Young architect awarded MBE for work to diversify the profession

The 31-year-old, who is currently the innovative sites programme manager at Barking’s Be First regeneration company, co-founded the Black Females in Architecture (BFA) network in 2018.

Speaking to the AJ two years ago, Setufe said the network aimed to ‘increase the visibility of people like me in architecture’ and to ‘push the industry to look at itself and make efforts to be more inclusive’.

BFA has since grown to include a global membership of more than 400.

On receiving her MBE, Setufe told the AJ: ‘It's a great honour to be recognised and I hope this opens doors for even greater work to be accomplished.

‘Most importantly though, I look forward to increased awareness of the changes that are needed within the profession and to seeing action taken to make the profession more equitable  and diverse.’

Our very own @selasi_s has been awarded an MBE for her services to diversity in architecture. Selasi is a Senior Architect & Innovative Sites Manager @befirstdesign @befirstregeneration.
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We couldn’t be more proud ✨ a true super girl, but we already knew that! #SelasiSetufeMBE pic.twitter.com/yeYmPOLhFY

— Black Females in Architecture (@BlackFemArc) January 3, 2022

Setufe was one of only a small handful of people working in the built environment to be recognised on the annual list.

Others included OBEs for Andrew Whalley, the global chair of Grimshaw for services to architecture and to environmental sustainability, and Hanif Kara, co-founder of engineers to the stars AKT II and professor in practice of architectural technology at Harvard Graduate School of Design. Unusually, Kara’s honour was awarded for three separate activities: for services to architecture, to engineering, and to education.

He told the AJ: ‘I am proud and full of joy for this recognition and very grateful to every single person that has supported me on all three endeavours, in particular my family and colleagues at AKT II.

Hanif Kara, said: ‘I could never have imagined it when I arrived in the UK as a refugee in the mid-1970s. It’s a great start to 2022.’

I could never imagined an OBE when I arrived in UK as a refugee

There was also an OBE for Bath-based landscape designer Dan Pearson for services to horticulture.

Meanwhile Es Devlin, the mastermind behind the UK Pavilion at the delayed Expo 2020 Dubai, was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to design.