United Kingdom Newsletter, Winter 2024/5
We'd love to expand our reach among UK built environment professionals and students and are delighted to have Genevieve Leake join the team at EMI UK as Development and Engagement Coordinator! Genevieve has an undergraduate and masters degree in Architecture from Sheffield University and has just come back from a life-changing internship with EMI Canada.
We spent some time getting to know her interests and what she's looking forward to with EMI UK
Meet our new Development and Engagement Coordinator
What's your favourite building?
My favourite building from those I've visited is probably Carlo Scarpa's Olivetti Showroom in Venice or possibly the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool.
What's your favourite world cuisine?
I love Japanese food if someone else is cooking, but when it comes to cooking for myself, I default to Middle Eastern/Moroccan/Mediterranean-style dishes. The spice mixes are so rich, I love it!
What surprised you about your time in Canada with EMI?
I was obviously expecting Canada to be different to the UK in a lot of ways so what surprised me most were the little things I hadn't considered beforehand, eg. I couldn't believe that roads are all so wide, and that at a certain point in the winter it snows and doesn't fully melt for months.
In terms of EMI, I was pleasantly surprised at how much work EMI has done globally in the last 41 years, and how conscious the organisation is of doing mission in an ethically appropriate way. I'd done some research into sustainable approaches to international development at university, so it was great seeing it in action.
Tell us a bit about the project you worked on with EMI.
During my internship, we worked on a master plan for a new campus for Precious Ones International Christian School just outside of Kampala, Uganda. The school currently operates in a rented apartment building, but they're looking to build a new campus where children can board Monday-Friday. The aim was to house around 500 students on a 5.7-hectare site, and the inspiration for the design were the words "boundless excellence". They have a different approach to learning, and run the school based on a Christian home-schooling curriculum which they've scaled up to work for 200 students in the existing school. Because of this, a typical classroom layout wouldn't work for them so we had a lot of freedom to approach the design based on the principles of their learning style. Hopefully, the design reflects the level of care towards the students and the quality of learning which was evident when we visited the current school.
Reviewing the design in the EMI Uganda office
How did you see design, diversity and discipleship in action?
Design is probably the most obvious part of what we've produced for Precious Ones, but the diversity of our group really helped the final product. This started with a briefing by local staff from the Uganda office on local construction techniques and contextual considerations. Our team was a range of ages, nationalities and a mix of genders, which tested our design assumptions and approaches to the brief. Having a local Ugandan architect as part of our team was incredibly helpful too. She had local design experience which the rest of us would not have been able to replicate and she was a relatable role model for the students at the school as they consider their future careers. Regarding discipleship, we started and ended each day with devotion times led by our project leader. A culture of openness within the team helped us to discuss our experiences, challenges, and turn back to God above all.
The school design integrates accessible landscaping and bioclimatic design principles to improve internal comfort.
What are you most looking forward to in your role with EMI?
I'm really looking forward to (hopefully!) being a catalyst to more UK design and construction professionals being able to serve God's people and build the kingdom through design. To me, the work EMI does globally is so important. I really believe that access to good design should not only be limited to those who can pay highly for it. Whilst EMI's work is still probably just a drop in the ocean, there is so much potential in the skilled professionals in the UK to support EMI's work further and touch more lives through their service. If my role enables that, then I'm more than happy to do it.