Urbanistasnw

Urbanistasnw The NW chapter of , a women-led network with a focus on amplifying and empowering the voices of people in making cities better for everyone.

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A core group of 7 female architects.

We’re looking forward to joining a coordinated initiative at UKREiiF this week, led by .people CIC and , bringing organ...
18/05/2026

We’re looking forward to joining a coordinated initiative at UKREiiF this week, led by .people CIC and , bringing organisations and groups together to drive greater diversity across built environment professions - particularly at leadership level.

Frances Phillips will be at the Bury Theatre at 12:15 on Thursday on behalf of urbanistasNW. It’s inspiring to be part of a collective effort committed to creating meaningful change and amplifying diverse voices within our profession.

If you’re attending UKREiiF, it would be fantastic to see you there.

Calling all Architecture Graduates-do you need help writing your CV? Unsure of what to put in your portfolio? Worried ab...
13/05/2026

Calling all Architecture Graduates-do you need help writing your CV? Unsure of what to put in your portfolio? Worried about interviews?

UrbanistasNW have partnered with 5plus architects to host a Portfolio and Career Masterclass. In a roulette style format, you’ll be able to get feedback from architectural professionals on your job applications and hear from other students and current graduates.

The workshop will be held on Wednesday 27th May 12-2pm at 5plus offices. This masterclass is ideally aimed at graduating students to aid job seeking process. If you are in other years please keep a look out for this event in you graduating year. Please bring a printed copy of your cv/portfolio or a laptop to view work. 

Please ensure you arrive promptly as you will be allocated a time slot and an architect to see.

Thanks to 5plus for hosting us. Link in bio

Calling all Architecture Graduates-do you need help writing your CV? Unsure of what to put in your portfolio? Worried ab...
13/05/2026

Calling all Architecture Graduates-do you need help writing your CV? Unsure of what to put in your portfolio? Worried about interviews?

UrbanistasNW have partnered with 5plus architects to host a Portfolio and Career Masterclass. In a roulette style format, you’ll be able to get feedback from architectural professionals on your job applications and hear from other students and current graduates.

The workshop will be held on Wednesday 27th May 12-2pm at 5plus offices. This masterclass is ideally aimed at graduating students to aid job seeking process. If you are in other years please keep a look out for this event in you graduating year. Please bring a printed copy of your cv/portfolio or a laptop to view work. 

Please ensure you arrive promptly as you will be allocated a time slot and an architect to see.

Thanks to 5plus for hosting us.

Link to tickets in bio

Following our INSPO event on Tuesday, we just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who attended and to our incredi...
30/04/2026

Following our INSPO event on Tuesday, we just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who attended and to our incredible speakers, Amelia Lyons of , Gavin Watts of Define and Fiona Hull of  

We also want to give a special thanks to for hosting us 🙌

It was such an inspiring evening hearing from three founding directors who shared their honest journeys, challenges and successes. There was a real sense of openness in the room, and so many valuable takeaways from the talks and discussions:
• Believe in yourself and back your own ability
• Have the confidence to go after what you want - what is there to lose!
• Strive for a lifestyle balance that works for you. We loved Gavin’s reminder of the Danish 8/8/8 concept (8 hours work, 8 hours rest, 8 hours for life) and how important it is to protect that balance where you can.
• If something isn’t working, make a change and take control
• Trust your instincts and build the right connections
• Nurture meaningful relationships
• Know when to say no and walk away from the wrong opportunities or attitudes

A key theme throughout the evening was that disruptions in your career, whether redundancy, family changes or unexpected challenges, can feel overwhelming at the time but often open doors to something better. Taking time to reflect, regroup and reframe these moments as opportunities can be incredibly powerful.

And when it comes to networking: don’t force it. Build your network rather than trying to network. Just be a good person and grow relationships by looking for ways to help, support and encourage others, and that will usually foster good will and lead to long-lasting connections.

Thank you again to everyone who joined us and contributed to such a positive, thoughtful evening. If you missed out on this one, please keep your eyes peeled for our future events. 👀

At our next event, three founders will talk about their experience of starting a business, sharing their personal and pr...
16/04/2026

At our next event, three founders will talk about their experience of starting a business, sharing their personal and professional stories.

Join UrbanistasNW for an evening of inspiration, honesty, and shared experience at our next INSPO event.

Three founding directors from across the built environment professions of architecture, quantity surveying, and landscape architecture will to share their personal and professional journeys. Overcoming challenges, celebrating successes, reflecting on lessons learned, and everything in between.

Details:
Material Source Studio
1 Federation Street, Manchester, M4 4BF
28th April 2026
18:00-20:00

Speakers:
Fiona Hull
Founder and director of Construction Q Ltd, a Chartered Quantity Surveying practice.

