AGM 2020 Follow Up
Hello everyone
It is a pleasure to be back. I would like to begin by thanking everyone who has supported, taken part, or attended one our events over the past eighteen months. Ithas been much appreciated, and we would not be here without you.
Joshua von Fragstein RIBA
NDSA Chair
I would particularly like to thank the committee for hard work they have put in to ensure that everything happened smoothly and to plan.
Eighteen months can be a surprisingly short amount of time. I remember thinking when I was first elected in February 2019 that we had so much time to what we had planned; and now it is September 2020! Time has certainly flown, and on top of that the on-going situation with COVID-19 unfortunately put paid to a significant number of events we had had earmarked for the spring and summer. However, we did a achieve the most number ofevents across a term of office events in recent NDSA memory, as well hosting an exhibition and redeveloping our student awards process.
We have also demonstrated an aptitude to adapt to an alternative working environment (alongside everyone else) by relocating meetings and events to online platforms. We held our first ever Webinar presentation in July as well as the AGM in August completely online - who knew the skype event in December would be so prescient!
You will also notice that the committee team as also evolved a little too, following our recent AGM. One or two have stepped down for personal reasons and a number of others have come forward to input their own ideas and support the work we begun with the last term of office.
Below are some excerpts of what they stand for want to be able to develop over the next term through 2021 to the beginning of 2022. Welcome to all.
A list of the committee in full can be found here.
Michael Hodgson
VICE CHAIR / VICE PRESIDENT
My new position as Vice President will build on the last 18 months where I was one of the NDSA Education officers. It’s great to give back to the future generation and new members of the society and profession.
We did some great events the Student awards symposium, in particular, becoming a personal passion of mine. Moving forward my focus will be on areas we didn’t get chance too completely develop in our last term of office. These areas will include excursions to buildings/landmarks inaccessible to the general public, more site visits/talks on local projects and additional regulatory/technical CPDs and seminars.
I’m keen to work towards the NDSA developing a Heritage Officer position, so we can engage on behalf of the membership with new and existing sites and projects across the regions. That way we can ensure buildings are protected and celebrated.
My main role above all else will be to support the current President with the various commitments that as an RIBA branch we are required to attend and uphold.
In combining a combination of experience, continuity and fresh faces, we continue to build upon the work initiated in February in 2019. I am excited to see this group develop together over the next 18 months.
Michael Hodgson
Vice Chair / VICE PRESIDENT
Ayesha Batool
EDUCATION SECRETARY
Over the past 18 months, I have enjoyed the excitement and intellectual stimulation of working at the crossroads of academia and practice. My renewed role as an education secretary, in this term, is pivotal in these queer times, especially for graduating architects and students. I feel that I am in an enabling position to provide linkages for collaboration between schools of architecture and professional practices. By bringing the student body in the loop, I want to assume the delicate role of coordinating inputs from the universities to inform the practices and dialogues in the city at large.
As an international student at the University of Nottingham I am often surprised with the diversity of populations that the university holds together. Both Nottingham and Derby invite a large number of international students to bring life to campuses and nourish their cities. This year, unfortunately, we will see not see a large percentage of these students joining us physically. Perhaps, this is an opportunity for us to use the online environment to connect the distant cities across the globe, via the students, to share their stories with us and in return we can share a bit of the city with them.
In this term, apart from continuing the projects as planned, such as the Student Symposium, I want to build a dialogue between international students and local students that enables storytelling. Ideas and opportunities in this regard are welcome at a.batool@ndsa.org.uk
Ayesha Batool
Education Secretary
Sara Saadouni
COMMITTEE OFFICER
The ARB prescribed examinations allow those with unrecognised architecture qualifications to demonstrate equivalence at Part 1 and Part 2 in the UK. These are usually foreign nationals or people who have studied architecture outside of the EU. This process is costly and requires a considerable commitment of time and energy, as the candidate is required to present evidence in the form of a detailed portfolio of work, mapped against complex criteria defined by the ARB.
The guidance available to build the portfolio is, in my opinion, not sufficient to fully understand the scope of the submission, and the support available from other sources is limited. There is a clear gap that needs addressing with regards to the guidance and support available to those with unrecognised architecture qualifications and wanting to register with the Board to work as Architects in the UK.
As a newly elected committee member at NDSA, I would like to help bridge this gap. By creating graphic content, looking at case studies, and interviewing relevant people in the field, I seek to create a database of content that will be a reference point for people in need of support. I hope that my contribution via the NDSA will help make this process more inclusive, accessible, and smoother for those needing to convert their diplomas in the future.
Sara Saadouni
COMMITTEE Officer
Cinzia Russo
COMMITTEE OFFICER
I am a RIBA Chartered Architect currently working at Concertus Derbyshire. My passion and interests are: modernist architecture, environmental design and the Built Heritage.
In my role as committee officer, I intend to complete the archive research started previously and produce a timeline of the NDSA activity from its establishment to present. Also, I will focus on Nottingham & Derbyshire’s historic built environment, researching and planning activities such as talks, seminars, articles and guided visits.
Cinzia Russo
COMMITTEE Officer
Ben Price
SOCIAL SECRETARY
The preceding months have challenged us all to redefine our perspectives on what it means to be social, adapt to new conventions, and to better understand the value of those around us.
We have done this by virtually inviting friends, colleagues, employers and strangers into our homes; attending events and discussions from all around the world. A lot of good has come from these new ways of thinking, and I believe that we need to maintain that momentum.
As we move forward, it is essential that we continue to embrace and support the implementation of these communication methods, allowing every event that we hold to be accessible, inclusive, and safe to all. It is important we strive to ensure an open and inviting atmosphere, welcoming to everyone who has an interest in the built environment, not just those involved in designing it.
I will work to ensure our events give back to society by supporting and promoting local places involving local people. It’s a strange time to become a social secretary, but we’ve got plenty to look forward to.
Ben Price
Social Secretary
In conclusion,
I would like to end on a note of thanks again for out outgoing committee members without them we would not have got to where we are in such a short space of time. If you would like to get involved yourself or have an idea for an article for the website or even an event please get in touch with us via info@ndsa.org.uk or get in touch with one of the team directly.
We hope to see you at our forthcoming events. In the meantime, stay safe and stay connected.