London Festival of ARchitecture History - 2024 - Reimagine

Tom is a multi award-winning journalist and architectural historian who is the editor of architecture and design website Dezeen. He is the AOP Editor of the Year 2023 and has been shortlisted for BSME Editor of the Year four times and PPA Editor of the Year three times.

Ruchi is an urban designer with a focus on holistic placemaking and nearly 18 years of experience leading the design and delivery of projects and programmes of various scales across the UK, US, India, Middle East and Africa, including the newly created Strand Aldwych in London. She is passionate about raising the level of public experience in cities and a strong advocate of people focused urbanism, co-creative design processes and multidisciplinary design thinking. Ruchi combines her expertise and experience to help create deliver impactful places which benefit communities in an equitable manner.

Moira Lascelles is Executive Director & Head of Partnerships of UP Projects, a public art commissioning organisation that brings world class artists out of the gallery to work with communities in public spaces across the UK.

Poppy Levison is an architectural designer, researcher and disability activist. She currently works for DSDHA and the DisOrdinary Architecture Project, as well as leading a Design Think Tank at LSA and is a Young Trustee of the Architecture Foundation.

Gurmeet Sian is an Architect and the founder of Office Sian Architecture + Design, with work that has been recognised in local and national awards. He is passionate about collaborating with communities to understand how places can be improved through the built environment and design, and to benefit the well-being of people from all backgrounds of society. 

As CEO of the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, Jessica is a proud intersectional feminist and anti-racist leader, committed to centring equity and social justice in her work. Drawing upon her rich lived and professional experience, she works alongside her team to continue Stephen's legacy and inspire a more equitable and inclusive society for young people in his honour.

Tom is a designer and artist exploring plants, people and pedagogy. He is the director of Wayward and for over a decade has led them in design, project management, and overseeing community engagement and educational outreach. Born and raised on a farm in Cornwall, Thomas studied Fine Art at Falmouth College of Art, Architecture at the Bartlett School of Architecture (BSc) and the Royal College of Art (MA architecture). He teaches design and creative practice studios at the Bartlett, Middlesex and Syracuse. 

Manasi Pophale is a creative consultant specialising in contested heritage and decolonizing spaces. She is the Creative Director of History Speak - a London based practice that engages with community groups, heritage organisations and members of the public. She has worked in collaboration with the office of the Mayor of London, Historic Royal Palaces, Museums Association and independent theatre makers and storytellers. Together, they explore the built environment as a medium of communication through workshops and walking tours. 

Julia is an experienced communications strategist for creative companies in the built environment. Having devised and implemented headline events for LFA since 2006, she’s a trusted friend of the festival with valuable insights on how to create successful and impactful activity.

Eleanor has worked for sixteen years with SWA and has extensive experience on cultural, educational, and residential projects, with specific expertise in timber construction, creative engagement and delivering long-term social value within communities. She has spoken about the practice’s use of timber in education projects at conferences in the UK, Norway and Canada and is currently engaged as part of a diverse multi-disciplinary team on a funded study to explore exemplars for the architecture of community pharmacies. She has been a visiting technical tutor at Sheffield University since 2019.

Clare has worked for 5 years with SWA, leading projects across a broad range of sectors, always with inclusive and environmental design at the forefront. Highlight projects have included several school retrofits and a timber-framed affordable housing scheme. Alongside project work, Clare is SWA’s Diversity Champion, overseeing the continued development and implementation of our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Vision, within both our architectural work, outreach and the workplace.

David Rosenberg is an architect and urbanist, independent commercial gallerist, curator, creative producer and professional critic with experience and flair for leading teams to realise creative projects in art, architecture, 3D and 2D design. He is a university teaching fellow, visiting critic and lecturer, art and architecture educational tour leader, and art gallery and architecture trustee. Velorose, the studio and gallery established by David in 2007 has been involved in the LFA since its inception, and has been a cultural partner staging exhibitions annually since 2019

Becky is an artist and researcher whose work focusses on ecology and care. She is a ranger for London National Park City supporting grassroots organisations and hoping to re-enchant the perception of urban ecology through creativity.