OUR STORY

Black Females in Architecture (BFA) is a social enterprise and membership network founded to connect and support black women within the architecture, design and construction industry. Through networking, advocacy, education and projects we serve our members, the industry and wider society, ensuring the contribution of black women and non-binary people to the built environment is recognised and valued.

The intersectional nature of our experiences informs how we occupy and hope to design our everyday spaces. In an increasingly globalised society, we seek to challenge a solely Western understanding of the built environment towards a more equitable approach to citymaking.

BFA was born out of the drive to advocate for better diversity, race & gender equity in the built environment.

the UK’s Architecture profession is 83% white and 78% male dominated. Black women form less than 1% of the architecture profession.

By changing the face of the industry, we seek to enable progressive change to ensure that placemakers and designers reflect the communities that they serve. Through facilitating and creating opportunities for black women to have an active response to the design of our cities, BFA challenges the status quo on who an architect is and what they look like.

the network has almost 500 members with new members joining every week.

In collaboration with various organisations within the creative industry as well as those within built environment fields, BFA advocates for diversity through talks, events and workshops, while also providing opportunities for our members to develop and build on essential skills and tools needed to succeed in their careers.

Beginnings

BFA was formed in 2018 following a chance meeting between four Black women working in architecture who identified the need for a supportive space and professional network. A WhatsApp group was created that same day, which became the foundation of what would grow into the BFA network. 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 representation within the industry.

In January 2021, one of the co-founders chose to step down from their role and end their involvement with BFA. In November 2025, Akua Danso stepped down from her position as Co-Director. 

BFA continues under the leadership of its current Co-Directors, who have expanded the organisation’s focus towards spatial practice, cultural programming, and community-led design.