Gavin Watts
Co-founder of Define Architects.

Amelia Lyons
Co-Director of Asri, Landscape Architecture practice.

UrbanistasNW is a women-led network committed to shaping our cities and the future of the built environment. We aim to foster a more equitable and inclusive professional landscape by creating space for meaningful dialogue, collective action, and mutual support. We’re not here to complain - we’re here to engage, challenge, and make a difference together.

Whether you're early in your career or an established professional, our INSPO event is an opportunity to connect, reflect, and be inspired.

We look forward to welcoming you.

*please contact us at [email protected] if you would like to discuss anything or if you have any issues.

Tickets available in our bio.

Join UrbanistasNW for an evening of inspiration, honesty, and shared experience at INSPO - a relaxed event designed to s...
13/04/2026

Join UrbanistasNW for an evening of inspiration, honesty, and shared experience at INSPO - a relaxed event designed to spark conversation and connection across the built environment.

Taking place at Material Source in Manchester, our speakers will be three founding directors from across the industry - spanning architecture, quantity surveying, and landscape architecture.

Our third and final speaker will be Fiona Hull, Founder of Construction Q and recent winner of Most Influencial Woman in Construction (North West) and Outstanding Entrepreneur at the Northern Power Women Awards.

Whether you're early in your career or an established professional, INSPO is an opportunity to connect, reflect, and be inspired.

Tickets are available through the link in our bio.

Event Details
Material Source Studio, 1 Federation Street, Manchester, M4 4BF
Tuesday 28th April
6-8pm

We look forward to welcoming you.

Join UrbanistasNW for an evening of inspiration, honesty, and shared experience at INSPO - a relaxed event designed to s...
10/04/2026

Join UrbanistasNW for an evening of inspiration, honesty, and shared experience at INSPO - a relaxed event designed to spark conversation and connection across the built environment.

Taking place at Material Source in Manchester, our speakers will be three founding directors from across the industry - spanning architecture, quantity surveying, and landscape architecture.

Our second speaker will be Gavin Watts, Architect and co-founder of Define Architects Gavin Watts will be presenting the farmstead house, Viners - a sustainable and contemporary one-off house in Berkshire, and the project that started the practice.

Gavin's time spent working in Denmark, and then becoming a parent with his partner and Co-Director Ashley Taylor-Watts, has influenced his outlook on the importance of work/life balance. As Directors, Gavin and Ashley focus on fostering a healthy work/life balance for their family and the rest of the team in the studio.

Tickets are available through the link in our bio.

Event Details
Material Source Studio, 1 Federation Street, Manchester, M4 4BF
Tuesday 28th April
6-8pm

Whether you're early in your career or an established professional, INSPO is an opportunity to connect, reflect, and be inspired.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Join UrbanistasNW for an evening of inspiration, honesty, and shared experience at INSPO - a relaxed event designed to s...
09/04/2026

Join UrbanistasNW for an evening of inspiration, honesty, and shared experience at INSPO - a relaxed event designed to spark conversation and connection across the built environment.

Taking place at Material Source in Manchester, our speakers will be three founding directors from across the industry - spanning architecture, quantity surveying, and landscape architecture. Our first speaker is Amelia Lyons, Landscape Architect and Co-Director of ASRI

Tickets are available through the link in our bio.

Event Details
Material Source Studio, 1 Federation Street, Manchester, M4 4BF
Tuesday 28th April
6-8pm

Whether you're early in your career or an established professional, INSPO is an opportunity to connect, reflect, and be inspired.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we've made the decision to postpone tomorrow's meet up to a later date. We will share t...
23/02/2026

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we've made the decision to postpone tomorrow's meet up to a later date. We will share the new date over the next couple of weeks. Thank you for your patience 🙏

We’re delighted to share that our toolkit is now available as an online resource via the RIBA.UrbanistasNW is committed ...
10/02/2026

We’re delighted to share that our toolkit is now available as an online resource via the RIBA.

UrbanistasNW is committed to supporting a more diverse and creative profession, and we hope this guidance - focused on navigating challenges that can affect career progression - will help make these situations clearer and easier to address.

This resource has been shaped through the generous support and input of many North West practitioners, businesses, and individuals who believed in the purpose of the work and contributed their time, insight, and energy. We’re incredibly grateful for their involvement.

We’d also like to acknowledge the support of the RIBA - with special thanks to Emily Jeffers and Robbie Turner - for working with us to help to develop this as an RIBA resource.

Links in our bio 😎

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11 Ducie St
Manchester
M1 2

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