’s a potential to harness customer feedback and propose innovative ways to create and use these assets, that play a critical role in social exchange for our future cities.“
Curisa Smith
2022-2023 ABIA President Architect & Project Manager
“Climate change is here and very real. As thinkers and problem solvers, this is a golden opportunity to fully engage creative/inclusive design solutions and building practices, as a punctuated response to global sustainability challenges”
Dr Neal Shasore
Chief Executive/ Head of School at The London School of Architecture
“I am interested in the possibilities decoloniality has for the future of the city - of worlds within worlds, of greater equity, of pluriversal, not universal, solutions. Further still, I am interested in the place our pasts play in our futures: how, in an age of climate emergency and ever stronger demands for redress and equity, can we reinscribe our cities with meaning, celebrating difference and hybridity.“
Danna Walker
Founder and CEO, Built By Us
“'The place in which I'll fit will not exist until I make it.' - James Baldwin.
This quote inspires so much of what Built By Us does to champion greater inclusion and diversity in construction. As a sector, we have a key role in protecting the planet making it the perfect time for anyone who is passionate about the environment to get involved.”
Pareisse Wilson
Senior Accessibility and Inclusive Design Consultant, Mima
”By harnessing the widest range of ideas through neurodiversity, we can design better sustainable, inclusive solutions that protect our planet for future generations..”
”I think it's worth questioning what the modern lifestyle looks like, from there we can design an effective build environment.”
Herman Morgan
Architect and Founder, M_A/D
”In one sense, modernising the built environment means challenging the concept or idea of modernity and how this is articulated in the 21st century in the context of globalisation and new technologies. Many emerging economies in particular are continuing to challenge the idea of the modern built environment, creating new ideas and visions for current and future generations.”
Punya Sehmi
Educator and Architect, Freehaus
“Given the measurable impact of one’s surroundings on a range of life outcomes, we must ask how that access to architecture can be better distributed in society. This begins with a pluralist profession that is fundamentally representative of the wider population it serves, each voice bringing a more nuanced understanding of needs, to create better places to live, work, learn and play in.”
Shona Snow
Regional Strategy Manager for LHC
Interim Procurement Manager with LHC, a housing and construction framework provider, who understand public sector and work in collaboration with clients to deliver innovation and improved standards of design.
Simone de Gale
Founder and CEO, Simone de Gale Architects
"Architects are taking the initiative to not only design buildings, but to build themselves. We are leading in this way of thinking, which promotes excellence in design and quality in construction. In this way we will be able to retain the true value of design propositions."
Grace Choi
Director, Grace Choi Architecture
“Over the years I’ve become increasingly aware that empathy, fair negotiation, care & respect are powerful and required values in the building industry. Balanced gender representation in architecture is critical to impact and influence the values, culture and design of our communities”
Micki Washington
Principal and Regional Leader of WorkPlace for Texas, HOK
With Micki’s years of design experience in the corporate market, she has expertise in all aspects of the project and construction design process, project management, business development, quality control and client relationship building. Her project experience ranges from large scale corporate headquarters interiors build-outs to small office suite renovations, and everything in between.
Albert Tucker
Chairman, Etico and Director, The Renewable Power Exchange
“Steve McQueen (the Afro Caribbean film producer) says we should celebrate ourselves where others don’t – we do so by the stories we tell and in so doing the people we touch!!”
Jude Barber
Director, Collective Architecture
“Architect and director at Collective Architecture with studios in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The 100% employee-owned and controlled studio is founded on principles of creative freedom, equity and sustainability. “
Neba Sere
Co-Founder, Black Females in Architecture
“We need to make sure that the younger generation of minority women get sufficient tools and support they require throughout their education to be able to become the next generation of architects and project managers as this is crucial for the future of our build environment”
Armstrong Yakubu
Senior Partner, Foster and Partners
“Architecture is by its very definition an inclusive profession, designing for all people. This really can only be enriched in a diverse and open environment”
Al-Rasheed Dauda
Principal Architect, ARDA
“I am encouraged about the steady growth of BAME representation in the construction industry, and I am enthusiastic about the conversations we are having about playing a more significant and substantial role in reshaping and building this great city”
Annette Amanda Oyékunlè Fisher
Founder and Chair, Let’s Build
“We already know that businesses must innovate or they die! Inclusion and diversity are vital to real change at all stages in the design and procurement of buildings: a win-win scenario for all. Diversity pays!”
Alan Jones
President, Royal Institute of British Architects
“Neil Pinder’s ‘it’s not the person its the talent’ echoed many sentiments for all being our best - with support and inspiration“