
The Architectural Divide: Why Architects Love Brutalism, but the Public Prefers Poundbury
The ongoing debate over modernist and traditional architecture in the UK reflects deep cultural, historical, and economic tensions. While architects admire Brutalism for its material honesty and sculptural forms, the public tends to favor buildings that feel familiar and welcoming. This divide extends beyond personal taste and into broader political and financial realities, shaping not only urban landscapes but also policy decisions and public sentiment.
This essay argues that the tension between Brutalist and traditionalist architecture in the UK is not simply a matter of aesthetic preference but is rooted in historical necessity, political influence, and economic pressures. By examining how these factors shape public perception and architectural discourse, this analysis explores potential pathways to reconcile professional ideals with public expectations.

Who’s Doing the Admin? Leadership, Workload Balance, & Avoiding Burnout
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about admin—not just in my own role, but in workplaces more broadly. My partner and I work in different industries, at different levels, and in different types of companies. Yet, despite these differences, I seem to handle significantly more administrative tasks in my day-to-day work. That realization led me to reflect: Is this just my specific situation, or is it a symptom of a larger pattern?
As I started digging deeper, I realized this isn’t just about my own experience. It’s about how workplaces—often unintentionally—assign admin-heavy tasks in ways that reflect deeper structural imbalances. Research has shown that women in professional settings are more likely to take on non-promotable tasks, such as administrative and office housekeeping duties, often without recognition or reward (Babcock et al., 2017).

From Tracks to Towers: How Hong Kong’s MTR Shapes the City
Towards the end of last year, I returned to Hong Kong for a few weeks. Though the trip was under unfortunate circumstances, it was a chance to reconnect—with the city’s flavors, its milder winter, and, most strikingly, its exceptional public transportation.
In Hong Kong, transit isn’t just a service; it’s a point of civic pride, deeply embedded in the city’s culture and architectural identity. Despite its density and unaffordability—often ranking above London—Hong Kong has built one of the world’s most profitable and self-sustaining transit systems. At the core of this success is its Rail + Property model, an approach that offers valuable lessons for cities like London.
Celebrating Dad
Sharing this isn’t easy, but I remind myself that architecture is about people, life, and emotion. The pain of betrayal—family members fighting over an inheritance that isn’t theirs—has made this sad process even more drawn out and bitter. In cutting them out, I’ve lost not just one life, but several in my heart.
Yet, both joy and pain shape how I think, design, and create. This post is not just a tribute to my father but a reminder that we are more than our work—and that’s okay. Life is fleeting, like music—precious, transient, defined by small moments. The joy of hobbies, of making loved ones happy, of bringing joy to others—this is what matters. Not money. Not how much you have.

Palliser Road: A Site Visit Reflection
Earlier this October, a group of us from CGL had the opportunity to visit Palliser Road, a Southern Housing Group project in Barons Court, West London. Situated next to the historic Queen’s Tennis Club, this development will see the transformation of Ada Lewis House into 36 mixed-tenure homes, centered around a landscaped courtyard designed to foster community.

Designing Cities for Memory: Rethinking Urban Spaces for Ageing and Alzheimer’s Care
For years, I've dedicated my work to envisioning more humane and inclusive cities, yet the question of urban transformation took on a personal resonance during my aunt’s recent visit to London.

I am not a Robot: AI and Architecture - You Scratch My Back, I’ll Scratch Yours
At Child Graddon Lewis, a small team of us were assigned the task of exploring the Reimagine London prompt through illustrations on our shopfront windows. My concept, titled "I Am Not a Robot," unexpectedly captured the team’s interest. This project not only taught me valuable lessons in project management but also allowed me to explore illustration on a much larger, more public scale than ever before. This illustration series is currently work in progress, with updates to come.

Urban Development: Comparing Building Approvals in New York and London
The building approval processes in New York and London offer a fascinating contrast in how two global cities approach urban development. Both prioritize public consultation and sustainability, but New York’s rigid zoning system stands in sharp contrast to London’s more flexible, policy-driven approach.

Design and Access Statements: Comparing London and New York’s Urban Planning Policies
This post explores the pivotal role of Design and Access Statements (DAS) in shaping London's urban landscape and contrasts it with New York's zoning-driven approach.

A Reintroduction
Since joining Child Graddon Lewis, one of the best things that I was introduced to was the concept of a MMM - an opportunity for members of staff to share aspects of their personal stories, architectural or otherwise to the team, in any way you would like, without the stress of the interview format. I had the opportunity to present my MMM in June - 3 months into joining - nervewracking yes, but also a good opportunity to reflect on this meandering journey. Here is mine, so far.

Inside/Out @ The Serpentine Pavilion
I recently had the privilege of leading the organization of the final lecture at the Serpentine Pavilion featuring this year's designer, Lina Ghotmeh.

Clapham Old Town Flat | Construction Photos (WIP)
This project has been a culmination of all the skills I have learned over the years from leadership, coordination and professional practice. The most applicable skills came from the small renovation projects at Gensler - ‘patch & match’ projects where there were so many details to capture and many odds and ends were new/re-used/relocated.

Degree Show at the Truman Brewery
Thank you so much to everyone that came (and tried to come) to the show. I am also flattered to be awarded the Head of Programme Award for my work and contributions to the college.

Inside/Out | Future Architects Front (FAF)
We invited Charlie from the Future Architect’s Front (FAF) to speak for our series, whose contact was shared through a professor of our’s. I was first introduced to Charlie’s work during the height of the pandemic when I was still residing in the US. His account on Instagram shared anecdotes about the long hours and exploitative conditions that I was all too familiar with. These serious topics were shared in the language of digestible pop culture: cynical/tongue in cheek architecture industry related memes designed to be glanced at for about a millisecond.

Clapham Old Town Flat | Existing Conditions & Initial Thoughts
I have been hired to breathe new life into a two bedroom property located in South West London. The Victorian property was subdivided into three separate flats, but a previous renovation in 2006 was poorly done, leaving the flat in desperate need of refurbishment. My task is to reimagine and revitalize this space to create a comfortable home for a young, creative professional.


Inside/Out | New Staff
One of the highlights of being a student again has been running Inside/Out. I find it inspiring from a design perspective and enjoy listening to our guests' "starting out" stories, which are often a little clumsy and unexpected. Recently, I was disappointed to learn that I didn't get a job I really wanted. I had put a lot of thought and effort into the application, but unfortunately, the position was removed before I even started due to uncertain market conditions.

Inside/Out | Carmody Groarke
We hosted an Inside/Out lecture with Carmody Groarke last night. Lukas Barry (Associate Director) centered his lecture around 3 projects. I most admire how the studio has a resourceful approach to design, and how these ideas have translated into a low impact attitude to making longer lasting architecture that looks to retain, reuse and reinvent our collective built heritage.

Midterm Review
The panel was led by senior tutor, Tania Lopez Winkler with Sylwia Poltorak and Lucas Lawrence (Studio Egret West) as our guest critics. This was a midterm review where I presented the initial design scheme and self defined brief to the panel of external critics.
