AF: Decolonising Architecture

Decolonising Architecture: 100Day Studio: Black Females in Architecture 

Our director, Tara Gbolade, was an invited guest on this important event held jointly by the Architecture Foundation (AF) and Black Females in Architecture (BFA). Esteemed speakers included; David Ogunmuyiwa / Joseph Henry / Pedro Gil 

See the youtube video

Event Details: WHAT CAN WE DO COLLECTIVELY TO DECOLONISE ARCHITECTURE? 

WE’LL DISCUSS PERSONAL EXPERIENCES TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSIFYING THE PROFESSION IN TERMS OF HIRING MORE DIVERSE STAFF, SUPPORTING THEM AT THE WORKSPACE AND ENABLING PATHWAYS TO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS WHICH ALL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT HOW OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT IS SHAPED.

This event will be part of the Architecture Foundation’s 100 Day Studio with BFA hosting a BFA Session on Decolonise Architecture: Diversifying the Profession. The 100 Day Studio is a digital event series curated by the Architecture Foundation offering a daily diet of online lectures, interviews, building tours and panel discussions - all live and all free. 

BFA Co-founder Neba Sere and BFA Member Umi Baden-Powell (Founding Director insider-outsider) have a shared passion for championing diversity & inclusion within the profession through enabling voices from the African & Caribbean diasporas, BAME and marginalised communities to shape and interrogate education, practice and the built environment itself. 

The second edition of this event will focus on the importance of diversifying the profession in relation to decolonisation movement within the built environment, from understanding the issues for BAME graduates finding a job/accessing practice to the barriers for BAME led businesses to gaining the opportunities to build once they’ve set up their own practice. 

Neba and Umi are joined by panellists: Joseph Henry, GLA Regeneration Officer and co-host of Sound Advice; David Ogunmuyiwa, founder of ArchitectureDoingPlace; Tara Gbolade, co-founder of Gbolade Design Studio; and Pedro Gil, founder of Studio Gil, along with invited listeners.

The audience is then invited to look back at their experiences within the architecture profession (or trying to get into it) to join the discussion as experts of their own experiences.  

[Keynote Listeners: Simon Allford (AHMM), Paul Karakusevic (KCA), Christoph Lindner (The Bartlett), Bob Allies (Allies & Morrison), Joe Morris (Morris+Company), Peter Murray (NLA), Jason Parker (Make), Leo Pollak (Southwark Council), Heinz Richardson (Jestico + Whiles) Bob Sheil (The Bartlett), Alan Vallance (RIBA), Alex Warnock-Smith (Central Saint Martins), David West (Studio Egret West)]

Sustainability Strategies

In this session on Sustainability Strategies we speak to Tara Gbolade, architect and co-founder Gbolade Design Studio and Julian Marwitz, Founder of Urbanomy, urban and energy planning consultancy.

RIBAJ Rising Star Winner, Tara is a Co-Founder of GDS. She previously worked at Mace Group and RG+P Architects, where she was responsible for the strategic organisation and growth of the company, while successfully leading exciting and challenging residential developments for private and public-sector clients. With her expertise in design and planning policy, Tara leads the Harlow & Gilston Garden Town Sustainability Strategy, and sits on a few Design/Quality Review Panels including; Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, and Merton Councils - advising the council on major planning applications.

Julian Marwitz has studied law and sustainable urban development in Geneva, Hong Kong, Germany and at the University of Oxford. During his studies he founded several companies and worked in corporations such as Microsoft, Volkswagen, SAP and Allianz. Some of his major achievements include winning the largest startup competition for pupils in Germany, contributing towards a new legal convention for the UNEP and participating regularly at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Julian was formerly the Executive Assistant to the CEO of JLL in London and Development Manager of ECE, European market leader in shopping malls. He is passionate about sustainability, travelling, building technologies and the development of megacities.

Facebook Recording of event

Third Culture Africans Podcast

Community First: Tara Gbolade on Using Architecture to Build Communities for All

Tara Gbolade makes ordinary places extraordinary. Founder of Gbolade Design Studios, she focuses on the community when designing her spaces. As a result, she’s a 2018 RIBA Rising Star Winner and has been tapped to work on council housing projects.

COMMUNITY FIRST

Zeze and Tara discuss her journey from Nigeria to the UK and her boarding school experiences. Hear about her early career in architecture and what inspired her to start her business. Surrounding herself with the right people spurred her growth.

Her Nigerian roots influence how she views UK spaces. Tara believes in the importance of place-making and the sense of identity that comes with a home. She explains why she thinks about creating social connections when designing spaces. Lastly, she talks about overcoming challenges in launching a new business venture.

