I studied in London submerged in the world of prestigious Architecture. I was inspired by the glorious career paths of celebrity architects and believed for this to be the only path to success within the industry. I did however question the humanitarian, environmental and socio-economic impact of many of their projects and felt uneasy with what I saw.
I longed to see more meaning and contribution in their work.
I also began to realise how difficult it is for young architects to get the full experience of project delivery and building, and I didn’t want to be a drafter.
I wanted to get my hands dirty, building.
At the age of 23 and I went to a conference at TU Berlin dedicated to architects doing humanitarian aid. They were tanned and had smiley eyes. They looked different to all the pale, overworked architects I have met before. They looked happy, had tones of travel stories and fascinating career paths. They also were building like crazy. Delivering countless projects around the world, building much more than the architects I studied. They were building projects that were needed and quick to implement, and in this, I saw an opportunity of being able to become an architect in the full essence.
"That’s what I want my life as an architect to look like."- I thought.
I went on a search looking around the world to find where I could make an impact like that.