About Us

Sarah started her role as Head of Architecture at DLUHC in November 2021. She is an architect, urban designer and project manager with over 25 years’ experience helping public and private sector clients deliver residential projects from masterplans to individual homes. Sarah has worked on projects from site finding stage to construction and post-occupation, working closely with design and construction teams as well as being involved in large scale housing programmes and research and development into construction methods. Prior to her current position, Sarah worked for nine years as development manager and then managing director at Solidspace, an independent architect-led developer bringing its unique split-level arrangement to spaces and volumes within each home. Before this Sarah worked in local government as housing lead for an Ecotown in Hampshire – delivering the programmes’ early win projects. Working for over seven years at CABE, Sarah was senior advisor and head of urban design and homes, where she helped to embed design quality tools and processes in large scale government programmes such as the Thames Gateway and housing growth areas. Sarah started her career as an architect working for eight years in private practices. Sarah has contributed to design review panels for Hackney Council and the Design Council, supported a local community to prepare a neighbourhood plan and has provided her design expertise supporting two community-led housing funding programmes managed by the National Community Land Trust Network and the social investor CAF Venturesome.

Sevra Davis is Director for Architecture Design Fashion at the British Council and in this capacity, she is also the Commissioner of the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Sevra is an experienced designer, design advocate and leader in design for social innovation. Sevra studied architecture and urban design and worked in professional practice for over ten years in the US, the UK and Finland before moving to roles focused on design enabling. Before joining the British Council, she was Head of Learning at the Design Museum where she designed and led learning programmes for a range of audiences. Before joining the museum, she was Director of Design at the RSA where she developed design research and design education programmes focused on design for positive social, environmental and economic impact. She has worked on a number of projects exploring and promoting the journey toward a more sustainable future and a circular economy. She speaks and writes frequently about the role of design in an increasingly complex world and she co-authored a report for Innovate UK titled ‘Unlocking the creative potential of 21st century industry.

Tom is a writer, historian and broadcaster about architecture, geographies and cities, and teaches urban and architectural history and theory at University College London and Central Saint Martins. He has written and presented many TV and radio/podcast series on the subjects for the BBC, Channel 4, Netflix, Sky and others, and was previously exhibitions curator at the Royal Institute of British Architects, homes editor at The Guardian and architecture and design critic at The Times. His latest book, The Age of Spectacle: the rise and fall of iconic architecture (2017) is published by Windmill Books.

Indy Johar is an architect and co-founder of 00 (project00.cc) Indy, on behalf of 00, has co-founded multiple social ventures from Impact Hub Westminster to Impact Hub Birmingham, along with working with large global multinationals & institutions to support their transition to a positive Systems Economy. He has also co-led research projects such as The Compendium for the Civic Economy, whilst supporting several 00 explorations/experiments including the wikihouse.cc, opendesk.cc. Indy is a non executive director of WikiHouse Foundation & RIBA Trustee and Advisor to Mayor of London on Good Growth. Indy also founded Dark Matter - a strategic discovery, design and development lab working to transition society in response to technological revolution and climate breakdown. Indy has also taught and lectured at many institutions, including UCL and Harvard University and has written for many national and international publications on the future of design, systems change and social investment. He has taught, lectured at various institutions from the University of Bath, TU-Berlin; Architectural Association, University College London, Princeton, Harvard, MIT and New School.

Sally Lewis is an architect and urban designer and founded Stitch in 2012. Her team’s approach to partnership working with communities on regeneration projects across London has been rewarded with unanimous planning consents for more than 1600 homes, with over 800 of these homes completed and occupied. Sally is also the founder of The London Neighbourhood Scholarship Trust which promotes a more socially aware and diverse built environment in London through investment in the architectural education of young Londoners.

Peter is Curator-in-Chief of NLA and started the organisation together with Nick Mckeogh in 2005. He founded the London Festival of Architecture the previous year. His role is to oversee the quality of NLA’s output and to act as its public face. He is a Mayor of London’s Design Advocate, Chairman of the Temple Bar Trust, Past Master of the Architects’ Company, a board member of Be First, Barking and Dagenham’s regeneration delivery company, and of the Association of Architectural Organisations.

Manijeh Verghese is the Head of Public Engagement at the Architectural Association, where she is also a Unit Master of Diploma 12, a seminar leader for the AA Professional Practice for Fifth Year course, and a member of the Senior Management Team. She was on the curatorial panel for the 2021 London Festival of Architecture, and is currently an External Examiner at Cambridge University. She also works on independent curatorial projects such as the new South Asia Gallery for the Manchester Museum in partnership with the British Museum, and is the co-curator of The Garden of Privatised Delights - the British Pavilion at the 17th International Venice Architecture Biennale - as well as co-founder of Unscene Architecture.