client that is, in itself, a symbol of cutting
edge design, in New York City, the home
of art and design, was like having all of
my artistic dreams realised at once. I had a
fantastic experience, one that encourages
me to always be innovative and creative
with design, no matter the type of project
I turn my hand to.
WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST
CHALLENGE CURRENTLY?
One of my biggest challenges is ensuring
that I’m there for my children as much
as I am for my career, and vice versa.
Luckily, my kids love art, architecture and
adventure, so we get to spend lots of time
together exploring interesting places.
WHAT SINGLE CHANGE/INNOVATION
WOULD MAKE AN ARCHITECT’S
JOB EASIER?
Architecture is a difficult and demanding
job, but I love all of the challenges that it
brings with it. I’m excited to see how
technological advancements will change
the industry, whether this will make the
job actually easier is something we will
have to wait to see!WHERE DO YOU STAND ON GENDER
EQUALITY IN THE PROFESSION?
Understanding and appreciating that men
and women are wonderfully different is
the first step to truly embrace diversity and
gender equality.WHAT’S YOUR CURRENT FAVOURITE
SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATION?
That would have to be algae! I’ve
introduced this extraordinary innovation
into my latest design concept, The Food
Academy. It is a biochemical system run by
algae that can generate electrical current to
power LEDs. The need for sustainability is
encouraging architects to be more creative
with their work, and delve into a whole
new area of innovation.HOW HAS BIM HELPED YOU
DESIGN BETTER BUILDINGS?
BIM has helped me tremendously. One
of my BIM-designed projects is
currently on site, and it has been an
extraordinary journey so far; both in terms
of modelling and scheduling components
of the building in deeper detail, whichallows us a better understanding of the
structure in its entirety.HOW WILL THE ARCHITECT’S ROLE
CHANGE IN THE NEAR FUTURE?
In the future, I think architects’ roles will
become more specific, in line with the
increasing use of specialised components
within the industry, particularly with
technology. However, I hope that the
essence of our craft is not lost in the digital
transformation; architecture has all of the
passion and uniqueness of art, and this
can’t be replicated digitally.WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THIS
YEAR AND BEYOND FOR YOURSELF
AND YOUR PRACTICE?
This is an important year for Saunders
Boston Architects, as we are celebrating not
only the practice’s centenary, but also its
50th year in Cambridge. Looking forward,
the future holds a period of growth for
both the company and I – we are looking
to innovate in new areas and push the
boundaries of design. I’m currently
working on developing much larger
projects, both in Cambridge and further
afield, and I think this reflects our hopes
for the practice in the future.Margherita Cesca is senior project architect
at Saunders Boston ArchitectsThe need for sustainability
is encouraging architects
to be more creative with
their work, and delve into a
whole new area of
innovation
Food Academy concept, centred around electricity-producing algae10VIEWSWWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK ADF AUGUST 2019
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