In this episode, we talk about:

• 00:00-2:28: Introduction and welcome of Tara Gbolade, a 2018 RIBA Rising Star Winner and founder Gbolade Design Studios

• 2:28-4:12: How they met and correct name pronunciation

• 4:12-6:00 Knowing early on what career she wanted and African parent expectations

• 6:01-7:02: Getting real advice before starting a business

• 7:02-11:44: Early career in architecture and the impetus to launch her business

• 12:02-15:21: Experiences in independence and boarding school away from home

• 16:14-18:17: Surrounding yourself with people consistently driven to create and grow

• 18:17-19:40: Architecture as place-making and bridging the gap between people

• 20:38-22:02: Differences between the UK and Nigerian lifestyles and design

• 22:02-23:43: What has been most challenging in launching her new business

• 23:43-24:32: Connecting with Tara Gbolade

AJ Article: post-Covid housing

How will housing design and placemaking be changed by Covid-19?

Read the AJ Article Here, or below.

The current pandemic could be the driver for new approaches to how we build in a post-coronavirus world, says Tara Gbolade

Modern architecture was offered to the world after the shock of the First World War. Garden cities brought about a change in cramped and unsanitary living, addressing the spread of disease and replacing slums with higher-quality housing, including generous play spaces for children.

Currently, we are adapting to working on dining room tables with TVs acting as second screens for Zoom meetings. Parents are finding new ways of entertaining children in flats with no decent amenity space, all the while stoically trying to hold video meetings and dissuade their children from clamouring.

While as a society we didn’t plan this, and are trying our best to adapt to it, could now be the time to rethink housing design and placemaking in new developments? What role will sustainability play? And what impacts on our health and wellbeing will our ‘new normal’ have? Could our current pandemic be the driver for new housing in a post-Covid-19 world?

Design and placemaking We are aware of the profound impact our surroundings have on our health and wellbeing. Our future homes will need to provide purpose-built home-office spaces, where we have access to good-quality natural light throughout the day and better soundproofing between walls (and traffic).

Developers will need to rethink development models and incorporate commercial spaces in buildings or within a 10 to 15-minute walk or cycle ride  from most homes.

Planning applications, which often have the obligatory ‘amenity space’ illustrated on drawings, will now need to demonstrate usability – in contrast to what is commonly in reality a leftover space that remains in the shade throughout the day, facing car-dominated secondary roads and lacking a safe enclosure.

New communities with strong placemaking principles like walkability to local social infrastructure such as shops – which actually stimulate economic growth – will need to be prioritised, as working from home means we’ll probably make these trips more regularly.

Sustainability We are almost tired of hearing we need to implement fabric-first energy-efficient standards such as Passivhaus, but this requirement is pertinent – now more so than ever.

When we adapt to a society that spends more time at home during the working week, beyond ensuring our carbon emissions are vastly reduced (embodied and operational energy), we must seriously consider the reality of fuel poverty as our energy prices continue to rise, even as society decarbonises and weather patterns become more precarious.

Social value While most of us are getting accustomed to speaking to family over Skype, doing yoga with friends on Zoom, or spending Friday night in virtual pubs, we are also missing physically being with each other.

This is the new normal: that as we spend less time being in the same room as work colleagues, we will look to find connection in our immediate communities. New community strength will come from our ability to foster local networks in shared spaces and engage in collective activities that help us develop our sense of belonging and community identity.

We know that the integration of formal and informal amenities including green infrastructure promote good mental and physical health. However, we must not underestimate the importance of embedding these spaces, and good long-term stewardship models, to create communities that flourish and become resilient in the decades to come.

We are on the precipice of a huge change post Covid-19. While many companies have had to pause developments and construction, our future is dependent on our ability to rethink how this pandemic will change future developments.

How will we respond to the new demands that will come from a generation looking to make their lives, homes and communities, future-ready? Our ability to adapt to this change will determine how we thrive in the decades to come.

Lead image: A drawing for an unknown roundabout and related development in Birmingham as part of nationwide reconsiderations of how our built environment could and should look, following WWII.
Source: Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Sustainability Strategy: London Borough

We are very excited to have been appointed by a London Borough Council (soon to be revealed) on their regeneration framework. We can’t wait to share more details!

Design Review Panel Appointments

Our director, Tara Gbolade, has been appointed on a few Design/Quality Review Panels in London including:

• Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea

• Lambeth Council

• Merton Council

Tara joins some renowned industry experts with each panel bringing together leading practitioners across architecture, sustainability, urban design, conservation, access, landscape design and engineering. Panel members will visit sites, review emerging developments and advise on proposals.

Citizen Magazine - The LSA

Our Director, Tara Gbolade, was featured in the inaugural issue of Citizen Magazine - The LSA’s (London School of Architecture) new quarterly magazine for everybody engaged in the challenge of creating the future city. Here, Tara discusses founding and developing Gbolade Design Studio, inspirations from Nigeria, an d future plans. Read more from the LSA website Here.

