As a charity that I believe to be vital to the architectural profession, I am honoured to be an ambassador for ABS and I’m hoping to champion their work by raising awareness for their incredible services and support they offer to those in need.

Having personally experienced struggles with my health, including an autoimmune disease (and long Covid), I was keen to help others who might be experiencing similar challenges – this is how I came across ABS. Their services are tailored to specific requirements of each individual needing help, be it mental health support, financial resources or another one of their services. If we are facing difficulties, asking for help should be easy, and looking back on my experience, I wish I had done this earlier. ABS is here to listen, understand and help when you need it most.

Going forward, I am excited to get stuck in to my ambassador role through raising awareness, organising events and seeking funding opportunities, while also starting a PhD, with the aim of being able to shine more light on the effects that the built environment has on people’s health and wellbeing, especially in relation to autoimmunity.

Alexia Michael is an Architect at BarrGazetas. She studied at University of Westminster, and previously worked with Squire & Partners on prestigious new build masterplan projects, including the new mixed-use development ‘The Broadway’ in Victoria SW1, London. Since qualifying as an Architect in 2017, Alexia has taken several commercial projects along Regent Street from concept to completion. She is interested in architecture as an experience rather than a pure object of vision and has particular interest in commercial architecture and the re-manifestation of listed buildings. Her design ethos is driven by sustainability and end-user wellbeing. She is a passionate believer in Collaboration amongst trades, and strives to deliver creative and quality driven spaces while implementing refreshing ideas and technologies. She is also an Ambassador for the Architects Benevolent Society and a mentor for the University of Westminster mentoring students since 2017. Other than design, Alexia is passionate about travelling and shoes and has participated in workshops and short-courses at University of the Arts London to evolve her branding, 3D design and footwear design skills.

She says, “Times are changing and though our generation may be proven to be highly more productive than any other, this comes with a price to pay. It makes us prone to cognitive stress, sensory overload and emotional burn-out. Currently an architect at TateHindle and a Mentor at the University of Westminster providing guidance and advice to students within the industry, I joined ABS as an Ambassador to be the aide I would like to have when I needed it.

Mental health is not something that happens to other people, we all have mental health. It refers to the state of wellbeing and wellbeing is a currency for sharing; sharing trust, respect and communication. We have been trained within the architecture industry with the aim of creating places that would connect people. Yet, our academic and professional environments as architects are far detached from this. There is nothing more valuable in times of crisis than ‘face-to-face’ communication. I am excited to be part of this culture of change and collaboration and aspire to contribute to the work of ABS in all ways possible!”

To be an ambassador for any organisation means one has to believe in what they wish to achieve. The ABS has one of the most laudable ambitions for those of us within the built-environment professions – to help those of us who might be struggling in some way. Having been part of this professional world for many years, I have been through numerous difficult times in which I wish I had been aware of a benevolent organisation such as this. Now is my chance to help my fellow colleagues by promoting the aims and ambitions of the ABS to everyone who may wish to know more.

With many years experience of being a Samaritan, I understand that trials and tribulations come in all shapes and sizes; when these become too much for us we would all like to know there might be someone out there who might at least listen to us. By spreading the word on behalf of the ABS, I hope to be able to highlight the amazing things they have done to date and what they will be able to offer for the future.

ABS has been doing some amazing work for many years. I am very proud to be one of their Ambassadors and to help spread the word about the support and services they can offer to the architectural community and their families. The running of the ABS mental health support network in partnership with Anxiety UK is such a valuable resource and I will be championing it all the way.

I run my own private practice, and am also actively involved with teaching and mentoring in architecture schools. Helping to host the 2017 ABS chicken run afterparty at Bennetts Associates was enormous fun and worthwhile.

I am looking to dust my running shoes off in 2023 as a participant!

I’m Marno and I head up the RIBA Appointments division. I’m over the moon to have the chance to represent and support the Society as an Ambassador.  In my line of work, assisting architects to find new jobs and practices alike, I have learnt of the difficulties architects face when they are unemployed or have been made redundant.

My team and I need to be more than just recruiters; we need to be able to assist our candidates and have a deeper understanding of how to help members of the profession experiencing troubling circumstances. I want to help.

I learned of the Society via the Samaritans in Mental Health Week and now have the chance to get involved and do my best to make even more of a difference.

