Jo Ashbridge / Founder & CEO
Jo is passionate about humanitarian architecture and sustainable development. Her work includes constructing one room shelters in Vietnam, authoring guidelines for disaster relief shelters, improving earth construction within low income communities across Bangladesh and evaluating community-led development in rural China.
In 2014, Jo set up AzuKo to grow the impact of co-design. She is a fellow of the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE), alumna of Echo++ and previous Chair of Small International Development Charities Network (SIDCN). Jo regularly speaks on architecture and design for international development.
Apu Roy / Project Manager
Apu leads the community engagement of our Bangladesh projects. He is a shelter consultant, specialising in low-cost housing in rural areas and is passionate about helping communities build resilience in a changing climate. Apu has been involved in a number of high profile projects across the country, including the award winning Rishipara Mandir Paathshala bamboo school.
Apu project managed the Amirabad Clinic with Bangla Bari, steered the design and construction of Dinajpur’s first remote learning primary school with JAAGO Foundation and acted as the bamboo adviser for PARAA’s Bamboo Playspace. Apu brings a wealth of local knowledge and expertise to the team.
Isabella Mcmillan / Development Officer
Isabella is an MSc graduate of International Development, with previous experience as a fundraiser at a children’s mental health charity. She is passionate about getting to know communities and helping to deliver community-led projects.
Isabella uses her knowledge of sustainable development to share AzuKo’s story and impact, and raise vital funds for the charity.
We are a community of designers, architects and researchers dedicated to building a fairer world. Everything we are and do is shaped by our core values.
For opportunities to join the team, visit our work with us page.
Reena Agarwal / Trustee
Reena is a Freelance Consultant and has worked for the past 12 years in the international development sector with both large and small NGOs. Throughout this time social justice and womens’ empowerment have been the connecting thread through all projects.
Emma Crichton / Trustee
Emma is a chartered Civil Engineer and has worked for a decade in the water and social sectors, both in the UK and India. She is a trained facilitator and passionate advocate for globally responsible engineering. As Head of Engineering at Engineers Without Borders UK she has worked to grow educational initiatives to reach over 30,000 professionals and university students.
Jeff Francis / Treasurer
Jeff is a qualified Chartered Accountant with 18 years of accounting experience, including the audit of and accounts preparation for charities. He is the Chief Financial Officer for the charity, Maisha Meds, which focuses on healthcare in Africa.
Shamira Haider / Trustee
Shamira is the Multi Donor Trust Fund Manager at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), currently based in South Sudan. She has worked in different roles both managing operations and raising funds for UN agencies, international NGOs and national charities in the UK.
Deljana Iossifova / Chair
Deljana is Senior Lecturer in Urban Studies at the University of Manchester. Trained as an architect at ETH Zurich, she practised in Germany, China, Japan and the USA before earning a PhD in Social Engineering at Tokyo Institute of Technology. Deljana is Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Architecture and Chair of the Urban Studies Foundation.
Raymond Lopinski / Trustee
Raymond is based in Hong Kong and has global experience in Corporate Services (specifically Building Services) with a blend of corporate and NGO experience. Having worked in most Asian countries, and over 20 countries globally, Raymond focuses on inherent sustainability issues in trying to empower communities with local solutions.
Jakhya Rahman-Corey / Trustee
Jakhya has more than a decade of experience in global philanthropy and is currently the Director of the Swarovski Foundation. She has expertise in developing strategies, initiating and delivering global sustainability projects within companies and charities.