Laura B. Alvarez

As a student in Argentina, I volunteered to work as a consultant to the local authority, which gave me a good level of understanding of people's real needs, political frameworks and governance challenges, and how the combination of these translate into the urban form. I was also a funding member and Vice-president of a charitable organization (CERPHi) dedicated to the preservation of the local heritage. In my role, I worked in various projects nationally and internationally.

Since I immigrated to the United Kingdom, in 2002, I built up a ten-year career as an Architectural Technologist and Urban Designer, firstly working in self-employment and later on as an employee in large commercial firms. In 2004 I joined the Urban Design Group and I have actively worked as a volunteer for the charity since, becoming the Regional Convenor for the East Midlands in 2008 and a Recognised Urban Design Practitioner in 2009. During this period in the UK I gained a large amount of knowledge about the professional practice in this country, from legislation and governance to resources and current trends.