Name: Amber Luscombe
Job title: Senior development manager and head of ESG at Oxygen
What I do: As part of the development team at Oxygen, I spend my days helping clients refurbish assets across London and beyond with a strong ESG focus.
Why I got into the property industry: From a young age, I loved building things that gave people joy. I would build theatre sets out of cardboard boxes and make and draw things as gifts for friends and family. This led to a natural desire to want to be an architect; taking that fascination with how building things can impact people’s lives, it inspired me to want to work in the built environment.
How I did it: I qualified as an architect in 2018, working in practice from building a secondary school in the Brecon Beacons to working on the pipe runs for the bar in the Hard Rock Hotel in London. I loved and love being an architect, however, I felt that there was a wider picture that I wanted to get involved in – who’s making the decisions; why have those decisions been made; can we do it better; are there opportunities to increase value that hadn’t been thought about early on? I had also started to take more of an active ESG role within the companies I was at and wondered if I could have bigger impact on the ‘other side of the table’ to help guide and influence decisions that are ultimately better for the environment, the buildings and the people.
My first proper job: Apart from the various jobs as a teenager, which are absolutely formative and should be a key part of everyone’s experience, my first job was with Kenneth Reed + Associates in Harrow as a Part I assistant.
My first big break: I had just landed in Singapore for three months travelling post-masters degree and I got a call from the principal at Scott Brownrigg in Cardiff – he had seen my work in my final exam and offered me a job as a Part II assistant. Luckily they were happy to wait three months for me to return and the rest is history!
My inspiration(s): Beyonce has always been an inspiration. Her work ethic and complete dedication, her commitment to empowering and uplifting women, using her platform and her voice to raise awareness and bring up communities with her. She made enough money and was famous enough to stop innovating years ago, yet she continues to work just as hard to achieve her own goals – and that inspires me on a daily basis.
The biggest challenge I’ve encountered to date: It’s not necessarily a challenge, but when I was an architect and I had fallen out of love with the job, I had no idea what to do next. I spoke to as many as people as I could, got a mentor in the industry and researched jobs, until I found one that I felt met my skillset and challenged me in new and exciting ways.
My greatest achievement/proudest moment to date: There is nothing that beats that feeling of seeing the building you helped conceptualise/draw/discuss from the very first moment become a reality that people are now walk around in and living in. The built environment is living art, and the pride in knowing I’ve contributed in a tiny way to how people might live their day makes me proud everyday – it’s why we’re all in this industry!
The biggest misconception people have about the property industry: I had the misconception that the industry was one dimensional and you would either be an architect/engineer or a builder on site. I had no idea about the millions of jobs that make the property industry what it is and I’ve since realised that there is a job for literally everyone, I’m now very passionate about making sure others are aware of the fantastic jobs that are available.
My biggest bugbear about the industry/the one thing I would change about the industry: How visible it is. The property industry is so diverse and requires people with so many skillsets and types of thinking, yet unless you know someone in it, you probably would never know that.
Why I’m so passionate about DE&I: This industry thrives on people coming from different backgrounds and having different ways of thinking to create great solutions. The worst thing would be to have a problem to solve and then five people with the same background, experience, culture and biases approach the solution – the solution would likely be identical and that isn’t conducive to creating good, successful answers to problems. We are a problem solving industry and diversity of thought is so key.
Why I’m so passionate about ESG: I don’t think you can’t be passionate about ESG. If you’re not passionate about it, then you probably don’t have long left in the industry! The world is sadly only going one way. We have to reduce the impact our buildings have, reduce the amount we extract from the earth, reduce waste and reuse what we have, else we won’t have a planet left very soon. Reducing this industry’s impact on the planet is a massive challenge, but if we all keep innovating and making change (even if small change) on a daily basis, I believe that we will turn this ship around. We have such a responsibility and opportunity to not only reduce impact, but also improve the lives of all those affected by our buildings, ultimately leading to a better place for all.
Where I’d like to be in five years’ time career-wise: I made the big career jump two years ago and had moved around a bit before that. So I see myself developing this role and hopefully having met some fantastic people along the way, creating some of the best, most sustainable buildings in London.
Who I’d invite, living or dead, to a dinner party: Zaha Hadid, Leonardo da Vinci, Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey
What I do in my downtime: While I’d like to think of myself as a team player professionally, I am not in the sports sense. I run a lot and do half-marathons/marathons, I look after my rescue dog Basil and when I have the chance I do ceramics.
The job I’d be doing if I was not doing this: I would love to buy and run a big chateau and set up a vineyard/retreat/venue in France or Italy – maybe one day.
My advice for someone just starting out: Stand out by working hard and going that little bit further, but also know your value and know when you need to find something better suited to your skills.
My motto/mantra: ‘Hard work always pays off’.
