In conversation
Àwọn ibaraẹnisọrọ mi
Masterclass in Adaptive Intelligence: Total Architecture Series 🌟 | ARUP x African Futures Institute
As part of their Total Architecture Series, ARUP hosted a landmark event which brought together visionary minds from the African Futures Institute and Arup’s team to foster a vibrant exchange of ideas.
The heart of the discussion revolved around a critical question: What can Africa teach the world about adaptation? Yemi was part of the panel that explored the unique perspectives and opportunities within the African context that can shape the future of the built environment. This conversation urged architects, engineers, landscape architects, and urban designers to think creatively about resilience, conservation, and the interplay between artificial and adaptive intelligence.
Their distinguished panel were: Prof Lesley Lokko OBE, Dr Patrick Ata, Tessa Brunette, Fred Mukonoweshuro, Tara Gbolade and Yemí Aládérun
Together, all that were in attendance examined how multidisciplinary approaches, emerging technologies, and principles of de-growth can guide us toward more equitable ways of utilising and conserving the world’s resources. The discussion also challenged us as design professionals to engage with the environment—ecological, social, and political—in ways that are both intelligent and sensitive.
Click here to watch the conversation
Photo credit: ARUP
London Real Estate Forum (LREF) 2023: Conference
‘Happy, healthy people and communities drive value, not only in terms of placemaking, but also financially’, Yemí contributing to a panel session ‘Design matters: exploring good social value, chaired by Savills’s director of social value, Wesley Ankrah. Yemí also led a site tour for conference delegates. Other panelists: Debbie Akehurst, Central District Alliance & Hatton Garden BID
Gary McLuskey, Greystar
James Miller, Pragma Consulting
Imogen Clark, Make Space for Girls
Images: Bar Productions
Biennale College Architettura 2023
Yemí was invited to be a critic for the first ever Biennale College. Over the course of four weeks (from 25 June — 22 July 2023), the Biennale’s curator Lesley Lokko, 15 tutors and 9 critics, including architects, academics and international professionals, worked with 49 participants selected from 986 applications coming from students, graduates under 30, academics (PhD candidates, researchers, university assistants, tutors, teaching fellows, etc.) and emerging practitioners under 35 from all over the world. Several field trips and a series of workshops, seminars and conferences allowed the participants to explore the themes of the Exhibition and to think critically and creatively about the most pressing issues of our time and The Laboratory of the Future: decolonisation and decarbonisation.
The College was a profoundly transformative pedagogical experiment. It operated through a series of experimental studios, seminars, lectures and reviews, drawing on the rich history of radical and transformative pedagogies that have surfaced in architectural education over the past fifty years. The College provided an exploratory space for its participants to critically and creatively engage with each other, with experts. The process will culminate in a documentary, which will be screened as part of the exhibition.
Breaking Bread and Learning Lessons
Yemí was invited by inspirational Patricia Brown, Hon FRIBA to join Alice Brownfield and Abby Crisostomo for a knowledge sharing session with the imitable Nicky Gavron hosted by Martyn Evans Hon FRIBA
This enlightening conversation charting he impact of Nicky’s work affirmed Yemí’s belief in the power of knowledge sharing and collaboration within our industry.
Get your copy of NLA’s 55th edition of #NewLondonQuarterly to read the rest of the article here
images: Grant Smith
re:arc institute
This biannual event is dedicated to the collective exploration of architectures of planetary well-being, which we understand as ongoing practices of custodianship and care towards our social and ecological environments
For this inaugural multi-format iteration, re:arch invited practitioners, dreamers, and the curious to imagine the relational change needed to move beyond extractive paradigms.
The program opened with a session on Embodiment and Social Change with Camille Barton, followed by a keynote on Life-Affirming Infrastructures by Amahra Spence, and a Science Fiction Workshop with Angela YT Chan. The day culminated with a panel discussion on Community Participatory Architectures with Yemí speaking on behalf of Paradigm Network alongside members from Space Black, Build Up and Okra Studio.
Image : Anita Isreal
The VIBE with Aminata Kamara
Quality and maintenance of social housing
In light of a series of media reports revealing appalling levels of disrepair in some social housing and of the measures announced by the Government to raise standards in the sector, in particular through the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill, Yemí joined BBC Radio presenter Aminata to discuss the current condition of social housing in England.
Aminata Kamara is using her platform as a BBC radio presenter and podcaster to celebrate vibrant, intelligent professionals and entertainers.
(Getty/iStock)
The Picturesque #2: Estate Of Mind
Negroni Talk #38 - 31.01.2023
Hosted by architects fourth_space and supported by Campari – the “Negroni Talks...!” were born out of a frustration with the mannerisms of much architectural debate. Intended as a provocation, the talks were set up to capture the spirit of the lively and opinion driven exchanges that took place in the European café culture of the fin de siècle. Being irreverent in tone, the series breaks with the formal presentations and traditionally staged discussion panel that are so typical to architecture events, by taking place in the relaxed and intimate surrounds of the Venetian restaurant Ombra.
