I believe the UK has a responsibility to lead by example in creating a built environment that is sustainable, energy efficient, and healthy for its occupants. With around 80% of today’s buildings expected to still be in use by 2050, it is essential that we focus not only on maintaining high standards for new developments, but also on future-proofing the existing building stock.

I strongly believe that early-stage design decisions and fabric choice are far more important than they are often given credit for. As architects and engineers, we are ultimately responsible for how buildings perform in use and for the safety and wellbeing of the people who occupy them. Design, material selection, and construction should therefore be approached with a strong sense of professional and ethical responsibility, not treated as secondary to cost or programme.

My Vision

Tragedies caused by poor building safety highlight the consequences of failing to do so. Events such as the tragedy in Crans-montana, Switzerland, and more personally the nightclub fire in my hometown of Kočani, North Macedonia, were the result of serious inadequacy in building safety, fire escape roues, and material choice. I believe incidents like these should not have happened in this day and age and could have been avoided.

My ambition is to contribute to a future where buildings are designed with safety, performance, and responsibility in mind, helping ensure that preventable tragedies are not repeated.