In Conversation with... Rosie Murphy

In this episode, Katie talks to Rosie Murphy. Rosie is a consummate communicator and connector.

She is just one of a broad ecosystem of architectural workers uniting for greater social justice and environmental consciousness in all aspects of the built environment. She is an advocate for networks such as Black Females in Architecture, HomeGrown Plus and Architects Climate Action Network. 

Rosie's work is centred on youth engagement, creating creative opportunities and experiences for children and young people to be empowered, informed and activated citizens of the future. Rosie works collaboratively across boundaries of design, education and activism in the UK and her new community in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

During this Katie & Rosie discuss:

• The importance of a non-linear approach to design thinking
• Collaboration as an expression of hope 
• How true collaboration requires honesty about power imbalances and a commitment to sharing power where possible, even when it’s challenging.
• The idea that collaboration can be deeply informed by observing and learning from nature
• Challenges in collaboration
• The importance of integrating cultural identity into design work

 

You can connect with Rosie here

Website:  https://rosiemurphyme.wixsite.com/onlineportfolio

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/rosiemurphy.me

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/contact-rosiemurphy/ 

 

Here are some highlights:

Embracing Non-Linear Design Thinking

"So this non-linear cycle includes points like ideation, reflection, prototyping and testing, so a lot of aspects of the design process that we're very familiar with, but I feel with a greater sensitivity to community, to ancestry and history, and to a great sensitivity to nature and resources, and yeah, in the way that it's laid out in this koru, this spiral which itself is taken from nature."

Understanding Power Dynamics in Collaboration

"…power is absolutely the most important and most essential aspect of collaboration... collaboration is not equal, there are many different forms of collaboration from community engagement to citizen participation, all the way up to citizen empowerment."

Learning from Nature’s Wisdom

"I just wanted to share a quite beautiful Maori proverb or saying that I was just introduced to recently, which is erere kau, mai te awa nui, mai te kahui, maunga ki tangaroa, pō au te awa, pō te awa, pō au. And that means the river flows from the mountain to the sea, I am the river, the river is me. And for me, that is truly understanding the fact that we are not separate to nature, we are not separate to the natural world, that the way that we operate is part of this global environmental system."

 

Books, Podcasts & Articles we mentioned:

Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

Drunk Women Solving Crime Podcast with hosts Hannah George and Taylor Glenn

 

Making Design Circular Conference – 2024

LEARN HOW TO TALK ABOUT YOUR ECO-EFFORTS WITH CONFIDENCE so you can connect with values-aligned clients and customers without the fear of getting called out.

10 am–5 PM BST Thursday 05 September 2024

A 1-day virtual conference for purpose-driven founders making imperfect progress towards genuine environmental sustainability.

 

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