Since I was young, I have always been intrigued by how things worked and how they were made. I think this fascination developed through spending time working on small building projects around the house with my dad. His role as a civil engineer always interested me. I would often spend my weekends helping him renovate the house from updating a bathroom to completely building a new room!

Though these were only very small projects, the process of developing and improving a space or creating a new one was something I found great satisfaction in. Following on from that, I became more interested in the processes involved in the construction of spaces.

As a born and bred Brummie and someone who has studied and works here, I’m so interested in the city’s potential. Getting young people involved with sharing ideas and thoughts is important. People who get to live and experience the city - what makes it good or challenging - are vital to make it reach its potential. Birmingham Housing Week is a great opportunity to encourage young people to share their thoughts on how new homes should be designed and developed.

If I was going to advise anyone on how they could start a career path in architecture, I would say get out and take photos of your local area and buildings. Exploring places and taking notice of what makes them good, bad or unique can really help you think about our needs and how areas could be changed for the benefit of us all. Even talking about ideas with family and friends to get their perspectives can help.

Birmingham Housing Week has been so helpful for me to hear young people’s ideas on how homes should be designed and arranged, and it has even given me some ideas for my next project.

written by Anita Brindley, a Part II Architectural Assistant, at Howells