ABS kindly sponsored my masters dissertation in 2018, titled ‘Mental Wellbeing and the Architecture Student’. This piece of research was done in collaboration with the RIBA, and interrogated some of the key causes behind mental distress amongst architecture students, and suggested future steps towards addressing these problems.

I am now working as an Architect and am proud to be an ambassador for the ABS, alongside my involvement in the Architects’ Mental Wellbeing Forum. The work all the inspiring people at ABS are doing is invaluable for everyone in the profession. I strongly believe that we can make a difference, and I would like to empower people to challenge conventional viewpoints surrounding unhealthy cultures and consider their own mental health as a priority within their studies or careers, not as a secondary consideration. We have been seeing a lot of positive progress and this must continue if we are to become a healthy profession.

Stephen is the Founder of the Architecture Social and a Council Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He worked in the Architecture industry at EPR Architects for three years after completing a degree and diploma in Architecture at the University of Westminster and Manchester School of Architecture. In 2014, Stephen left practising Architecture to pursue a career in recruitment where he worked alongside industry-leading Architecture Practices such as AHMM, Allies and Morrison, Benoy, Sheppard Robson and Skidmore Owings and Merrill to find creative designers for their teams. In 2021, Stephen joined Ackroyd Lowrie, an ambitious Architecture Practice as their Head of Talent. He was responsible for internal recruitment and retaining existing staff, alongside building up his own business known as the Architecture Social. The Architecture Social is an online platform packed with content, resources and tools to help creatives find new jobs, stand out from the crowd and take their career in Architecture to the next level. The combination of working directly in the Architecture Industry as a designer and hiring manager, as well as a consultant in the Recruitment Industry, means that the Architecture Social has a fresh spin on an old formula by breaking down traditional barriers between companies and creatives, providing a supportive environment to develop professional skills, find new jobs and socialise.

Currently, he is an elected member of the RIBA Council, an ambassador for ABS, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a professional member of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and the Association Of Professional Staffing Companies. Previously a Visiting Critic and Teaching Assistant of Manchester School of Architecture, professional mentor for postgraduate students of Architecture at the University of Westminster, and a guest lecturer for students of LMJU.

He says, “Architects come from all walks of life and have overcome obstacles along the way. It is a very hard journey along the path of Architecture. Working in architecture has its ups and downs.  We all love the industry for different reasons, however whether it is external events or problems within practice sometimes it can feel like the odds are against you and leave you feeling an anxious. Sometimes we all need a little help or would like the support of someone else who is familiar with the industry, even if it is just someone to talk to. That’s what I love about the ABS and how they help the industry.”

I am extremely proud to represent the Architect’s Benevolent Society and help to raise awareness of mental illness and how the ABS can help those suffering within the Architectural community.

I am currently a Part 1 Architectural Assistant at Sonnemann Toon Architects and will be starting my Part 2 Masters at the University of Westminster in September 2019.  I, like so many other students, experienced a period of ill mental health during my undergraduate degree and wasn’t aware of the options and support available to me. For this reason, I feel extremely passionate about encouraging an open conversation, within universities and the workplace, about mental health and raising awareness of the links that ABS have with Anxiety UK and the therapy that they can provide.

I have met so many wonderfully passionate people through volunteering for ABS and have been really inspired by the success of the Anxiety Arch campaign and their growth over the last year. Volunteering as an ambassador is really rewarding and I hope to continue to support the architectural profession through this role and my educational and professional networks.

Being asked to be an Ambassador for the Architects Benevolent Society is a tremendous honour as I have witnessed at close hand the difference the Society makes in lives of the people and families they support.

The Construction industry is often seen as a barometer for the economy and this can place the members of our profession in challenging circumstances, especially within the current turbulent climate.

Through Pollard Thomas Edwards’s work organising the Society’s annual Chicken Run in 2015 and 2016, I saw the dedication and commitment of its members of staff.  My role as an ABS Ambassador gives me the opportunity to spread the word of this tireless work to a greater audience to ensure that the help they give can continue for all future generations of architects and technicians.

I am also an Associate at Pollard Thomas Edwards, a member of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects and RIBA North London Steering Group. It is through these memberships that I hope to broaden the Society’s reach to the architectural student population and members of the profession.