Join the Birmingham Architectural Association on Wednesday 31st March at 5:30pm alongside Charlie Edmonds from the Future Architects Front to discuss the exploitation of Architectural Assistants.

Future Architects Front is a grassroots organisation campaigning to end of the exploitation of young people in architecture. Their Open Letter to RIBA received over 1800 signatures and has already prompted institutional action to address the issues outlined in FAF's campaign.

Charlie Edmonds will give an introduction to the group and update to RIBA's Initial Response. We will then open up the floor for a Q&A discussion with our panel Amy Francis-Smith, Simeon Shtebunaev, Kyle Conway & Tegan Robinson-Morris.

Exploring how to bring about change, the current setup with RIBA, the Future Architects Network, offering some advice to certain scenarios and engagement strategies.

BAA Panel:

Amy Francis-Smith - BAA Vice-President, Part III Architectural & Inclusive Designer

Amy Francis-Smith is the Vice President of the Birmingham Architectural Association, an RIBA Part III Architectural Designer for Pinnegar Hayward Design and a passionate advocate for Inclusive Design. With her work and research focused on providing decent housing and accommodations across the Built Environment for people with Disabilities.

Campaigning for legislative change, she educates students and professionals of their social responsibility, advises on accessible environments, sits on Habinteg’s advisory board, lobbies the government to improve the Building Regulations and has had numerous articles published.

In 2020, she was shortlisted from 64,000 for the National Diversity Award’s - Positive Disability Role Model, named on the Shaw Trust’s Power 100 list as one of the UK’s top most influential Disabled people in the UK and as a UK Construction Week Role Model. Amy was also one of Birmingham Live’s 30 under 30 2019 and invited to become an ambassador for the Architects Benevolent Society.

Simeon Shtebunaev - BAA Committee and Doctoral Researcher in Youth and Smart Cities

Simeon is a doctoral researcher in Birmingham City University, researching how young citizens engage in the planning of future 'smart' cities. He is passionate about participatory design and young people. Simeon served as a trustee of the RIBA (2016-2019) and as a co-Vice-President for Students and Associates, co-founding the RIBA Future Architects.

Simeon is an alumnus of the University of Sheffield dual Architecture and Town Planning degree, having represented Young Planners on the RTPI General Assembly (2018-2019). Currently, Simeon is part of the Planning Committee of the Birmingham Civic Society, as well as, part of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s cultural leadership board. Simeon is an ambassador for the Architects Benevolent Society in West Midlands.

Kyle Conway - BAA Student Ambassador - Part II

Kyle is a Masters Student at Birmingham School of Architecture and Design. Returning to BSoAD after completing his Part 1 at the school as well as completing a year out at a local practice. As a student ambassador for the BAA, he is looking to challenge current architectural attitudes and thinking. Placing great importance on community and networks in architecture, he hopes that he can use his place as an ambassador to further connect and close the gaps between academic and professional architecture communities.

He feel it’s important to look to the future and start tackling our future problems now; currently studying in the schools Extinction rebellion Architecture Design unit, which focusses on how architects can begin to tackle the climate crisis.

Tegan Robinson-Morris - BAA Student Ambassador - Part II

Tegan is currently in her first year of a Masters in Architecture at Birmingham City University. She spent 3 years on placement as an architectural assistant for a small practice, in Leamington Spa, following her Bachelors.

She is using her time at university to explore more sustainable design approaches, focusing on small community projects. She is also responsible for the ‘Birmingham Architecture and Design Women’s Network’, formed with fellow Birmingham City University students, staff and alumni. This group aims to offer support and discussion with other women within the industry.

Please feel free to submit questions beforehand. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

The Birmingham Architectural Association is kindly supported by our patron Allermuir as well as our sponsors Allgood, Altro, Ibstock, Milliken, Reynaers, SKG Kitchen Gallery and Taylor Maxwell.

This is a free event but booking is essential with spaces limited.

We look forward to seeing you there!

For further information please email: baa@brumarchitecture.com

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