Yemí joined other speaker to discuss how we get closer to a pioneering sense of purpose and guarantee avant-garde, design-led housing that works for the future, in a way that was attempted in the past.
More here
Speakers:
Gareth Gardner, Photographer, Curator, Journalist (chair) Rut Blees Luxemburg, Photographer
Yemí Aládérun, Meridian Water
Albert Hill, The Modern House
Rosalind Peebles, Open City
Charlotte Ginsborg, Filmmaker
Photo: Rob Fiehn
29% equal is a podcast celebrating significant women who have shaped how we practice architecture today produced by Sarah Ackland
29% Equal in conversation with Part W, Episode 03: Elsie Owusu & Yemí Àlàdérun. In this episode Yemí speaks with Elsie Owusu OBE. Throughout her career Elsie has questioned the architectural profession and stood firm. Elsie and Yemí discuss her campaign to become president of the RIBA, working with Peter Blake, and her defining moment, refurbishing the Supreme Court. Elsie shares with us a woman who inspires her and gives advice to her younger self; “learn how to show off.”
Photo credits: Grant Smith (Image of Elsie Owusu)
Graphics by Mackinnon Byrne
Black Heritage & Future Dialogues
Fore Street For All CIC is an organisation formed through a collaboration between community group Residents of Edmonton Angel Community Together (REACT), Edmonton art organisation Artist Hive Studios and local architects Fisher Cheng.
Yemí was invited to chair an Q&A as part of an evening celebrating black history, arts and culture and future dialogues. Featuring film screenings (Our Land & Nubia Way) about black land initiatives. A design workshop and artworks by Blake Carlson Joshua. The White Horse hosted music by R.U.M. Band and a fun-filled drumming workshop.
More here
Image credits: Fore Street For All CIC
Round table participants (clockwise from top left): Round table delegates (clockwise from top left): Yemí Aládérun (Enfield Council), Gus Zogolovitch (Unboxed Homes), Tina John (Pocket Living), Daniel May (Socius Development), Clare Cameron (PRP), Simon Bayliss (HTA Design), Richard Lavington (Maccreanor Lavington), Lesley Lawson (Galliard Homes), Joe Milkins Geberit), Teresa Borsuk (Pollard Thomas Edwards), John Nordon (Igloo Regeneration), and Roger Black (Ballymore)
Housing future lifestyles
How can residential design cater for today’s lifestyles, while also meeting changing expectations around sustainability, health and wellbeing? This question was addressed by a panel of architects and developers at a round table discussion in London hosted by Architecture Today and Geberit.
in discussions about Planning: the state we’re in, Yemí stated: “Local planning authorities need to understand their power and build skills in planning and design,”
Read more here
Women's Housing Forum : Women and the built environment
Housing is a vital necessity for our communities to thrive, but what impact does a gendered society have on women's housing needs in 2022? Would new housing and our built environment look and feel different if MORE women were in charge of designing & developing them???
Kate Henderson, Denise Fowler and Yemí discuss this and other topics around women and the built environment.
Yemí Aládérun in conversation with Isabel Allen
Finding magic in the mundane, understanding the power of a watertight contract and impeccable paperwork, speaking up for what you believe in and providing a platform for a wide range of professionals to make their voices heard.
Ely Court: Alison Brooks in conversation with Yemí Aládérun & Zoë Berman
Completed in 2015 as one part of Brent Council's 15-year-long regeneration masterplan, Alison Brooks' Ely Court rehouses South Kilburn Estate’s existing tenants in a subtle series of urban blocks. Recalling the block and street pattern that characterised the archetypal 19th century London suburb, a reinstated mews street draws pedestrians into the middle of the shared block. A previously isolated and under-used green space between the post-war slab blocks is reimagined as a new garden square. In a conversation hosted by Part W members Zoë Berman & Yemí Aládérun, Alison discusses her unique approach to housing design.
Watch here
RIBA: Royal Gold Medal 2021
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Royal Gold Medal
RIBA: On hearing the news that he will receive the Royal Gold Medal in 2021, Sir David Adjaye said: “It’s incredibly humbling and a great honour to have my peers recognise the work I have developed with my team and its contribution to the field over the past 25 years.”
Read more here
Photo copyright : RIBA / Black Edge Productions
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Sir David Adjaye OBE
The Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by Her Majesty The Queen and is given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture.
Watch the ceremony here
Photo copyright : RIBA/Francis Kokoroko 2021
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Q&A
Yemí was honoured to host the Q&A session of the 2021 Royal Gold Medal Ceremony. Medallist Sir David Adjaye OBE answered a selection of questions submitted from the audience. The event was live streamed from RIBA Headquarters, London and Adjaye Associates, Accra.
