In celebration of International Women’s Day, the brunch will highlight and celebrate the different paths and experiences of the 3 guest speakers: Angelene Clarke, Elsie Owusu OBE and Tara Gbolade in regards to setting up their own businesses and culminate in a workshop and short networking session.
You will hear about these incredible black women’s contributions to the built environment in the form of architecture and design, research, activism and more! Shining a light on the varied avenues to ownership whether through collaboration, co-ownership or sole-ownership, and learn what to be aware of and take into consideration when setting up your own business.
We’ll also have two special guests, Danielle Turner from Gayle Inventory and Amahra Spence from MAIA Group who’ll tell us what their business is about!
You’ll get the chance to visit the beautifully renovated Department Store, a local Brixton landmark with its renovated interiors, designed by Squire & Partners that highlight and showcase the building’s Edwardian architecture whilst keeping it fresh and contemporary.
Speakers
Angelene Clarke
Angelene Clarke is a Design Strategist that provides services through her consultancy Bearded Ladies. Angelene has helped to create informed strategic decisions using evidence based design methods to promote transformational change programmes for multinational companies like Swatch Group UK, NHS England and Commercial banking sector.
Currently, Angelene is working to realise a physical construct of her research. Design is becoming more collaborative and creatives are at the heart of this. Bearded Ladies achieves this through creative strategy, design development and visual narration. Emerging Trends That Will Shape the Future of Architecture and the profession as a whole.
Elsie Owusu OBE
Elsie Owusu OBE is an architect, urban designer and principal of Elsie Owusu Architects (EOA). Her projects include the UK Supreme Court and London's Green Park Station. Current EOA projects include: Guest Artists Studios (GAS) a studio/residency complex for the artist Yinka Shonibare CBE in Lagos; the new Kumasi City Hall and Royal Museum, Ghana - and a low-energy home in Sussex.
Elsie is a director of JustGhana Ltd, which promotes inward investment and good governance in Ghana with a special focus on design and STEM education for young people through the creative and cultural industries.
In 2003, she was honored by the Queen for services to architecture as Founding Chair of the Society of Black Architects.
Tara Gbolade
RIBAJ Rising Star winner Tara Gbolade is co-founder of the award-winning Gbolade Design Studio. Her practice specialises in residential and mixed-use developments for public and private sector clients, making ‘everyday places for people extraordinary’ by focusing on place-making.
Tara leads the Sustainability strategy for the Harlow & Gilston Garden Town regeneration, ensuring that high quality sustainable design is embedded for the 23,000 new homes and regeneration of existing communities.
Tara is also co-developer of the MyPart3 App; an iOS application designed to help architecture students navigate the transition between studying in university and life-in-practice.
The event was supported by Arup, MAIA and Squire & Partners.
Missed out on the event? No problem, purchase the booklet to get all the main take-aways, further advice and reading.