Catching up with Gemma Holding of Article 25

Having trusted collaborators and friends in any industry is essential, and the construction sector is no different. In this interview, we explore the intersection of sustainability and architecture with Gemma Holding, CEO of Article 25.

As a leader in her field, Gemma offers valuable insights into the organisation's commitment to environmentally responsible building practices. Read on to discover how Article 25 is shaping the future of sustainable development and gain a deeper understanding of Gemma's leadership.

Hey Gemma, nice to speak to you. For those readers who aren’t familiar with Article 25, where do you fit into the environmental sector?

At Article 25 we care deeply about both people and the environment. Whilst we are experts in architecture and construction first and foremost, sustainability, the environment and community remains at the heart of our transformative building projects. For example, we use local materials, and are committing to natural, sustainable building products that are sensitive to our landscape and culture. We build things to last, designing structures to withstand extreme weather events like hurricanes and flooding, as well as using seismic design where earthquakes are a threat. We also lean on innovative technology such as off grid solar photovoltaic installations to benefit both the climate and communities without mains power.

Tell us a little bit about your role at Article 25?

I joined Article 25 two years ago as the CEO, and I’m always keen to point out that despite Article 25 being an architectural NGO – I’m not an architect. Fortunately, Article 25 has lots of brilliant architects already, so whilst my responsibility as CEO is to develop and drive the strategy for the organisation overall, I primarily focus on areas that are non-architecture. That includes everything from operations, finance, governance, communications, corporate partnerships, PR and fundraising. Ultimately, the goal of everything I do – and everything we do as an organisation – is to enable us to grow so we can continue to take on more projects and help more communities around the world.

What made you decide to join Article 25?

Around a ‘big’ (ish) birthday, I reflected that I was likely halfway through my career already and felt like a change of role but really wasn’t sure whether to stay in the charity sector. I was somewhat fatigued by the sector at this point, to me there seemed to be a considerable duplication of effort across organisations. In addition, over the course of my career I’d sensed a shift from direct support for those in need to an increase in campaigning, lobbying, research and information services by many charities. Whilst there is a place for all of these, I do think resources should be channelled into direct support for communities wherever possible.

So, when I saw the role at Article 25, it immediately piqued my interest!

We don’t campaign for better buildings globally. We don’t lobby international governments for better buildings. And we don’t produce information or research on how to build better building. We simply build better buildings!  As Article 25 is the only UK NGO of our kind that works the way we do, I was immediately convinced that taking on this role and making a success of it was of vital importance.

What song perfectly sums up your job?

Probably ‘Light my Love’ by Greta Van Fleet. I’ve been playing it a lot recently, and find a bit of rock music certainly helps to liven up the commute on the Jubilee Line in the morning! More than that, though, ‘Light my Love’ seems like a good description of my job, given my previous answer. Article 25 has certainly reignited by love for international development and the power of collaboration. There is also a line in the song that goes, “ahhhh aggghhh aggghhhhhh” – which could also sum up how I feel on the occasional day at work too!

What do you wish you’d known about the environment, as a child?

I wish I’d known that frogs return to the place they were born, then I wouldn’t have collected frogspawn every year in a bucket. I used to love watching my tadpoles turn into frogs. I recently read Chris Packham’s autobiography, and it really reminded me of what I was like as a child - I was totally fascinated with nature and wildlife. Maybe I wasn’t quite as obsessed with tadpoles as Chris Packham though, I never actually ate one to see what it tastes like…

If you were Prime Minister for the day, how would you spend it?

I would implement a robust conservation plan to protect wildlife species and habitats, as well as laws and policies to truly protect nature. It’s terribly sad to see the visible decline of our wildlife and birds in the UK – but this is not surprising give the UK is classified as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries. We really must act now to stop the further decline in wildlife. So, this would certainly be time well spent.

Complete the sentence – in 100 years’ time, I hope…

‘Dame Gemma Holding – The Biography’ is still number 1 in the New York Times best sellers list.