Following an office-wide workshop in April, Clare proposed a 3 Stage Framework that architects and designers can follow to embed diverse voices within the design process. The short essay provides a high-level overview of these 3 stages, hoping to urge readers into action using a bottom-up approach. The winners were set to be announced at a celebration reception at the Palace of Westminster in Autumn, however, this event moved online due to the pandemic. We are delighted that Clare came joint runner up from the 10 essays which were shortlisted! The winning entry was from another recently qualified architect, Kathryn Thomas, who’s essay calls for a re-evaluation of town planning, greater emphasis on inclusion and accessibility, and for an evaluation of national policy to ensure accessible housing is delivered in all new developments in a top-down approach. You can read more about the winning entries here.
When asked why she entered, Clare said:
“I see my roles as architect and diversity champion at Sarah Wigglesworth Architects as intertwined, and I feel the growing need to use this platform I have to facilitate conversations for change within the design and construction of our built environment. If architects out there aren’t questioning our industry, I’m asking you why not?! It’s no secret that our industry’s approach to inclusivity (and EDI in general) needs to improve, but rather than just pointing out all that’s wrong in the industry, I wanted to enter this competition to propose a framework that designers can follow, not only to create a more inclusive and diverse design process, but also more inclusive and diverse architectural education and architectural practice, because fundamentality these things are completely interdependent and must be thought about holistically.”
