At PeopleDem property we believe in celebrating our community by spotlighting black excellence in property. Today we are celebrating Selasi Setufe.
Selasi is the Principal Project Officer at the Greater London Authority and co-founder of Black Females in Architecture. She is a registered architect with an interest in exploring socially responsive approaches to design, architecture and placemaking, with a particular focus on cultural and environmental issues. Passionate about challenging the status quo and creating opportunities for the disenfranchised to thrive, Selasi has held positions as a Council Member at the RIBA, Chair of the NLA’s NextGen Sounding Board, and trustee of Street Space CIC. In recognition of her services to diversity in architecture, Selasi was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s 2022 Honours List.
In her early years, Selasi was keen on becoming an athlete, but her mum said no. Instead, her mum suggested that she become a lawyer, explaining, “You’re very argumentative, you like to talk a lot, you’re very opinionated, you should be a lawyer.” This reflected a typical African stereotype and the high regard for certain professions. However, Selasi had no interest in becoming a lawyer or a doctor and knew that neither career was for her.
From the age of five to ten, Selasi spent five years growing up in Ghana, where she attended school and was surrounded by people who looked like her. There was not the same fear or lack of confidence that can come with being a minority and experiencing discrimination. Reflecting on that period, she shared, “In that setting, it was very much: you can do anything you want to do. If you want to do it, just do it.”
Selasi’s grand-uncle, whom she calls granddad, was based in Ghana, where he had built a brilliant house that is still standing today. He asked Selasi which subjects she studied and whether she had ever considered architecture. While her mum had never really dealt with an architect, her grand-uncle had. Selasi found herself intrigued by his suggestion and began to notice her own inquisitiveness about space in a way she had not before.
Selasi’s earliest memory of design and architecture dates back to secondary school. “That’s when I was first introduced to design and architecture as functional art forms,” she says, “and also where I was introduced to the idea of architecture as a potential career choice.” Following her secondary education, Selasi gained her Part 1 from the University of Portsmouth, her Part 2 from the Manchester School of Architecture, and her Part 3 from the RIBA.
Although she initially gave little thought to what kind of architect she wanted to become, Selasi knew that she wanted to create places for people. As her studies progressed, that initial aspiration developed into something much more profound. She became increasingly aware of the impact architecture and the spaces it creates can have on society and the environment. Almost no one can claim to have no significant daily experience of architecture. Selasi therefore aspired to become an architect who contributes positively to society by creating well-designed places and spaces where everyday people can thrive, while doing so in an environmentally sensitive manner.
Selasi draws much of her inspiration from people who challenge the status quo, and the same applies to design and architecture. She is inspired by those who recognise the need for change and actively work towards greater inclusivity and meeting the needs of marginalised communities.
As Selasi approached her Part 2 studies, she knew she needed to do something differently. She had found Part 1 particularly tough. She had entered the course feeling naive and bright-eyed, thinking, “Oh, I want to be an architect.” At that point, she had not really experienced the real world or understood what it meant to try to enter an industry that did not look like her. She had spent little time thinking about representation or how her background might hinder her efforts to enter the profession.
Finding Part 1 difficult made Selasi feel that she could learn more through doing, working and gaining experience, rather than having to prove herself through what she could articulate on paper. She therefore decided to take two years out instead of one.
To her surprise and shock, finding work was not as easy as simply applying for a job. There was very little support available to help her navigate the process. She spent the better part of those two years outside architecture, applying for any and every opportunity she could find, yet struggling even to secure interviews. During that period, she received only two interview invitations. Eventually, Selasi undertook an unpaid internship in Slovenia for approximately seven months, an experience she would strongly advise against. She had to depend heavily on her family, which in itself was a privilege, but she was also extremely broke.
Returning to Part 2, Selasi knew she needed to approach her studies with a different mindset. She wanted to exercise different parts of herself and avoid becoming too absorbed in trying to conform to the expectations of the architectural academic environment, as she felt this was not benefiting her.
She realised that she had spent too much time trying to conform and not enough time growing and nurturing what she already had to offer. She also began to understand that life is often about who you know and the relationships you build. One of her struggles had been entering the profession naively, without anyone to guide her through the process. She did not come from a background with many creatives or people working in the industry who could give her a boost or offer direction. She therefore decided that she needed to seek these people out for herself.
Selasi began attending free events without any particular agenda; she simply wanted to meet people. She did not bring a CV or portfolio. At one such event, she met Diane Small, the new director of RIBA London. Diane is of African Caribbean heritage, and Selasi had not previously appreciated that this was something she had not encountered before. Diane brought a great deal of herself into the way she approached her role. Her talks were diverse, and once again, Selasi had not fully appreciated that this was not how things were usually done.
At another event, Selasi began speaking to a woman who had asked a question. She was a Black woman, and after the event, Selasi found herself talking to her. It turned out to be Elsie Owusu. When Elsie asked what Selasi was doing, Selasi explained that she was struggling to find a job. Elsie responded, “Okay, have you got your portfolio together, your CV? Let’s meet up and I’ll look through your stuff with you.”
There was something Elsie said that day that Selasi would never forget. “You and others are leaving architecture school with two degrees under your belt. There’s no reason not to feel accomplished and confident that you can go out and do whatever you want. Don’t call yourself an architect, because that’s legal, but there’s so much you can do. You can set up a company. You can offer your design and creative skills under so many different guises. Don’t feel limited or restricted.”
