Diversity is not just a London issue. The regions need to discuss it now more than ever

Kieren Majhail

Young architects around Britain are desperate for their studios to be more representative, says Kieren Majhail

When Sadiq Khan became the first Muslim mayor of a major European city it set a precedent for many. Two years later, the new lord mayor of Sheffield is a Somali-born refugee, making headlines in a casual pose perched on top of the railings of the city’s town hall. Role models are and will be an important tool in promoting diversity.

Architecture is no different. I studied at Nottingham University a decade ago, when there were few women architects given as examples. Sarah Wigglesworth, an outspoken an unapologetic feminist, was one of my role models whose projects I studied eagerly. There were even fewer architects of a different race – Zaha Hadid being probably the only high-profile figure from a different ethnic background making headlines.

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