Gabrielle Omar, star of the latest series of the TV reality show The Apprentice and principal of London architecture practice Lolli & Square, is setting up an architecture class at Plumstead Manor School in Greenwich today, where young people can try their hand at architectural drawing for the day, under her expert guidance and following her inspiration.
Gabrielle’s class will form part of a week-long hands-on course run by the charity Futureversity for young people who are not yet at university and think they might like to become interior designers, architects and fine artists.
Gabrielle Omar: “I really enjoy working with young people, and this is a wonderful opportunity to interact directly with those interested in art, design and architecture and shows them what it would actually be like to work in this area in practice.”
Students will learn the rudiments of how to draw buildings and how the professionals illustrate perspective, materials and colour, and will try out a variety of tasks and techniques for themselves, from the basics of drawing elevation and planned views to drawing and working on location.
Gabrielle, who has founded both an architecture and a design practice in west London, has undertaken work across the UK and abroad. She has also spoken at conferences organised by the Royal Institute of British Architects and also at Women in Architecture and is well known as a champion of widening access to her profession, which she believes is too often still perceived as elitist and closed.
“It is important that young people grasp that if they have talent and work hard, a career in architecture or design is a real possibility for them. Futureversity’s summer courses are an inspirational setting, a safe environment where young people can gain the confidence and knowledge empowering them to take the next step towards realising a career ambition. I hope my class inspires many of those attending to consider architecture as a career option.”