That conversation led to a relationship with Elsie, and Selasi went on to work with her for a number of years on a consultancy basis. She set up a company and freelanced under Elsie, gaining valuable architectural experience. This working arrangement also enabled her to complete her Part 3. It was the alternative route that helped her move forward in her career.
Selasi later secured a job at Be First, a development company wholly owned by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Having grown up in Barking and continuing to live there, she welcomed the opportunity to become involved in a place where she had witnessed so much change. She joined through Public Practice, once again taking a route outside the traditional pathway. This gave her the opportunity to work at a more strategic level and influence a range of issues relatively quickly. As she explains, “I can walk through an estate with friends from primary school and say, I actually helped play a part in how that came about.”
After Be First, Selasi moved to the Greater London Authority, progressing from a borough-level role to working across the London region. Her work involves collaborating with multiple boroughs on studies examining London-wide approaches to policy and helping facilitate access to grants. More recently, she has been working on a high streets strategy programme, supporting boroughs in developing strategies for their local town centres and helping distribute grant funding for public realm interventions or the refurbishment of community centres. She also speaks positively about the amazing group of people she works with.
Alongside her career as an architect, Selasi co-founded Black Females in Architecture (BFA), a social enterprise and membership organisation established to increase the visibility of Black and Black mixed-heritage women within the architectural industry and other built-environment fields. Through its work, BFA actively addresses issues of inequality and diversity within the industry. The organisation supports its growing membership by providing a network through which members can share knowledge, advice and guidance, access one another’s personal networks, discover job opportunities and benefit from much more. Its members come from a range of backgrounds and disciplines across the built environment, including planning, construction, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, architectural engineering, urbanism and environmental design. BFA also provides communal digital and physical spaces where Black women can elevate and empower one another through creative workshops, talks and design projects.
BFA began in 2018, two years after Selasi completed her master’s degree. During those two years, she had been reflecting on the need to approach things differently and recognising that she needed to meet more people. She questioned why she was often the only Black person, or perhaps the only young Black woman, in the room when attending industry events. These experiences and questions continued to build.
At one event organised by the Architecture Foundation, Selasi noticed that the organisation had recently established a young trustees board and that a young Black woman was among its members. Selasi was amazed by the coincidence and made sure to speak to at least one person. As she recalls, she thought, “I might look crazy, but where else am I going to meet this person?” That was how she began speaking to Neba, who later became a co-director of Black Females in Architecture.
For Selasi, there is something powerful about a shared experience, even when that experience is difficult. When you share it with people who understand, there is an immediate connection. You do not have to over-explain yourself.
BFA began as a WhatsApp group formed by a group of people who had met and wanted to keep in touch. Over time, it evolved into something more substantial, with a focus on creating tangible outputs that represent a different way of thinking and different priorities from the perspective of a marginalised minority group within a context such as London.
What started as a WhatsApp group of people who kept meeting at the same events has since grown into a global network of more than 500 members. The focus is now on producing tangible outcomes, including public realm interventions, building projects and exhibitions that represent a different set of priorities and a different way of thinking about who shapes the city. The network is not limited to architects; it also includes engineers, landscape architects, interior designers, curators, artists, urbanists and planners.
However, membership is exclusively for Black women, a decision that the founders initially faced criticism for. They chose to stand by their decision and brave the criticism to ensure they remained true to the network’s original goals. As Selasi explains, “The reality is: the experience is specific.”
Despite the organisation’s growth, there is still much work to be done. Selasi hopes that more people will feel supported, gain greater access to opportunities and be able to explore the different ways they can positively impact the world, both in their local communities and in other contexts. Over the following year, the four co-founders collectively developed BFA’s vision, mission and early activities, which focused on connecting members, hosting public discussions and advocating for greater representation within the industry.
BFA was born out of a desire to advocate for better diversity and greater racial and gender equity in the built environment. At the time described in the original account, the UK architecture profession was 83% white and 78% male, while Black women made up less than 1% of the profession.
By changing the face of the industry, BFA seeks to enable progressive change and ensure that placemakers and designers reflect the communities they serve. By facilitating and creating opportunities for Black women to actively contribute to the design of our cities, BFA challenges the status quo surrounding who can be an architect and what an architect looks like.
In a previous interview, Selasi shared her hopes for the future of architecture:
“In the next 10 years I hope to see more diversity in architecture. Our societies are not a monolith; they are diverse in demographic, culture, thinking, aspirations and needs. As a profession and as something that serves society, architecture should be equally diverse.
My architectural education has been critical in shaping my thinking and, while I value it, I’ve come to realise that there are so many incredible forms of practice that contribute to creating impactful spaces and places, and being an architect isn’t a prerequisite for doing this kind of work.
All this considered, I strongly believe that it is essential to diversify the face of architecture and work more closely with those working on the fringes of architecture. I also believe that there is a need to fundamentally change the way we practise and deliver architecture.
The need for this level of change has been the catalyst for the emergence of organisations, initiatives and movements such as Black Females in Architecture, which I am the co-director of alongside Neba Sere and Akua Danso. BFA is a social enterprise and global community supporting a membership of over 500 women of Black and Black mixed heritage to elevate and empower each other. The organisation advocates for diversity, racial and gender equity in the architecture, design and construction industries.”
It has been an honour to share Selasi’s story. She has done so much to advocate for and create opportunities for Black women, while also showing young Black girls that there is a place for them in the world of architecture. It is inspiring to see how her work is helping shape the cities we live in, and we look forward to seeing how her career continues to progress.
