EDI Competition Mentoring

Background to the mentoring

I got connected to my mentor through the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity (EDI) Competition last year, run by the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment. The competition was a brilliant opportunity for me to voice my ideas, increase my engagement within the university, and broaden my network, opening the door to the industry.

The brief challenged us to produce artworks campaigning on the themes of  "I Belong Here and My Voice Matters", which we presented to the judges from NTU and industry representatives. Mentoring was one of the prizes provided by the sponsoring companies for the winners. Right after the competition, Dr Anthony Ogbuokiri assigned me to ISG Construction, and I was approached by my mentor, Ellie Arnold, who was ISG’s Design Manager.

What did the mentoring involve?

We had a one-hour mentoring session every month. Through Ellie, I learned what is happening in a construction company, which fascinated me in terms of how various parties work hand in hand together, dedicating their hard work into each project. Ellie, together with the design manager team, was responsible to connect everyone, from the architects, planners, quantity surveyors, to the mechanical engineering team, maintaining a regular communication to achieve the best result in terms of the project triangle - time, cost, and quality.

In one of the four sessions we had, I was fortunate to be given the chance to visit their office in Bradford. It was an eye-opening experience, as Ellie arranged one-to-one talks with the project manager, digital construction manager, planner, social value manager, and lead design manager. All of them were amazing in their different roles with different responsibilities, while working together well as a team. Furthermore, Ellie and I looked at the communication with the client, soft and hard skills needed, design decisions, RIBA stages, and other operational / technical details she learned going to the industry. Aside from that, conversations regarding her personal experience transitioning from undergraduate studies in architecture technology to starting her career journey were as valuable and impactful for my overall experience.

What benefit do you think you gained from having a mentor?

I had numerous meaningful and insightful discussions with Ellie. She guided me, as a first-year student, to be more certain with the built environment industry. Not only did she answer my countless questions, but also provided in-depth explanations. This mentorship experience has made me believe that I am capable of tackling challenges in my architecture studies, and pursuing the career I have been dreaming of once I graduate.

What are your future plans?

After my studies, I am looking to work as an Architectural Assistant for several years. I believe it is essential to challenge my passion before going into the next stages of architectural education. I wish to continue to explore architecture through firms whose values I align with, which focus around the community, culture, and environment.

After gaining experience, my biggest dream has always been to preserve vernacular architecture, especially those of my culture, Indonesia, continuing to apply their rich values into contemporary architecture. This mentoring experience convinced me to keep taking baby steps to my goals, increasing my knowledge and mental confidence to work with other teams within construction in the future.