Constructing Excellence Finalist

Our Director , Tara Gblolade has been shortlisted as a Finalist for the Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards under the G4C Future Leader category. She has been shortlisted along some fantastic industry leaders and we wish them all the best. Her hot competition are:

Juliet Burch (Jessop and Cook Architects)
Millie Demol (Willmott Dixon)
Richard Whinnett (Turner & Townsend)
Rikkie Letch (Willmott Dixon)
Ruth Biddulph (Bowmer + Kirkland)
Tara Gbolade (Gbolade Design Studio)

Find the full listing Here

Our Client's Guide to Sustainable Development

Moving to Mars?

BBC invited guest speaker for the Design Museum exhibition ‘Moving to Mars’

Awards Judging

Judging high quality schemes for the Architects Journal Awards.

Have a look at the full list of AJ Judges Here.

Sunday Times Shortlist

We are 1 of 3 Architects shortlisted for the Sunday Times: British Homes Awards - Peoples Choice Vote: for innovation in sustainable design and innovative construction. See other shortlist Here.

Winner: Archiboo

We’re delighted to have recently won the Archiboo Architect Pitch! Many thanks to the judges for seeing and believing in the vision we have for MyPart3 App.

Congrats to the six other practices who presented really great ideas - Amos Goldreich Architecture, Miller Howard Workshop, HTA Design, Studio Bark, Turner.Works and Unknown Works.

Watch the roundup video below.

Design for Future Mobility

Tara Gbolade is part of the First Advisory Group for the Centre for London on Designing for Future Mobility

LB Lambeth

Tara Gbolade is on the Design Review Panel for the London Borough of Lambeth where se gives advise on new and upcoming planning application proposals across the borough.

Lambeth Council Design Review Panel webpage Here

Female Leader Shortlist

Tara Gbolade has been shortlisted for the BD Female Architectural Leader of the Year!!!

We’re super excited, and wait with bated breath for the winner to be announced in May 2019!

(keep your fingers crossed fro us!)

The other phenomenal women on the list are:

Female Architectural Leader of the Year

·         Sue Emms, BDP

·         Tara Gbolade, Gbolade Design Studio

·         Shireen Hamdan, Populous

·         Madeleine Kessler, Haptic Architects

·         Joan McCoy, White Ink Architects

·         Sadie Morgan, dRMM Architects

·         Rita Ochoa, AFL Architects

·         Valeria Segovia Tigueros, Gensler

Full BD Architect of the Year Awards 2019 List here:

https://awards.bdonline.co.uk/the-2019-shortlist/

Generative design - the Future

Image credit: Autodesk

Generative design - a perspective on the future of development & construction

At Gbolade Design Studio we’re passionate about pushing the boundaries of economic yet creative design and construction through the use of digitisation, standardisation and offsite construction. We’ve adopted in-house methodologies and systems to capitalise on the efficiencies and added value these processes have to offer.  

In this blog we share our thoughts on the future of residential development with a glimpse of the potential impact of Generative Design (GD). 

Generative design is an iterative semi-automated design process involves using intelligent software and client-architect parameter inputs to rapidly generate a certain number of options. The numerous outputs are then further refined in order to reduce or augment the number of realistic options to develop within a detailed brief scope set by the Client and architect in collaboration. The process relies on human values and decision making. 

The key advantage of Generative design is the ability to can cycle through thousands of design choices, test configurations and learn from each iteration what works and what doesn’t; beyond what a human alone could create, to arrive at greater number of more effective concept designs from the outset. 

Generative Design is becoming more important and adopted, in part, due to new programming software or coding/scripting capabilities that have made it relatively straightforward for consultants to integrate with their existing design methodologies. When combined with machine-learning and AI (artificial intelligence) the mind boggles at what could be. With the adoption of automation in cars and consumables becoming more commonplace everyday the idea of generating building designs with the same systems becomes very plausible.

So what does that mean for you, our Clients and for us?

Well, when you combine the potential of generative design with offsite manufacturing on a DfMA (Design for Manufacturing + Assembly) platform at scale the potential is truly staggering. As well as iterating multiple feasibility scenarios in quick succession, the ability to simulate multiple cost, programme, energy models and feed this direct to manufacture the whole front to end development process is much more aligned and streamlined. As a client there is great visibility, added-value and certainty associated with project programming, design process,  constructions costs and quality. Look at it as Generative Design for Manufacturing + Assembly (G.DfMA). Yes, you heard it hear first! So what’s not to to like, right? 

Speaking on the Paradigm Network

A short talk speaking on what the Paradigm Network is: a professional network for all championing BAME representation in Architecture.

Video: A Year in the Life of ....

A Year in the Life of … Gbolade Design Studio.

Thank you for being part of our journey!

Speaking on BAME in Architecture

Speaking at the RIBA Rising Star Awards night on BAME representation in Architecture, and on our MyPart3 App.