The future faces of UK architecture

In this latest instalment of our Boomers to Zoomers series, BD spoke to three young people from underrepresented communities who are on the threshold of careers in the built environment. As alumni of Beyond the Box, a social enterprise dedicated to empowering young voices in architecture and urban design, they have each taken a unique path into the profession – one shaped by real-world experiences, community-driven initiatives, and a desire to challenge the status quo.

They shared with us how their involvement with Beyond the Box gave them the skills, confidence, and opportunities to pursue architecture, as well as their perspectives on the current state of the sector. Their experiences highlight both the potential for a more inclusive, socially engaged profession and the barriers that still stand in the way.

They have words of tough love that the industry would do well to heed – calling for deeper engagement, greater accountability, and a shift in mindset towards more user-centred design. At the same time, they bring fresh energy and ideas, demonstrating a clear commitment to architecture that is not just aesthetically compelling but deeply rooted in the needs of the people and communities it serves.

Meet the future faces of UK architecture…

Sam Elbahja – “I use poetry to cut through the jargon that alienates people from design”

Seventeen. That’s when it all began – an overactive mind, brimming with aspirations but with no real direction to guide me. I was just a girl from the ends, East London, Tower Hamlets, full of dreams but with no plan.

At school, we were taught one path: study hard, get into a good university, and secure a stable job. But I found myself stuck between a rock and a hard place, trying to find a middle ground between my passion for the arts and sciences. Teachers would tell me to choose one. But I often take the high road…

Then, in 2021, everything changed. I joined the People’s Pavilion design competition run by Beyond the Box, which is changing the lives of so many young people. Take mine as an example.

For a girl who once felt directionless, it was life changing

I partook in a programme that brought young Londoners together to create a pavilion design. The prize? To see their winning design built at Here East in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Our Tower Hamlets group won, and our design was brought to life. For a girl who once felt directionless, it was life changing. That moment sparked a journey that I’m still on today. I’ve continued working with Beyond the Box as an equity designer, young curator and poet, contributing my poetry to their recent Expressions of Resilience showcase.

As an equity designer, I worked with young girls from south London to understand their lived experiences and directly incorporate their perspectives into the redesign of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. Drawing on their insights, I developed a revised proposal, which I presented at City Hall to leading architects, engineers, and CEOs, advocating for a more user-centric and inclusive approach to architecture.

And now? I’m in my final year studying architecture at the University of Cambridge. Yes, you read that right. A pipe dream turned reality. Cambridge serves as a stepping stone to greater successes, initially springboarded by Beyond the Box.

But architecture isn’t my only love – I’m also a poet. For me, poetry and architecture aren’t separate entities; they’re interconnected. My practice as an aspiring architect is rooted in combining disciplines to make architecture accessible and meaningful. While many use ‘multidisciplinary’ as a buzzword, I use poetry to cut through the jargon that alienates people from design.

I have presented architectural poetry projects at City Hall, and collaborated with Morris + Company and Open City to use poetry as a means of communicating architectural visions to the people who matter most – those who will live in, and interact with, the spaces. Architecture, at its core, should serve the people.

So, who am I? An aspiring poet-architect who designs spaces that inspire and give voice to the communities they serve. You can find some of my work on my website, and here’s a blog post I wrote for Thomas Heatherwick’s Humanise project.

Akif Rahman – “Think of the building, not as an object, but as a medium of activity”

I was born and raised in east London, of the first generation of my family to go to university, and the first to study architecture. I graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture this year (2024).

Barbican Renewal project

Through Beyond the Box, I’ve taken part in some exciting, collaborative projects. Currently, I am part of the codesign committee of young people for the Barbican Renewal project. Our workshops have the power to influence what the iconic structure could look like in the future.

Exhibition design

I was also a winner of the Expressions of Resilience competition, which I entered along with Lily Nguyen. This gave us the chance to take over the 1 Quaker Street event space with a design of our own. We designed and curated an exhibition celebrating various forms of protest a well as the east London home. Our chosen female artists came from a diverse array of global-majority cultures.

Creating a new design language

I am interested in cultural exchange, pedagogy, and the communication of meaning. In my final year at university, I experimented with creating a design methodology based on the deconstruction and analysis of language. This involved abstracting written language into a more primary emotional lexicography and creating a sensory spectrum alongside it. Then I applied this to my design, viewing the architecture itself as a spectrum, with each material selected, colour applied, and formal expression evoking an emotional response somewhere on that spectrum. Ultimately, this allowed the design to become a medium of communication, transmitting meaning as well as creating learning spaces for the user.

Art practice

My interest in pedagogy expands beyond design into my work with art collective Cor-Creative, a group of young creative students who are interested in access in careers and higher education. We workshop experimental ideas and practices, and the group functions as a peer-to-peer mentoring network.

As I go forward in my career, I’d like to be able to learn from communities, peers and craftsmen, and be in a position where I could enrich myself with new perspectives, stories and knowledge, whilst giving back.

The future of architecture

What I hope to see within design is community-focused, ambitious architecture that addresses the concerns of the now, while paying homage to histories and the archive, and creating a legacy for the future.

This should be addressed through a consistent line of conversation through all the RIBA stages. Think of the building not as an object, but as a medium of activity. Ultimately, the architecture I want to design would speak to the community and world it serves. Follow me @akif.ur.

Tomi Balogun – “We must reimagine architecture as a tool for healing and justice”

I’m a second-year architecture student at the Bartlett UCL. My journey into architecture started when I joined a design programme at the Design Museum. From there, I got involved in a range of organisations including Beyond the Box where I was part of the winning People’s Pavilion team in 2023.

I got a RIBA certificate of participation on the People’s Pavilion programme, and received a Diversity and Inclusion award in the annual RIBA student awards for my first-year building project, offering a study space for neurodivergent visitors.

Changing values

The evolution of architecture over time is something that has been meticulously studied and observed. But you don’t have to do too much more analysis to notice the gradual changes in the values and principles over time.

Creating spaces that truly and effectively serve the individuals we supposedly design for has become less apparent in our current structures. This aim has been heavily overshadowed by an emphasis on cost cutting and on impressive visuals and grandiose elements that aim to impress and ‘feed the senses’, with the hope of gaining accolades for aesthetic innovation. All this at the expense of the people we practise design for.

The built environment has failed people

Tragedies such as the Grenfell fire expose directly how much the built environment and those who practice within it have failed people. The consequences of such significant cost-cutting measures and decisions have led not only to a great loss of human life but also to a loss of trust between people and architecture.

Reclaiming humanity in architecture

Architecture at its very best is a discipline that is expressive, not only in its art but also in its need for collaboration to work well.

Buildings should cater to the needs, cultures and aspirations of their occupants. This is best done by involving the views of users in the design process. As a student, I have noticed this is not always prioritised as a value for future architects – just at a time when we need it the most.

There are endless design possibilities that can be uncovered simply by expanding the definition of what and who constitutes the ‘built environment’. It’s exciting to think of a future where this can include design and research from other fields and professions to help ensure spaces are not just functional but deeply meaningful and contextually relevant.

My time with Beyond the Box exposed me to ways in which architecture can be created as a response; design with care and consideration, for, and alongside, users. This turns it into an emotive act, and turns structures into living entities that celebrate humanity and honour the site and its community.

To move forward, we must reimagine the role of architecture as a tool for healing and justice. In this, we can repair broken relationships and amplify voices that have notoriously been ignored for so long, to create structures that not only speak to our senses but also communicate our care for users.

You can reach me on LinkedIn.