Growing up in a rural, working-class farming family near Pocklington, Alanis Burgess, now 28, has forged a successful career as an Architect at P+HS Architects and a Senior Research Assistant at Northumbria University. She is also a committed advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion within the built environment.
Burgess credits her time at York College with shaping her career and values. "York College introduced me to some really inspiring teachers with diverse backgrounds who had industry experience and had practised in different areas," she stated. "And I met lots of peers from different backgrounds as well."
After studying A Levels in English Literature, Maths, and Art, followed by a Level 3 Diploma in Art & Design at York College, she pursued higher education, earning a Master of Architecture with Distinction from Northumbria University. Her work at P+HS Architects focuses on the residential team, while her research explores themes including gender-inclusive cities and how urban environments can better support women, families, and vulnerable groups. Her current research investigates the maternal infrastructure gap within the public realm.
The foundations for her career were laid at York College, where she realised her creative and academic interests could merge in architecture. Her diploma project, focused on an inclusive reading room for people with dyslexia, sparked her long-standing interest in inclusive design. This theme continued into her university studies and now underpins her professional and academic work, including leading projects for specialist children's homes.
Burgess praised her tutors at York College for their support, which included helping her secure a place on a competitive architecture summer school and assisting with university applications. She also highlighted how her English Literature studies developed essential writing, research, critical thinking, and communication skills.
Diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia at university, Burgess notes that dyslexia is recognised by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) as an 'enhanced ability' with heightened creativity and the capacity to reason in multiple dimensions.
Beyond her professional and research roles, Burgess is involved in mentoring and industry networks. She chairs the RIBA Young Architectural Practitioners’ Forum (YAPF) and sits on the RIBA North-East Regional Council. She recently won the regional G4C North-East Future Leader Award and will represent the North-East at the Constructing Excellence National Awards in London.
Her proudest achievement is the network and community she has built. As a first-generation university student from a non-architectural background, she aims to strengthen the dialogue between research and practice to create a more accessible built environment for all, championing inclusive early-career opportunities.
