Angela Brady facts for kids

Angela Brady is an amazing Irish and British architect. She has lived in London for over 25 years. In 2011, she became the president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). This is a very important group for architects in the UK. She held this role for two years. Angela also used to lead the London group for the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI).

Life as an Architect

Early Life and Education

Angela Brady was born in Dublin, Ireland. She studied architecture at Technological University Dublin. After that, she received a special scholarship. This allowed her to study more at Kunstakademiet in Copenhagen. She also worked for a short time with a famous architect named Arthur Erickson in Toronto, Canada.

Starting Her Own Firm

Angela became a qualified architect in 1984. She worked for a few different architecture companies. Then, in 1987, she started her own company. It is called Brady Mallalieu Architects. She started it with Robin Mallalieu in London.

Angela on TV

Angela Brady is also known for her TV shows. She has helped write and present several series. One show was "Designing Ireland" on RTÉ 1. Another was "Building the Dream" on ITV. She also worked on "The Home Show" for Channel 4. She believes TV is a great way to show people what architects do. "Designing Ireland" can even be watched on Amazon Prime TV.

Leading the Way at RIBA

Angela has been very active in both the RIBA and RIAI groups. In 2000, she helped start a group called 'Architects for Change'. This group works to get more women and people from different backgrounds involved in architecture.

When she became RIBA president in 2011, she was the first non-British person to hold the job. She was also only the second woman to be president. Angela said she was voted in because she pushed for more diversity. She wanted to see more women in the profession. She also worked to improve how the government gives out building contracts. She wanted to make the RIBA headquarters a more exciting place.

Key Building Projects

Angela Brady's firm has worked on many interesting buildings.

School of Architecture and Interior Design

Her firm helped design a new School of Architecture and Interior Design in London. This building won awards. It combines an old Victorian warehouse with a new modern building. The design used materials in their natural state. This gave the building a "raw" look.

Sacred Heart Church

Brady Mallalieu also helped fix up the Sacred Heart Church, Kilburn in London. This church was built a long time ago in 1878. Angela helped create a new lighting system. It made the church look much cleaner and brighter. They also fixed parts of the church's outside.

The Barra Park Open Air Theatre

Her firm also created The Barra Park Open Air Theatre. This is an outdoor place for music, plays, and dance in Hayes, London. The local community helped raise money for it. The building materials were chosen to be strong and fit well with the park. It looks like a sculpture and is important to the community.

St. Catherine's Foyer and Sports Centre

In 2004, her firm finished the St. Catherine's Foyer and Sports Centre in Dublin. This was Ireland's first "Foyer" center. It provides housing and training for young people.

Phoenix Heights and Brickworks

In 2009, Brady's firm completed Phoenix Heights in London. This project has 199 homes and community areas. It even has a sports field on the roof! More recently, their "Brickworks" Community Centre and housing project won an award in 2019.

Awards and Recognition

Angela Brady has received many important awards for her work:

• In 2012, she won the Women of Outstanding Achievement Award. This was for her great leadership and inspiration.
• In 2015, she was given the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This is a special honor in the UK.
• In 2017, she received the Irish President's Distinguished Services Award. This award recognized her amazing work in architecture design.

See also

In Spanish: Angela Brady para niños