Project Image: Angel Gardens, Manchester. Design by Naomi Cleaver; Photo by Ed Reeve @ Edit Photo
In this Q&A session, our guest speakers will discuss how architects and designers can create a community-focused Build-to-Rent (BtR) environment by designing spaces that prioritise resident health, wellbeing and happiness.
Adapting to diversified needs
The recent lockdown has affected the way we live our lives and view our homes. As we see an increase in home working and people spending longer periods-of-time in their homes, BtR developments must adapt to the diversified needs and often the full-time presence of many occupants.
Ensuring future value
People are moving in much more varied and much less predictable ways, thus influencing the design approach for residential and BtR developments. Ensuring future value by designing adaptable homes and lifestyle-led developments, which are better for mind, body and business, is essential in ensuring an enhanced long-term appreciation of living spaces amongst residents.
The Panel
Sowgol Zarinchang
Managing Director at Way of Life
As Managing Director of Way of Life, Sowgol Zarinchang oversees the quality of the Way of Life Journey. She ensures that each customer experiences a seamless process from the point of enquiry throughout their stay and until they move on to the next stage of their life.
Way of life offers best-in-class rental accommodation across the UK.
Marketing, managing and letting over 850 homes in central locations across the UK, the company makes the joys of central living a reality. Its buildings are designed to meet the varying needs of residents at all stages of life, offering a greater selection of choice as well as professional building management, providing a reliable and streamlined service.
Prior to joining Way of Life, Sowgol was Director of Serviced Apartments at JLL, where she managed operational activities and advised both residential and serviced apartment operators.
She was Previously Director of Private Rent and Student Lets at the Notting Hill Housing Trust, where she was responsible for leading three multi-disciplinary teams with over 2,000 properties and an operational budget of £25 million.
She is a member of Women in Property and is on the PRS committee at the British Hospitality Association. In 2019, Sowgol was selected one of the ‘49 women who will shape the future of UK Real Estate by Bisnow.
Anya Sokolskaya
Creative Director & Co-Founder at Ten London
Anya Sokolskaya is an award-winning interior designer, with over 10 years experience of working in top London architecture & design studios. Having worked on projects in most sectors at a wide range of scales, since 2014 Anya has developed a focus on Build to Rent, residential and hospitality projects.
Prior to co-founding TEN, she worked at the world-renowned Conran + Partners where she was involved in projects in UK and internationally.
Anya’s specialism in Build to Rent was born out of equal passion for both residential and hospitality interiors. She is able to channel her experience of designing large scale hotels, at the core of which lies quality, dura¬bility and efficiency to help clients create buildings that answer both the design and operations brief.
Anya completed her studies at Chelsea College of Art in London where she still visits as a guest-speaker to talk to current students about working in the design industry. She is also currently pursuing her Well AP creden¬tials from the International WELL Building Institute to further enhance her role as a champion of design for better living.
Martin Dourish
Associate Director at Naomi Cleaver
Martin joined Naomi Cleaver in February 2018 to manage the studio in Manchester. Responsibilities include client, consultant and contractor liaison, initial contact and feasibility design to technical detailing, on-site co-ordination, and delivery.
Martin brings to the team over 15 years’ experience of working with practices both in London and Manchester across multiple sectors from new build to restoration and with varying project values from £75,000 to £100 million.
While working at Claridge Architects, the practice was short-listed for young architectural practice of the year in three consecutive years.
While working at Ollier Smurthwaite Architects, Martin’s team won RIBA and MSA awards.
Many of Martin’s projects have been published in the architectural and national press, most notably the restoration and conversion of the Grade 2 listed Trinity Church in Bowden, Cheshire which received and Architect’s Journal Retrofit award in the category for projects under £5 million.
Other heritage projects include renovation and conversion of a Grade 2 former Methodist chapel in Nantwich, Cheshire; the conversion of the Grade 2* listed building Wood Norton Hall, a former hunting lodge in Evesham to a 5* Hotel; and the restoration and refurbishment of a series of Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian villas in central London for high profile clients.
Martin has most recently finished managing the delivery of interiors for Moda Living PRS scheme Angel Gardens and is currently working on the delivery of their next two sites, the Lexington in Liverpool and the Mercian in Birmingham both due for completion by 2022.
Sylvana Young
Design Partner at Young
Sylvana qualified as a Surveyor in the early 90s. She started her career with Segro, Warner Music and DTZ, prior to being a founding member of Young in 2003.
She was part of the team that founded Get Living, before taking on the full time role of Chief Design Officer in 2014, where she helped grow Get Living to be a £2bn+ listed REIT.
Her area of expertise is generating asset value through creating places where people want to live, work and visit.
Sylvana’s design intelligence has been applied to a wide mix of development schemes and public realm projects spread geographically across the UK and at various stages of design, construction and mobilisation.
She works collaboratively to ensure that experience and knowledge are immersed into all elements of the projects, from façade to landscape, from structure to IT.
Sylvana was named one of Bisnow’s Best and Brightest Women in UK Real Estate in 2019, has been shortlisted for the VC Business Women Award and won the NLA Women in Property (London) award.
In 2020 she returned to Young full time.
Presenting sponsor