Watch the Q&A session here
What's new in housing? AJ 40 under 40 panel discussion
Yemí joined three other AJ 40 under 40 practitioners to discuss their residential work, housing trends and recent developments in the housing sector. The panel discussion was chaired by AJ editor Emily Booth. The eclectic mix of architects touched on a wide range of projects, from small private schemes to larger public housing drives as well as strategic themes in the wider housing sector.
The AJ 40 under 40 celebrates the UK’s most exciting emerging architectural talent – an unique showcase of the nation's next generation. Unveiled in December 2020, the latest cohort is made up of a diverse list of architects from around the country and we are proud to help champion their inventive work, both completed and hot off the drawing board.
The other speakers were:
• Jennifer O’Donnell and Sam Brown, O’DonnellBrown
• Tom Lewith, TDO
• Chloe Phelps, Grounded
The Developer: Podcast
Developers on climate: “We can’t change policy, but we can not make things worse”
Developers discuss post-Covid public space and town centre design in the context of the climate emergency. Has the pandemic derailed or accelerated progress in making our cities more climate resilient? How do we design public spaces that support social connection while tackling critical urban issues such as flooding, drought, pollution and overheating?
Host: Christine Murray
Speakers: Chris Brown, Igloo; Olaide Oboh, First Base; Jonathan Wilson, Citu; Paul King, Lendlease; Yemí Àlàdérun, Islington & Shoreditch Housing Association and Neil Murphy, TOWN with Romy Rawlings, Vestre.
Making procurement more inclusive
Procurement may never be sexy, but it can be a power – perhaps *the* power – for change, especially in the public sector.
The Future of London : Many in the sector lament ongoing structural or professional bias, especially for architecture and aspects of development. Others call for clearer guidance on running inclusive procurement that doesn’t fall afoul of OJEU or other rules, as diversity ‘set-asides’ would (much more in this Guardian article). Many say both are to blame, and that we must tackle current bias and systemic rigidity as well as attitudes and access at fundamental community and education levels.
The question right now is: As a sector, how do we make procurement more inclusive?
Click here for a link to the watch and listen to the discussion
Chair : Lisa Taylor – Executive Director, Future of London; Director, Coherent Cities (chair)
Speakers: Bola Abisogun OBE, FRICS – Executive Director, DiverseCity Surveyors, Claire Bennie – Director, Municipal, Jennifer Castle – Regional Manager – London, LHC, Joseph Henry – Principal Project Officer (Regeneration & Economic Development), GLA, Nnenna Urum-Eke – Head of Development, LB Enfield & Yemí Àlàdérun
Global Grassroots Panel at NOMA
Celebrating NOMA's 50th Anniversary
The International efforts for the NEXT GENeration of ARCHitecture
Health, Housing + History
In a dynamic and engaging discussion, representatives from three global grass-root efforts piloted to increase visibility, representation and diversity share their work in addressing issues in a profession that historically lacked these tenets for immigrants, women and minorities.
With a focus on current initiatives by Danei Cesario’s WALLEN+daub in New York and England, FIRST 500 ’s expansive work by Tiara Hughes in Chicago and Yemí Aládérun commitment to housing in Great Britain, we discussed how we liaise with larger audiences to effectively shepherd Diversity, Inclusion and Equity.
Our conversation illuminated examples of how design actively contributes to healing, history, health + housing. Also discussed was the retention of immigrant, women and minority architects and successful methods to reduce dropout rates of architecture students within those demographics.
OLMEC: 100 Black Women Speak
Image credit: Olmec
Virtual Exhibition
Olmec begins its 100 Great Black Women Speak 2021 Exhibition with a launch of 20 Black women and girls from across the globe who were invited to submit spoken word, poetry, or performance pieces in film format .
Yemi speaks
For her contribution to the exhibition, Yemí read poetry by literarily greats. The poems shared were “Dreams “ by Langston Hughes and “Dawn Revisited” by Rita Dove.
For Yemí, both pieces are inspirational as they are a reminder to dream and dream big, live life to the fullest, to persevere and look to a positive future by holding on to the visions that strengthen and empower.
Photo by : Simon (London Less Travelled)
Bronze Woman
100 Great Black Women Speak is inspired by Bronze Woman. The Bronze Woman Monument was inspired by a poem written in 1968 by Cécile Nobrega, to commemorate the dignity, strength and achievements of African Caribbean women.
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Architecture Foundation Young Trustees: LoA #4 "Architect as Developer'"
Chaired by Amandeep Singh Kalra, “Life (not quite) Outside Architecture” event series brings together people who have studied architecture but have been inspired to side-step the traditional role of an architect for alternative career paths.
