Nikolina is an Architectural Assistant at Eric Parry Architects, currently completing her Part 3 Qualification at the University of Westminster. She holds an Master’s degree with Distinction from the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, where in 2021 she was awarded the Ambrose Poynter Prize for Outstanding Architectural Thesis.

Nikolina is deeply passionate about celebrating diversity and multiculturalism in the architectural profession. She strongly believes that sharing knowledge within academia and practice is fundamental to establishing sustainable and empowering environment, supporting young architects in the pursuit of their professional aspirations. Hence, in the past year, Nikolina has become a mentor on the Building Future Programme at Blueprint for All.

In her role as an ABS Ambassador, Nikolina is enthusiastic about continuing to engage with students and young architects, transitioning from academia to practice. As a graduate during the pandemic, she values the importance of a strong community and healthy personal habits for maintaining one’s mental wellness. With her engagement in ABS, Nikolina will continue to raise awareness about mental health in the architectural field, broadening ABS’s outreach and impact.

I am an Urban Designer originally from Slovakia currently working in the North-West of UK.

It is exciting to become an Ambassador for ABS, as I have my personal journey with anxiety and stress and I strongly believe that everyone should have access to resources that support mental health wellbeing, especially in an industry that can create a lot of pressure, like the built environment. As an Ambassador I would like to use my platform to help spread awareness and provide support to my colleagues and anyone who needs it.

I have recently passed my Chartership to become a Landscape Architect, which was a much more arduous process than I expected. I enjoy working at RPS and working with different disciplines and am proud how supportive the company is. We have mental health first-aiders and there is a health and wellbeing committee.

I know that not every company is so supportive and  that ABS was there for me when I got made redundant during lockdown. They provided support and advice as well as financial support until I could find another role.

Katya is an EMCC Senior Practitioner accredited leadership coach, but their biggest passions are Inclusion, Equity and Diversity. Their work is dedicated to empowering individuals and organisations to find the methods, techniques and language that bring them together in a way that everyone can be their best self at work.

Already an award-winning learning provider and entrepreneur, Katya joined Utopia in 2022, where they are a Change Maker part of the leadership team, working with businesses such as Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Google, Kellogg’s, KP Snacks, Nestlé, Nomura, Spotify and Universal Music.

Katya has a background in architecture and digital construction. Their experience with healthcare design and building information modelling eventually brought out a passion for people and shaped her innate instinct for communication into an effective and poignant tool for collaboration. Katya has supported world-renowned organisations, such as Grimshaw Architects and Alisson Brooks Architects in their endeavours to adopt digital technologies in their design. Faced with training highly skilled professionals in new tools, Katya developed a delicate, yet stimulating approach to drive anyone, regardless of their seniority, to improvement and innovation in their work in a joyful and positive spirit. Within their work for promoting digital adoption and diversity in the construction industry, Katya has shared their experience with and has been recognised by numerous audiences in the UK and abroad, including AU Las Vegas 2018, where they addressed over 500 people and UK Construction Week 2019, where they were named one of top 4 Construction Role Models. Their ability to break down complex concepts and find connections relevant to the listener has proven to truly make an impact.

As a queer immigrant person, Katya has always been naturally drawn toward various social initiatives to promote diversity in the workplace. Those have always been endlessly gratifying, so, like so many amid the Covid Pandemic and global social justice unrest, they paused for a moment of reflection. They delved into coaching and coaching cultures and they reminded them very much of social justice organising and indigenous governing and they knew that they needed to turn away from the buildings – the context, to the contents – people.

I am a RIBA chartered architect. I graduated from Newcastle University in 2017, during my time there I was awarded a travel scholarship to undertake research on civic architecture in North America. I have worked on various mixed-use and residential schemes, including delivering large-scale, aged-living residential developments in the UK and abroad. I strive to create architecture with a social conscience, and I feel I share a similar ethos to that of ABS.

I am an individual who wants to grow and develop within the profession and has the insight to instil positive change in the industry, for our people. I want to use my position as an ABS ambassador and use it to contribute to society positively.

Architects Benevolent Society supports the architectural profession and without this society, professionals would suffer more than they are now. I am really pleased to be one of their Ambassadors to help spread the word through my podcast, “The Broke Architect”.The podcast was created to give a voice to architects talking about their struggles within the profession with issues of low pay, debt and a culture of long working hours. In 2018 I became the youngest Fellow of the RIBA and as a way of helping the profession I have spent the last 4 years mentoring architects, I feel I have a really good perspective on the current state of the profession. The podcast is also a vehicle for fundraising for the ABS, focusing on raising awareness around health and well-being and any money raised will support the great work that ABS provide.

As professionals, we never know what is around the corner and may need the support of the ABS at any point in our career, which is why I’m proud to be an ABS ambassador.

Jason has kindly set up a JustGiving page.

Kavita is an Architect at Corstorphine and Wright Architects and her passion for architecture derives from her love of craft, detailing and creating. She has an avid interest in social responsibility, sustainability and working with young adults and children and architecture. She leads the CSR team at C&W and is an active RIBA Architect’s Ambassador delivering architectural workshop’s for children in schools as well as being involved in architectural and design related family days.

Kavita also currently sits on the Board of the Birmingham Architectural Association and is the social media manager. Having been involved with the BAA since the revival, Kavita is excited to launch a ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ ground and will lead whilst continuing her involvement with Women in Architecture and BCO. Formerly, Kavita has sat on Student Councils for her universities and acted as a Student and Course representative for Architecture as well as co-founding the Northumbria Architecture Society.

Jamie is an architect working for Howells in London. He completed his master’s degree at the Scott Sutherland School of Architectural and Built Environment and passed his Part 3 qualification in 2023 from the University of Westminster. He was first made aware of the work ABS does through the annual Chicken Run and the opportunities that can be created by the charity.

As an ambassador, he can offer advice and support to the future generation of upcoming architects from his recent experience of the academic process, which can be a challenging and demanding time for students.

ABS is a wonderful organisation that I am thrilled to be able to support. I started my journey in the Built Environment in 2012 at Northumbria University reading Architectural Technology. I now work as a senior Architectural Technologist at FaulknerBrowns Architects with a specialism in Sport and Leisure. I really enjoy working on public sector projects and seeing the impact buildings have on local communities and how they contribute to both physical and mental health of individuals. This is something I am keen to help develop through my role at ABS.

As well as my role as a Technologist I also sit on the FaulknerBrowns CSR and Well-being groups. Having a deeper understanding of what ABS offers has helped me in these roles. I am also a CIAT Northern Region Committee member and look forward to bringing both groups together and promoting the amazing work of ABS in the Northern Region.