NURIYAH MALIK

Portrait courtesy of Nuriyah Malik.

BA (Hons) Architecture (RIBA Part I) – University of Westminster | MArch Architecture (RIBA Part II) – University of East London | Architectural Assistant at e-gg

Nuriyah Malik is a Part II Architectural Assistant living in London. She recently started working at a new practice called e-gg, following the completion of her Masters in Architecture. Her passion for art is what lead her to pursue architecture in 2013, alongside an interest in culture, community, and the city. She still spends time outside of her career working on art and illustration. She has a keen interest in nature and aims to keep her work sustainable and sensitive to people and the environment.

Navigating Society-Architecture-Environment

What inspired you to pursue architecture?

I always knew I was going to do something “arty”, so when deciding on what to study at university, I applied for a variety of creative subjects – illustration, graphic design and architecture. I loved experimenting with styles of drawing, painting and materials. But I was also into exploring the city and unique buildings, and really started to take notice of spatial qualities and experiences created by design.

A place that truly inspired me was Alhambra in Granada, which I was so taken by with the amount of detail and thought that went into it. It was all the Islamic geometry I had admired my whole life but in 3D. Islamic geometry to me is the most beautiful art, not only because of my Muslim identity but I think it is something truly special in the world, with its mathematical proportions creating something perfect and so visually satisfying, a bit like the Fibonacci sequence found in nature. In the end, I ended up studying architecture by circumstance, not entirely knowing what I was getting into, and it was very different to studying A-Level Fine Art. But it ended up being perfect for me because of my subconscious love for structural art.

Pergola at The Limes Community Centre Garden, Walthamstow - 2 week intensive design and construction groupwork project, UEL 2018. Photo courtesy of Nuriyah Malik.

What is the most important thing that you learned in the past year?

I have learned so many new things this year, in architectural knowledge and in life, but one thing that really stands out to me is the importance of using your voice and being proactive for justice. I think there is injustice on different tiers which relate to one another. The design unit I was part of, Unit 0, led by Studio Bark, focused on environmental and social issues. My classmates and I carried out research into different aspects of the area of Newham in East London, and found a correlation between demographics, economy and the quality of the environment, such as high air pollution and deficient green space. We could identify a pattern in the provisions for people from minority backgrounds across London. This is something we wanted to tackle in our designs, but we saw inequality in our own university when teaching strikes occurred in February, bringing attention to unacceptable race and gender pay gaps and prompting a lot of discussion about the inequality in our own industry.

Architecture in the UK, like many other fields, has been predominantly male and white for such a long time that it has been difficult for women (especially of colour) to find a place in practice, or feel included. Throughout my time studying, I have been overjoyed to find that more people like me chose this route, as in the beginning I almost accepted an idea that I was an anomaly who wouldn’t be able to make it. But now I believe we should shout and stand up for equal opportunities, equal respect.

Sadly there are people in power who do not prioritise the good of humanity, so we need to be resilient because this planet is our home. Some people find it radical to protest; they criticise Extinction Rebellion and Black Lives Matter for disruption. But they protest because they care and they want to actively make a change. There are forces that are literally killing people, and we have to fight them.

Construction week, 4th Year, UEL 2018. Photo courtesy of Nuriyah Malik.

What are some architectural organizations (or specific person/role model) that helped you learn to overcome an obstacle? How did they?

Muslim Women in Architecture (@mwa.arch) was recently formed by my friends Rim and Tahin who were almost like mentors to me and my classmates when I first started studying, as they were a year ahead. Whilst they have only recently formed as a collective, I felt that it started years ago when they created a support bubble in which we could accompany each other in tackling a degree where we were very much minorities.

In addition, I feel that teachers can have great influence on their students. I have been lucky to have been taught by a variety of talented architects over the years. Most recently, I was taught by Studio Bark who are experts of sustainable design and have a true passion for the environment. The climate crisis is very real, and I needed, and we all need, to know the impact of architecture, and the methods/mechanisms for minimizing carbon in buildings, and potential strategies for bettering the environment using architectural design. And in relation to the previous point about using your voice for justice – they always encouraged us to make a big noise. That being said, my friends and I decided to continue on the legacy of Unit 0 as a ‘collective’ (@unitzero.arch), focusing on inclusion and the environment.

Rewild East Ham, 5th Year Project, UEL 2020. Photo courtesy of Nuriyah Malik.

If you were given the opportunity to repeat the year, what is one thing you’d do differently?

I am not sure that I would do anything differently. Little has been in our control this year, but I worked my best on my studies and created a project I am proud of, had much needed time to reflect, and I am working for a lovely practice.

Term 1 Crit, UEL 2020. Photo courtesy of Nuriyah Malik.

As you reflect on the past year, what did you discover as your biggest strengths?

From the very beginning of architecture school I was always told how valuable it is to do drawings by hand, especially as digital drawing is increasingly popular. But it’s true, it really is beneficial for design and thinking. It’s fun and much more full of life. I found that I can draw plants and trees much better than I thought! I ended up doing this for most of my final images.

Rewild East Ham, 5th Year Project, UEL 2020. Photo courtesy of Nuriyah Malik.

In terms of rising concerns and problems (in the architectural profession) over the past year, what is one change that you wished would happen and it did not? This can be in an educational or work atmosphere. 

Lately there has been a lot of discussion on the lack of people of colour in practice as it is just so obvious that so many of these graduates are not getting opportunities, regardless of achievements. And I would like to be optimistic as I have seen a few practices make real efforts to give them priority, but it would be great to see more - without tokenism.

Teamwork - Photograph by Jun Yap, UEL 2019. Photo courtesy of Nuriyah Malik.