Discussions centre on why panellists changed path to venture into the world of development, what they do in their current roles, what skill they have carried over and top tips for getting into the development world.
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Property Development Book Club: Design Review Panels
In this event, the Property Development Book group discussed the numerous topics on the issue of design review panels, including :
The effectiveness of DRPS, do they bring about change in the built environment?
Are DRPs echo chambers where architects primarily speak to other architects?
How can we make sure DRPs represent the diversity of the communities they serve?
How can we measure their impact?
Photo credit : Greater London Authority
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Property Development Book Club: Rich Door Poor Door
Property Development Book is a group of Real Estate Development professionals that meet on Clubhouse to discuss a range of planning and development topics.
In this lively event, the group discussed issues around segregated developments and whether it was possible to create equitable housing that doesn't make distinctions (visible or invisible) between different groups of residents & tenants, especially between those who might see housing as an asset or investment and those who simply want and need a home.
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A@W London 2021 Digital Summit: Equitable housing
The pandemic has thrown a spotlight onto many things and housing is no exception. Suddenly there is a very public debate about how our health is linked to where we live and it’s not just about windows and bedrooms. Housing should be spacious and located within a walkable distance from shops and parks. There is no longer any excuse for overcrowding as we have witnessed what it does to poorer communities. Who is designing or commissioning these projects and is anyone listening to the residents?
Yemí joined the panel discussion 'Equitable Housing' along with : Francesca Perry - ICON, Jas Bhalla - Jas Bhalla Architects, Mellis Haward - Archio and Sue Morgan - Design Council.
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Festival of Place 2020: Parley on the Future of Living
The ambition for this Parley was to create the opportunity for a frank exploration of challenges and blockers, with a view to developing a shared direction of travel towards making places where people thrive.
Chaired by Sarah Payling, Group Event Director (Housing), Ocean Media Group, the following questions were explored :
What are the professional challenges you are facing with regards to the future of living and the creation of homes and places to live?
What are the blockers to better homes and places to live and what would help you get past them?
Speakers: Yemí Aládérun , Michela Hancock, Managing Director, Greystar Europe, Nick Walkley, CEO, Homes England, Rajesh Shah, Executive Commercial Director, Quintain and Danny Michael Ball, neuroscientist, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London.
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Coaches on The Couch: Learning from Lockdown
The first three series of the Coaches On The Couch podcast were recorded over 12 months from April 2020 to April 2021 by Co-hosts Rachel Birchmore and Louise Rodgers. The podcasts stand as a ‘real time’ record of how existing and emerging leaders were navigating the choppy waters of a global pandemic.
Yemí joined David Ogunmuyiwa, Rachel and Louise to chat about what, and who, motivates and inspires them; and the importance of reverse mentoring.
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The Design Museum: Designing Sisterhood
DM : While architecture is created by many people, including teams of designers, consultants, contractors, fabricators and builders, the singular white male model persists.
For decades, repositioning architecture as a collective endeavour has been at the core of feminist practice. Today’s feminism encompasses gender equity and sexual identity, embracing issues of race, social justice, and care.
Speakers : BFA, f-architecture, Jos Boys, Liza Fior, MWA, Part W & Shumi Bose.
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The Architecture Foundation: Online Book Week
Feminist City: Leslie Kern in conversation with Yemí Àlàdérun & Zöe Berman
AF: In a conversation with Part W members, Leslie Kern, the author of Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-Made World (Verso) explores the social inequalities hidden in plain sight in our cities, homes, and neighbourhoods. It is time to dismantle what we take for granted about cities and to ask how we can build more just, sustainable, and women-friendly cities together.
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New housing: Recognising and aiming for value and quality.
Yemí was invited to speak to Queen’s University, Belfast students on the topic of ‘Defining success – for people, the client and occupants’ in relation to housing delivery. - May 2019
Part W x RIBA: Pioneering Women
In sisterhood
As part of the Royal Institute of British Architect’s events related to their Beyond Bauhaus exhibition, the institute partnered with the campaign group Part W.
Taking the RIBA exhibition as a starting point, the event sought to demonstrate the pioneering role that a number of key female architects played in the history of modern British architecture. Six key women were highlighted: Elizabeth Denby, Margaret Justin Blanco White, Mary Crowley (Medd), Norah Aiton and Betty Scott, and Sadie Speight.
Speakers shared their knowledge on these modernist pioneers and reflected on what we can learn from them. Contributors to the event included Abigail Patel, Claire Bennie, Elizabeth Darling, Lynne Walker and Yasmin Shariff. Yemí co-chaired the event with Stephanie Edwards.
Speakers
L - R : Stephanie Edwards, Elizabeth Darling, Claire Bennie, Lynne Walker, Yasmin Shariff, Abigail Patel, Yemí Aládérun