To celebrate Neurodiversity Week we sponsored Urbanistas NW event “Celebrating Different Minds” which saw our Director Rhys Westacott and our Architect Zeid Hassan contribute as guest speakers.
The event aimed to empower individuals to discuss and share their stories and experiences with designing around neurodiversity. The speakers for the evening included Rhys Westacott and Zeid Hassan from 5plus and Sara Darwin from Phi Architects.
Rhys, who is completing his book ‘It’s All In My Head – The Invisible Recovery’, spoke about his recovery from a traumatic brain injury in 2022. He said:
“As a survivor of a traumatic brain injury and still in recovering from an accident in November 2022. I discussed unapologetically, my experience following my return to work in January 2023, the ongoing challenges I continue to face how I navigate my way through my recovery. The event focussed on ‘Celebrating Different Minds’ and was the appropriate platform to spread awareness for survivors of traumatic brain injuries and giving a voice to those silenced by the invisible nature of such injuries. We are all a work in progress.”
Sara Darwin spoke about her experience as a mother of an autistic son and shared her experience designing school facilities, care homes, and housing for autistic adults. She presented a Supported Living House for 3 autistic adults, which she has recently completed within a housing development. She aims to move onto Phase 2 of the development and hopes to make supported living homes meet Passivhaus standards.
Our Architect Zeid has a background in political activism primarily around disability rights, LGBTQ+ rights and decolonial praxis in architecture and architectural education. His work includes co-founding the ‘Decolonise Architecture’ group at the University of Bath, developing inclusive design resources at 5plus, and research on the architect’s role in societal inequality.
The event was hosted by our Associate Roxanne Kanda who concluded:
“A truly inclusive workplace is one that understands the unseen challenges its employees face. By recognising and accommodating neurodivergence, we’re not just supporting individuals—we’re unlocking the full potential of neurodiversity.”
Urbanistas is a platform that positively promotes the achievements of women as role models in the built environment, creating a strong support network for all. Roxanne Kanda founded the NW Chapter of Urbanistas in 2019 alongside Frances Phillips and Rachel Carter-Jones, the team has now grown to host more events within the North West.
